Mainland Premier League (Part 1)

Said it before while teams are a) desperate to win the league or b) desperate to avoid relegation the standard will remain as it is (I actually believe it's not that bad). The number of team's participating is irrelevant to the standard, it is the attitude the clubs take to the league that is important. Maybe it's because I follow Coastal (who have ranged from 3rd to 7th throughout the season) but I don't think I have failed to be entertained at every game, regardless of the result. Whilst the players are keen to win the league the are more focused on developing as footballers. Take away the fear of relegation and I think you would see a lift in standards straight away. Force clubs to have player development programmes and qualified coaches as part of the entry criteria would also help. Play on Sundays to raise the crowd size and profile is another step. Improve playing surfaces etc. Limiting the number of teams is too simplistic and excludes clubs that are working hard on these areas of the game. The SI league will also help, bring it on.

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So Nomads need to win 3 out of 5 & Utd lose all 5 remaining games to be safe. Nomads remaining opponents in order are Halswell (a), Tech (h), Coastal (a), United (h) & Western (a). Which 3 can you see them beating? Maybe Halswell & United but that's about it. Gone burger.[/QUOTE]

Nomads might also beat Western, they seem to have been abit up & down lately.

Richmond certainly not assured of winning the Nelson league yet either with Marlborough breathing down their necks.

Moot point are FC2011 or Richmond good enough to defeat Nomads? I think not.

Agreed, the 1st round of english cup proved that, Nomads 6 FC2011 0 Until the level of div 1 gets closer to PFL automatic relegation is not smart

Coastal deserved the 3 points and United were poor. Kourosh has to be happy with his 1st season in the MPL. I think they could challenge next season.

All Whites 82.. I think you got that one wrong about Tech's Championship winning side last year.. Should have said Canterbury United... Tech virtually had all National League players in their team whilst other clubs hardly had any.. But it looks like the Big $$$$ they are paying for Terris, Pitman, Fachnie and others has been wasted this year !!!!!

And the big bucks being paid at Bays is paying off.

No money was or had been paid at tech so get ya facts right, agreed advantage having canty coach at tech but this is so last year

Thats crap and you should know it... Terris left Bays for Tech and I was well informed he was getting $300 a game.. Then Pits and the others....

All Whites 82.. How can you compare a team that has 10 or so Canty Utd players in their team against a side thats made up of mainly normal MPL players.. The standard of football HAS TO BE BETTER...

AllWhites822011-07-17 20:14:14

Nelson lucky that Nomads could only put 2 goals away.
Nomads had several good chances in the second half but as usual the season long problem of not being able to put them in the onion bag.

The only Nelson chance of note was a 1st half free kick that was well struck and on target.

I see Michael OKeefe, ex Technical, was in goal for tonight for Wellington Phoenix against the NZ Under 20 World Cup team. Coey Turipa in goal for the U 20's in the 2nd half.

Tech players don't get paid, scouse is right.

Nelson's two leading football coaches believe they will be out of a job next season due to alleged referee abuse, and after a threat from officials to boycott their matches.

John Slotemaker and his assistant, Paul Brydon, have both been suspended this season for allegedly abusing referees or their assistants.

Slotemaker is serving a three-week ban after an incident during Nelson Suburbs' loss to Ferrymead Bays in the Mainland Premier Football League three weeks ago, while Brydon was suspended for four weeks earlier in the season after a separate incident, also against Ferrymead.

After the latest incident, meetings were held between the club, referees and the sport's governing bodies, and the pair have been told to keep their mouths shut pitchside.

"Over the year we've had quite a few issues where they have been red-carded, and we've had a couple of judiciary hearings we've had to go to," Nelson Suburbs president Jason Lavington said.

"Basically, the stance we've taken is that we are supporting the respect for referees programme, and as a result we've taken steps within the club to make sure the players and the coaches adhere to it.

"Our position as a club is that we are behind the referees."

He said the pair's contract with the club expired at the end of the year, and applications would be taken then. Slotemaker and Brydon would not be prevented from applying.

If things didn't improve this season, however, change could happen earlier, Lavington said.

"If they can't behave, they will be stepped down, and the ball is in their court.

"We're not going to condone the behaviour any more, and we're not going to allow it to happen.

"From a club perspective, we can't have our premier coaches abusing referees � it's a simple fact."

Slotemaker said that until the first Ferrymead game, the team had a good discipline record, both on and off the pitch, and he generally had a good relationship with most officials. He was disappointed and hurt that the club had not stuck up for him and Brydon once the issue with the referees emerged, and said he had not been told what had come out of the meetings between Suburbs, the referees and the governing bodies.

However, he felt there was little chance that he and Brydon would be reappointed for a third season in charge. "We've been told by the club we've got slim to no chances of being reappointed coaches next year."

The duo led the team to third place last year, and it is lying second this season.

He said the situation would not prevent them giving their all to the team for the rest of the season, but beyond that he did not know what would happen.

Mainland Football chief executive Mike Coggan said that following the Ferrymead match, officials had expressed frustration with refereeing Suburbs matches.

"They did state that they were considering not officiating games involving Nelson Suburbs.

"So as a federation, we did bring the parties together recently to see what the issues were, and to make sure it didn't escalate into anything significant. I must admit that was really well received and it was positive."

