Bigboot wrote:BigRed49 wrote:I completely understand your perspective. I don’t agree with you though - the decision is being made at a board meeting (tonight I think) and then communicated to all clubs impacted this week. There will be a clear and transparent path forward.
There are two things I'm very confident of:
- CL2 will continue to exist in 2027.
What I mean is, if four teams are supposed to come up, I could see Capital saying: "The Central play-off winner, Whanganui, and the Capital Premier winner, Greytown, can take two of the available spots, while reserve teams fill the other two."
- Capital will do everything they can to ensure Gisborne United don't get promoted to CL2, because the Wellington clubs don't want to travel to Gisborne.
What I can't see them saying is: "The East winner, Gisborne United, the West winner, Whanganui, and the Capital Premier winner, Greytown, all come up."My point is that Capital will make whatever decision is necessary to ensure Gisborne don't get promoted. If Gizzy win the East v West play-off but then lose the following play-off against Greytown, you can absolutely guarantee that Greytown will go up....but there'll suddenly be no place for a Central team to come up, with reserve sides filling the remaining spots instead.
Of course, Gisborne could take the decision out of Capital's hands by beating Athletic and then beating Greytown....
The Gisborne effect is not that bigger deal for Wellington clubs (the clubs I have spoke to have no issue with one trip a year up there). I find it harder to believe that Gisborne can sustain their place in the league - but I have no evidence to say otherwise.
It's definitely up for debate if they can sustain it. Their main sponsor this season is HES who I believe is owned by the Adams family, 3 of which play for the first team. From what I've heard, they basically just pump enough cash into the club to keep it going and have been doing that for a while.
The jump to CL2 would require a huge amount of outside sponsorship which I'm not sure is something United could easily get around. They don't have a great reputation outside or inside of Gisborne (they have been kicked out of clubrooms a few times because of behavior issues) and before last season, needed Central Football to try and convince them to play Eastern Prems.
If it was Thistle, I would be far more confident as off the pitch the club is set up far better to handle these kind of requirements (have previously sorted out flight travel, etc). Another worry for United is that they have no junior setup. It is literally just the mens and womens teams. Most of United's signings come from Gisborne Boys High School, and former Thistle players.
While I'd love to have some Gisborne representation in CL2, and United have definitely earned it on the field, they could definitely struggle.
The jump to CL2 would require a huge amount of outside sponsorship which I'm not sure is something United could easily get around. They don't have a great reputation outside or inside of Gisborne (they have been kicked out of clubrooms a few times because of behavior issues) and before last season, needed Central Football to try and convince them to play Eastern Prems.
If it was Thistle, I would be far more confident as off the pitch the club is set up far better to handle these kind of requirements (have previously sorted out flight travel, etc). Another worry for United is that they have no junior setup. It is literally just the mens and womens teams. Most of United's signings come from Gisborne Boys High School, and former Thistle players.
While I'd love to have some Gisborne representation in CL2, and United have definitely earned it on the field, they could definitely struggle.