Mainland Premier League

I see in Div 1 Hornby have defaulted their final match this weekend which, barring an enormous loss by FC20 , consigns them to bottom place in the league (excluding Mid Canterbury of course) 

Bit rough to blame Mainland when it is part of the FIFA rules.....

If people are heading out to watch Halswel verse Cashmere Technical tomorrow at The Nest now a 2pm kick-off.

chch united 2 parklands 2

Mainland Premier League

Ferrymead Bays 1 (Michael White) Nomads 0 HT 1 - 0

Halswell 0 Cashmere Technical 0

Western 4 (Micky Willis, Daniel Thoms 2, Geoff MacIntyre) Coastal Spirit 3 (own goal, Aaron Spain, Tristan Nicol) HT 2 - 1

It was Michael White's 50th MPL goal with plenty of drama in the Western Coastal game with Western scoring all the goals in the first half with the other four goals coming in the last 10 minutes of the game which also included a player sent off from each side plus Western having a penalty saved.

With the point meaning The Rams will be back in the Mainland Premier League in 2015.

Big turnout for the Parklands game today.  Probably 20 or so selwyn supporters and 30-40 chch utd supporters. Utd got early goal to ease nerves. Then parklands equalised direct from a corner. 1-1 halftime and then parklands took the lead after an own goal with a back pass bobbling past Paul Robinson in goal. Parklands then tried to hold on for the rremaining 20+ minutes. By this stage they had run themselves into the ground. They gave away a tired free kick probably 35 yards out which was smashed into the goal with a great free kick.  Credit to parklands for their play and credit to utd for not giving up. From a selwyn point of view, gutting to miss out but we lost twice to the team that went up so we didn't deserve to go up. Utd will have to sort their facilities for next season though as I believe MPL require a certain standard and anyone who has been to spreydon domain know it's barely fit for animals let alone MPL football. Maybe they will go back to ASB park for their home games. Fair play to them and good luck for next year

Yeah great minties moment from the keeper for the Parklands second goal, shame we couldn't hold on to the lead

Sounds like their early ring-ins have started  leaving the phone off the hook.

Surely you don't mean ring-ins as in non registered do you? If that's the case then have teams not learnt from the debacle of last season and cheekily did they play them against selwyn earlier this season?  #latelifeline  

Absolute dramarama yesterday in the MPL match between Coastal and Western. 

After 20 minutes Coastal go 1-0 up with one of the best own goals you will ever see. A diving header from 15 yards perfectly lobbed his own keeper and laughs filled the whole ground. Then Western get a free kick and it somehow dribbles into the net through everybody. Another goal for Western right before half time meant it was 2-1. 

It stayed that way until 10 minutes to go when a sloppy back pass was picked up by a Western player who rounded the keeper and coolly slotted it home. He was so happy about it that he took his shirt off and got booked for it. About 3 minutes later Coastal get one back to make it 3-2.  The same player who was booked for taking his shirt off then gets booked again and Western go down to 10. Then Coastal give away a silly penalty and we're down to 10 men too, but the keeper saves. Then we cross the ball into the box and there is a goal mouth scramble and the game plays on except the lino has run all the way back to the halfway and talks to the ref and calls a goal! So 3-3 with about 90 minutes up and it was party time. 

Only for Western to spoil the party with a lovely low diving header to take them 4-3.

Shithouse result but super entertaining.  

Nomads lost, just need Uni to keep losing to keep ourselves clear of that relegation spot.

Having just read the match report, (here's the link) it appears some of my timings were a bit wrong but it was roughly right. 

It was a long day. 

After 15 mins no score between Suburbs and University.

After 35 mins still scoreless Suburbs vs. University.

C'mon Nelson!

Second half underway and still no goals up in Nelson.

65 minutes played and Suburbs now leading 1 nil, goal coming in the 56 minute.

FT Suburbs 1 University 0 so after 15 or 21 rounds Cashmere Technical on 40 points , Western 29, Suburbs 28, Bays 25, Coastal 16, Halswell 13, Nomads 11 and University 9.

from all reports a game uni dominated for large periods creating a hat full of chances, but again unable to make that count. I'm sure plenty to take from the performance considering up to 20 players unavailable! 

This coming weekend will be the 250th round of the Mainland Premier League so in the next few days will put up the stats for the four ever present lclubs: Ferrymead Bays, Halswell, Nelson Suburbs and Western.

Sad to read in this mornings Press the death of Ivan Billcliff long team servant for the Canterbury Referee's. Ivan passed away in Hamilton on Saturday aged 94 and there will be a memorial service in Christchurch with the date to be advised.

So now that most of the league games (Div 1 and down) are finishing and moving into Pool Play - I wonder what peoples views are on this part.  Wouldn't Div 1 benefit from doing 3 rounds instead of 2?  This season probably worse given there is only 7 teams now and one of the pools has a bye every week.

Thoughts?

Media Release From NZ Footy, well done on those that are heading to the World Cup and commiserationsto those players that missed out.

Junior Football Ferns named for World Cup

Monday 14 July, 2014

For immediate release

A relatively experienced Junior Football Ferns side, including six players who have played senior international football for New Zealand, was named on Monday for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada in August.