Four Mainland coaches had received bans this year, and it was unfortunate that two of them had come from the same club, he said.

There were only 70 or 80 referees in the federation and about 16,000 players, meaning the quality varied, but it was important that referees were not subjected to abuse, he said.

The federation was looking at new ways of combating the problem, including sin-binning players or coaches for 10 minutes for dissent during a match.

Nelson Bays Football declined to comment, while Ian Hull, Nelson Bays' representative on the Mainland Referees Committee, said they had been supported by Mainland and Nelson Bays with regard to Slotemaker's ban, and there was nothing else to say.

- The Nelson Mail

Now that would be a real shame. They have done so well for the club. Seems crazy that they are paying the price for behaviour that others have gotten away with for so long.

AllWhites822011-07-19 22:43:31

Why so defensive AW82?? I think he was clearly stating that other coaches in the league have done this on numerous occasions. And to be honest I don't understand your point? Suburbs are performing so well with the players the have, the majority of them under 21 years old. Surely the league has to look at the refereeing as a whole, and see how these issues can be sorted out. Is it giving players a yellow as soon as they swear at the ref? But if the referee makes a piss poor decision, the coaches need to be able to raise an issue without swearing their nut off.
Luis Garcia2011-07-20 00:54:11

Well I know of one Tech player asking around for money at the beginning of the season from different clubs before eventually staying with Tech. So there must be some reward being offered for his services. And it ain't winning the League.

Yeah VF but you can't necessarily assume that just because he stayed meant he got paid. And what do you reckon the reason he put his hand out to others clubs might have been? Bet you anything it was because he saw other clubs paying players.

What's realistic anyway for this (sh)amateur league? Payment or reimbursement of any form? Boots, kit, petrol money, groundswork, part-time coaching kids job? If the whole first team is on the books as part-time coaches is that ok?

I don't have the answer but if the ruling body isn't going to provide any guidance and then "police" it (ie audit club accounts) then nothing will change, will it? Is there a better way - anyone?

Yip he may have gone back for the love of it, or they offered more, who knows. Likelihood is he is getting paid in some form.

My opinion on how it is run: Mainland come down hard (just like NZF did with the Nat League) and say it is against the rules for an amateur sport to be paying players in cash, petrol, or whatever. All accounts are checked, and any allegations are followed up on. Seems odd that it is common knowledge that Bays are paying up to 300 a week, are winning the league, and noone from on high says boo.

AllWhites822011-07-20 19:07:38

But just like players officials get thing wrong and in same cases this means goals are scored or not scored, but it appears there is no process for clubs to highlight any refereeing concerns, I not talking about just sagging off refs.  

Wrong.

MPL coaches can fill out referee feedback forms and send them to Mainland where they are read and absorbed. It's their choice to and several coaches make a habit of it. Some sides rarely send them in except when they want to get a cheap jab in at a referee. Obviously constructive feedback from coaches is used.

I've decided refereeing isn't for me. I got slagged off after refereeing Halswell v Ferrymead Bays a few weeks ago. Looking back at the video of the game the abuse was completely unfounded. I've got much better things to do with my weekends! Make that 69-79 referees in the region...



Mithrandir2011-07-20 18:49:31

Lifted off the Mainland Website.

Why do you think said person was going around asking for money, because he was getting feck all at tech and obviously felt that because clubs were asking him to sign for them then they would want him no matter what. When bays made Kamo an offer, he was willing to meet tech halfway and stay for 50% of what bays were offering. Tech didn't want to go down that road so didn't even entertain it, ultimately this may have cost them the league but hopefully the fact that they were'nt prepared to pay arguably the best striker in the league may lead you all to believe that others don't get paid. End of rant, this will be the last time I'm gonna bother replying to tech player payment allegations.

[ [/QUOTE] Strongly agree, refs like players should just concentrate on a saturday afternoon (sunday if you're in Nelson). If a coach is out of line, book him, if he keeps it up, send him off. The same applies to players. Ultimately if a team ends up with 5 on the pitch or a coach who consistently gets sent off then they'll soon wind their necks in because they won't be effective at this game. In the meantime and this is a personal opinion I wish the everyone would harden the f*(& up (ref's and players alike) and just get on with it.

Don't forget loyalty sometimes plays a part. If a player has no reason to leave a club he is happy with it's not unreasonable to assume he will look for a reason such as a monetary reward for breaking his allegiance. And he may use the ruse of saying that's what he's already getting to justify it. It's called leverage.

Having a nosey at football south thread and a few rumours that Otago utd may not be in the NZFC. Not sure if their is any truth to it but could this be an opportunity for Nelson to get themselves in the picture?

https://www.mainlandfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=44&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=757&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=20f7ed0377

Any takers?????

Could well be. Would be a shame for Dunedin given Can U will still be in it despite the last 10 or so months, and the fact that the Nix are playing a friendly there tomorrow. Would cut travel costs for the nothern sides though I guess.. Would be great if Daniel Ede got into the Canterbury side too just quietly.

OU will be around this year. Albeit in a scaled down version. An announcement to be made next week. This has got to be good for Otago football and hopefully some new bodies on the Board will kick start the franchise.

Troll alert: Well I'd hate to see a scaled down version of a club with highest placing of 5th and consistently bringing in Canty Utd's offcasts.