Mainland Premier League

Genuinely curious as to who everyone would like to see win the league of the remaining two...

8 or 7.5

13th Grade Girls was a highlight. 

With the win tonight Cashmere Technical became the sixth club to rack up 300 MPL points.

Technical became the fastest club to reach the milestone in their 126th game.

Nelson Suburbs achived their 300th points in 164 games, Western 173, Bays 179, Nomads 187 and Halswell 200.

Easy question. Bays.

I was talking about their top team. How can you say they will add to it when (I'm guessing....) you haven't seen them play?

Yes I have and no I'm not sure the 'top team' was the only criteria I was using to evaluate the Clubs merits. 

Here is my piece on last nights game between FC and Tech if anyone is interested. My apologies to FC's centre back who who #3 as I could not find his name. I believe I got the rest correct.

https://mainlandanalyst.com/2017/08/23/fc-twenty-1...

Men's - Final Round

Nelson Suburbs 0 Coastal Spirit 1 (Gulliermo Schuhmacher - pen) HT 0 - 0

Universities 1 (Jordan Belton) Nomads 2 (Jacob Anderson, Luke Petrie) HT 0 - 1

Western 0 Ferrymead Bays 4 (Nikolai Molijn 2, Cairan Aherne, Sho Mathieson HT 0 - 2

Final Table:

Bays win title - first to win 5 titles with Western relegated for the first time

Only the top two placings would have altered with Tech winning the title on goal difference 

Yay Bays! 

From the Nelson Mail: Suburbs verses Coastal wrap

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/96187558...

From The Press: Bays Claim Title

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/96173959/fe...

congrats Bays 

They say the stats do not lie - table showing number of times scored, clean sheets and failed to score

Western the oldest club in Canterbury (that have never had a name change) relegated today for the first time since the MPL commenced in 2002, 318 games in total, 137 wins, 61 draws and 120 losses, goals for 519 and 488 against and 472 points. 

They finished second in 2014 but then 6th, 7th and finally 8th.

Of the 137 wins 85 win the first nine season's from 2002 to 2010 and the next 52 wins in the next seven season's with just 12 of the 52 in the last three season's.

On the flip side just 46 losses from 2002 to 2010 and the next 74 losses in the next 7 with 45 of the 74 coming in the last three season's and not suprising Western currently sitting on both their worst losing run of 9 games and longest winless run of 16 games.

From 2002 to 2014 averaged a shade over 33 points, but averaged just 14 from 2015 to 2017, so they have been on a slippery slope since 2014.

Two Chatham Cups wins, runner-up 7 times and 27 wins in the English Cup. 

Will they be able to bounce back?

A good MPL administrator is vital for clubs..teams get caught out every season..

Short answer, no

Shouldn't team cards be checked in the week following a game so that these issues do not happen more than once?

Yes I know the staff have other things on too, but shouldn't it be in a persons description to do this.

Also doing it weekly makes it a lot quicker than waiting weeks to check all team cards 

Mainland don't 'discover' anything (that would be proactive). Player eligibility is left upto clubs to administer/police with Mainland only 'investigating' when prompted. A club may be aware of ineligibility and sit on that knowledge, allowing it to continue as many games as possible. 

Mainland's role to sort out system and process, allowing clubs to focus on the football and winning leagues on the grass. 

No it wasn't. After 21 games Bays had the most points. 

Short answer : Not soon. 

It's the clubs responsibility to only field eligible players

It's Mainlands responsibility to clarify and/or enforce legality 

I understand Mainland can/could be at fault but surely 95% the club has chosen to field a player they shouldn't off. 

Totally agree. Clubs provide player registration via goalnet which Mainland should have to verify but they don't until there is a potential problem. A player can appear multiple times in Goalnet, e.g. You have to have a separate identity for Futsal. And for Futsal you don't require an international clearance. And so the problems begin. Mainland being proactive would require that they check each and every dual registration on this system as the clubs provide them. But they don't do that and choose to penalise clubs once they identity issues from team cards or referee reports. Clubs and players are penalised when the "professional body" that runs our game remains unaccountable.

Another way around things is that you do not require International Transfers to play Sunday League (CSSL) and then once you've played there for a season or 2 (sometimes not even that long) you can transfer to a Saturday Club with no issue.

Certainly for the MPL, WPL & CCL Mainland need to have someone check the team cards on a weekly basis to officially approve results before the next round of games.

As you say Gaffa, everyone is in Goalnet, it shouldn't be that hard! Currently there are 20 teams in these 3 divisions. Fair enough if they checked every grade and every game, but the key leagues should all be checked regularly.

Agree 100% with you both Ronaldoknow & Gaffa - when clubs file their squad lists with Mainland & they should then be signed off by Mainland prior to the season starting & the same process applies for any new players who arrive during the season & they must then be verified by Mainland before they can play. Once signed off by Mainland after doing their due diligence that should it be it - no right of appeal or protest. As has been said in earlier posts if you become aware of a breach by an opposition club why say anything before the season end when you can potentially strip another club of all their points to the advantage of your own club.

South Island Football Championship now back on: Caversham verses Ferrymead Bays 9th September 12:30pmat the Caly in Dunedin.

Is it just me that finds it odd that 6 days after Mainland's premier competition (the MPL) has concluded, Mainland still haven't updated their website. Still got the article on Ferrymead being one win away scrolling across the bottom of their website. You'd think a wee congrats to Ferrymead might be in order.

Wonder if it would have been updated if Cashtech had won.......

Probably checking team sheets. 

I'm still shaking my head that 9 points was enough to stay up.

Everything else is a secondary concern lol

Only if someone was booked....

Always very quick to put Cash Tech photos up on site as well..can't use the excuse they haven't got any photos because plenty have been sent to them..