Led by captain Katie Bowen, who has 18 Football Ferns caps, the Junior Football Ferns include five other players; Stephanie Skilton, Evie Millynn, CJ Bott, Megan Lee and Meikayla Moore who have seen top level playing time. Four others in the squad (Martine Puketapu, Lily Alfeld, Emily Jensen and Daisy Cleverley) have been part of Football Ferns tours in recent times.

Meanwhile, six of the team for Canada were members of the previous New Zealand FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup side in 2012 with Bowen, Millynn, Skilton, Tayla O’Brien, Ashleigh Ward and Corina Brown going around again for the Junior Football Ferns.

A total of 12 players turned out for the New Zealand U-17 side in the 2012 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Azerbaijan while three of the team – Puketapu, Cleverley and Isabella Coombes – were members of the Young Football Ferns side at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica earlier this year.

Junior Football Ferns coach Aaron McFarland believes the amount of international experience accumulated by a large percentage of the squad is one of the key strengths the side will be able to call on in competing at the pinnacle age-group tournament.

“I think it’s got to mean something when you compare us to teams like Costa Rica and Paraguay who will have players with limited international experience and it may, for a quite a lot of them, be their first World Cup,” McFarland said.“Everyone knows when you play these games that nerves take a toll and hopefully that experience means we can control our nerves and focus more on putting our best performances out on the field which will ultimately help us win the games.”

In addition to the mental edge a number of the players should have, McFarland, who also serves as the Football Ferns assistant coach, sees several technical positives among the group.

It's normally a waste of time and even more farcical this season with teams having a bye in one of the DIV1 groups.

Waste of time third round? Hard going for any div1 side that is serious about moving into MPL. Only two 2 rounds and then basically social stuff after that is hardly good preparation I'd have thought. Sort out the bye easily by chucking Burwood's young side in there to fill the gap. Give them an opportunity to stronger competition.

I think Dinamo was referring to the Pool Play as a waste of time.  But yeah by all means put someone else in there - or just start Div 1 earlier in the season (I'm sure games Fri/Sat/Sun or at a venue with fields all year round) would be better than 2 rounds of Div 1. 

I think 3 rounds would be better for div 1, it would mean more meaningful games & would also mean that things like injuries & availability could affect teams more so would need stronger squads so it should bring the level up closer to MPL

Sorry dynamo, misunderstood! All good with above. Makes sense.

No worries guys, can see how may be taken wrong way. I personally think the pool play thing mainland do to fill in time at the end of the season is completely stupid and a waste of time. What could have been done for div1 this year was a 3rd round with mid canty pulling out but maybe was too late to call it. A forward thinking decision like that woukd have needed to be done at the time. 

  My preference is for a 10 team league for div1, with 2 rounds and after 18 games get a true reflection of your league champion. Then we don't need this airy fairy participation rubbish we get lumped with each year. Say for div1 you need another 3 teams. Maybe mid canty againif they can confirm numbers, western won div2 and burwood wouldn't seem out of place. If mid canty cant do it then ferrymead did alright in div2. There is 10 teams, all likely to have the numbers to confirm teams in the league. 

Saw the plans for the new Garrick Park Clubrooms recently, looks a pretty good functional facility, not too many bells and whistles, but plenty of changing rooms (the main one (home one) is huge)...

Few international transfers late last month to Ferrymead Bay$.

First team potential or young  players?

Don't tell me they are getting more free money? How can this be? Get ready Broonie for the backlash from the Fun Police! Decent ground and new changing facilities while others have neither! You might have to get your club to check the budget and see if allows for a shuttle mission to stretch the money hole in the atmosphere slightly North East. The money doesn't fall from the sky there yet and in the mean time "a little boy waits". 

Allegedly $40k spent to get mid table - Might have some $$ left over!

Two trophies have been played for in each division for years, this part of the season you have what used to be over 3 weeks the Knockout Cup. Mainland staff gave up having to work for their wages by taking the easy way out a making all leagues 8 teams.

Now we don't play KO but a second tier league format. All changes that would have a bearing on promotion to the MPL would need to be set well in advance of the season starting not during it.

Yup that's a fair point - but especially for Div 1 - why don't they make it mirror the amount of games MPL have?  Not to mention - I dont think anyone really cares too much about the secondary cup.  Too much work to change things up?

I saw that email from Coggan about Masters and suggesting it goes to mid week/7v7 sort of thing?  They have 3 divs with 8 teams now - don't mess with it now...

Tonight Reta Fitzs Cup Semi Final: Parklands 0 Coastal Spirit 7 HT 0 - 4

The current Football and Cricket building there was earthquake damaged and needed to be pulled down and replaced. The Woolston Club received an insurance payout for it and a new building has now been agreed on. Aaron Clapham is managing the project from what I understand...

Meeting at ASB tonight re Masters Football - should be an interesting meeting. Think they have it right at present with 3 divs of 8.

Top teams were concerned re how few in Div 1 at start of year hence grading tourno, but it strikes me that part of issue is that these teams forget that Masters is not a truly serious comp for the bulk of sides and the reason why no one wanted to be in Div 1 can be partly explained by the overtly competitive nature of the sides that initially comprised Div 1.

Hopefully it stays at 11 a side on Saturdays

[quote=Dougie Rydal]

Saw the plans for the new Garrick Park Clubrooms recently, looks a pretty good functional facility, not too many bells and whistles, but plenty of changing rooms (the main one (home one) is huge)...

That will be for the Ca$h Tech Huge Ego's.