Mainland Premier League (Part 1)

Nelson Suburbs beat Western 3-1

Bays 3 90210 0
Ctech 2 Halswell 0

2 pre season finalists stumble first up. Gotta love football.

No idea mate. Nelson just seems to be the term they're using for someone not having a club or previous MPL club history.

FC Nelson and Nelson Suburbs are the only two clubs that use the name Nelson in their title.

From the press on friday, "tech are after an english non league striker" First I've heard of this anyone know anymore?

Got one on the way apparently, teeing up a job and a flat as we speak.

FC Nelson played on the weekend, in a pre-season. Messi was right, was very different to the team that played Nelson Suburbs. There looks to be a few of the Richmond boys down there with their old coach Bigsy. Henry Fa'arado will be a handful up front. Why a ASB Prem player with a world cup qualifier this year is playing first division football in Nelson I'd never know. But great for the club. Looks sure to be the club pushing for MPL promotion out of Nelson this season. If only they had the chance to get the better of the Nelson College players.

From this mornings Press in an article about numbers across various sports - rugby, hockey,league,netball personnel all quoted.

Mainland Football boss Mike Coggan delegated questions from The Press to one of his staff who did not come back to us.

OWN GOAL. FAIL.

PS haven't mainland just employed a new full time Marketing Manager?!
EPIC FAIL.

Haha classic. Mainland seem to have a staff that is larger than the total members in some clubs.

I don't like to have a go at Mainland just for the sake of having a go (plenty of legit reasons seem to arise afterall); but I'm just so disappointed because it makes our sport look 2nd rate when all the other sports seem to have their act together. The AGM is next week and they'll be in the middle of competition draws and transfers but that's all everyday business. They've employed someone whose responsibility, I would have thought, would have been to ensure we handle all media relations opportunities as a matter of priority. I'd like to know what was being done that was more important than not getting back to the media on a pretty basic matter.

Heard that Mike White has officially signed on with Nelson Suburbs now.

Predictions for tomorrows games?

Coastal 1-1 Woolston
Bays 3-0 Utd
Western 4-0 FC2011
Nelson 3-2 Halswell

Coastal 2- 0 Cashwoolie
Bays 1 - 1 Utd
Western 2 - 0 FC20
Nelson 4 - 0 Halswell

Coastal lost 2-1 and I heard second hand Bays drew 2-2 with Utd earlier in the day.

Draws all round which is probably a good thing for my losing team!

Bays 2 Utd 2
Nelson 1 Halswell 1
Western 2 FC2011 2
Coastal 1 Woolston 2

What did you make of the game vim? Tech took their chances and coastal didn't imo. robags2012-03-31 20:09:59

Yep pretty much, and Coastal had by far more clear cut chances. Ctech got off the hook with that one. Having said that Ctech defended pretty well with Pitman leading the line. Both Ctechs goals came from Coastal defensive errors. Draw would have been a fair result.

Could have happened too with the crossbar being hit in the last play of the game!

Yes was certainly dramatic final flurry as there were plenty of chances. Shame Ashbourne went off in the first half as the constant long throws and corners would have been right up his alley.

That's football tho, can't score: can't win.

Some interesting games coming up over Easter Weekend double header:

Bill Tuiloma - one of the standouts at the U17 World Cup, trialled at LA Galaxy Youth, is transferring to Selwyn! Back to APFA Academy?

Maybe the Selwyn APFA link you made is proving itself.

I love that transfers page. Such gold.

What's the latest on PDL? I hear it has changed again? Maybe not an 8 team A league and the rest B league (with some clubs have a team in each). Anyone with the skinny?

News to me. Most recent info I have (Apr 2) is more junior related, but senior divisions were attached in the same document. Still had PDL in the same groups (A being reserve league and B being the extras).

Juniors seems a bit random with clubs able to nominate what div they want to be in, rather than following on from the last year promotion/relegation. Has it always been like that? And plenty of occurrences of two teams from the same club in Div 1!

I remember as a youngster the first 3 matches were grading games. It wasn't until the youth leagues it moved to promotion/relegation.

Thanks Vim - that info sounds more up to date than the minutes I was reading (7th March; something about "proper consultation with competitions committee was not adhered to").

RE Juniors:
It makes a mockery of promotion/relegation doesn't it? I suppose it's all 'development opportunities' is it?

For the last 7 or 8 years, at least, DIV 1 status had to be earned. Having said that if a B team wins DIV2 I've got no problem with them earning the right to play DIV 1 (this was the rule for FC20 last year); and thus have 2 teams from one club in div 1. With some of the mergers it makes sense that a catchment area that big could have 2 teams of div 1 quality. But you can't have one rule for FC20 last year and a different one (for Cashmere I assume) this year, can you? Oh, it's Mainland...

Actually, I can't see one occurrence of Cash Tech in the same grade. Seems to be FC 2011 and Waimak that have A and B in Div 1. And it's only a draft too mind....

the grade stays as per the previous year, with the bottom side in D1 replaced by the highest ranked A team from D2.

regrading still occurs, last year it was 5 round IIRC. My lot went from an 8 team D1 into a 6 team D1.

not entirely sure of the FC2011 situation but in the 12's both teams should be D1. As long as the rule is applied to all clubs it's probably fair cop.

2 teams in div 1 from 1 club this early is very dicey. Just encourages the bigger clubs to feed off the smaller ones.

Very interesting looking at the draft. Oxford in 13D1?! Did they even have a 12th grade team last year? gings2012-04-04 18:24:45

I agree with Gings, there shouldn't be 2 teams from the same club in Div 1. It might get to the point of 2 Cashtech, 2 FC2011, 2 Coastal and 2 Mid Canty. What sort of thing is that doing for football in CHCH?

Cash tech gets 2 teams? Say good bye to chch united, FC gets 2 teams? Say good bye to Nomads. Only thing that'll come out of it will be more mergers and underhandedness from rep coaches trying to bolster their club.

If their B team destroys div 2 good on them, let them get promoted.

I see a few conspicuous absences in various  D1 grades.

Like the Wallies [put your own word in] at Mainland Fookball not having ASB Park available for the Dragons training tonight.
Who has it booked that is more worthy of using it for the one to two hours than the premier team in the region?
Who If they get to the O league and beyond will make a big thing of what they have done for the team. Yeah Right.
Wouldn't get it at other sports.
Lets hope they get their sh*t together and have the Dragons at ASB park for the training sessions during the play off weeks.
It's Tuesday, Wed, Thur if they don't know.
No hang on, it will be over to the clubs to look after the Dragons and what do they get in return?

FTC training at ASB tonight

that calendar has been reviewed due to the Dragons making the play-offs and a new schedule has been sent out to the parents.

part of the selling of FTC was access to ASB Park. It's a hard one for Mainland because as you say we all want the Dragons to do well, but also ASB Park is for all of us to use. You make a rod for your own back if you keep changing the kids schedule.

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