Mainland Premier League (Part 1)

 I'm excited about the season

be interesting to see how the junior grades line up and if mainland stick to their guns on the 1x team per club per div 1 to start with - draws should be out within 2 weeks

Gings:  was that the suggestion from Mainland from last year? (1 team per club in Div 1).  I know that there will be some upset people if this is the case.  Personally I agree with it.

Here's some facts from the transfer page from Canterbury United.

Coastal: Fifii, Wellbourn, Nicol.

Bays: Murphy, Smith, Highfield, Kamo,

Tech: Collyett, Barton,  Knight, Pitman, Schwarz, Wortelboer, Terris. 

 Looks like Tech have had enough of Bays buying the league and have decided to do it themselves. I'll be surprised if that Tech team loses a game all season. It should be a good battle for second place right enough.

Oops my bad, corrected that Kamo and Highfield are Bays....

Thats better Vim, was concerned Ca$h tech were living up to their name.

I see theres a few missing off the transfers - Yamamoto in particular - any goss??

Hasn't he gone to Dorkland?

AC in Thailand trialling according to his mum. If he misses a contract there he's back here to take Rob Harrison's job at CTech.

Doing the rounds apparently:

Wanted: proven striker or goal scoring midfielder who has a track record of putting balls into the back of the net. 

Pay: Money no object; guide: $350+/game. 

Apply: Tech

Anyone know if enough clubs have entered team into proposed U21 league. My info is its dead in the water due to lack of interest.

Are you aware, and do you think Mainland/CCC are aware that there is still summer sports going on when the season kicks off on 6 April? Could be a real hassle field and player wise first game up. 

Coastal White 0 Fc2011 5 for 7th - 8th

Coastal Black 1 - Halswell 0 for 3rd -4th

Don't know the Nomads - Bays score.

Final on now.

Heard Western took of the Final 1 - nil and Nomads defeated Bays by a couple of goals.

Yes Western win the tournament with a 1-0 win, so Tech 2nd.  Coastal 3rd after a 1-0 win over Bays. Nomads 5th after beating Bays 3-1 and FC2011 7th after beating Coastal White 5-0.  No Canty Utd players back for Tech however Coastal played theirs. 

What does this mean for the season? Nothing? Something? Don't think any team that has won the pre-season has ever won the League but stat-man AW82 might be able to confirm.  

Louie Bush and Andy Pitman both started for Cashmere. Not sure who else. Gret result for Western.

Nathan Knox didn't play for Coastal ans Welbourne came on at half time.

 Gotta love the Clearances page at this time of year (18 March):

A few that caught my eye:

• Kaz Koyama and Preston Bell from Tech to Nomads (pending)
• Jack Roberts (Peter Robert's son?) from FC20 to Coastal (denied)
• Paul Dirou from Nelson to FC20
• whole lot of late teens heading to Burwood from various clubs, eg Marcus Livingstone
• Louie Evans (Ceri's son) from FC20 to cashmere (tech if it's the senior club)
• Michael Fifi from ASB Prem to Coastal Spirit
• My absolute favourite though is Rik "Never gonna give you up" Astley to Bays on international transfer; ok so maybe its not him but if Richard Astley, Bays footballer is a ginga singer...
  

whenever you need somebody indeed Stretford

Stretford will never let us down.

However can you please explain this?  FC20 to cashmere (tech if it's the senior club)

Oh Vim, you always have an eye for the gossip! Apparently the 2 clubs are being run quite separately - the tech senior committee looks after senior performance teams, social and masters teams (AND THE MONEY); and the cashmere junior committee pretty much all the other teams. No-one is really across it all. 

Couple of other noteworthy things from their website: 

• ALL teams from 10th grade up will be in new tech yellow/blue strip this year (that's one helluva big gear order they've forked out for).
• Fred Simpson (employed by Cashmre pre-merger) is now designated coach of the 18A team, which when you consider Rob Harrison's general administrator position has been "dis-established" is either slightly odd or they are flush with volunteers for saturday mornings ( & good on them if they are), but clearly Rob didn't establish enough value to the purse-string pullers. 
  

Good show that Minder

Dennis Moore, Dennis Moore , he's not in this bit

This previously fantastic thread has dropped in standards into quotes of Ric Astley, Minder and now Monty Python. Next you'll be quoting Bad News. 

Pull yourself together, there's plenty of gossip in Stretford's post and Premier League starts this week!

Yes to steal a league team the League gets underway with Super Saturday at ASB Football Park, with all eight teams in action. 

Rob Harrison's position has been offered to Aaron Clapham if he isn't successful in picking up a pro contract in Malaysia.

Nomads v Bays 1 - 1

FC2011 v Nelson Suburbs 0 - 2

Halswell v Cashmere 2 - 2

Coastal v Western 1 - 0

How come SE? 

Did JB not select Jordan Halligan in his 87 man premier squad?

Mind you after losing the Rangers pre season final to Western at the weekend I'm surprised he's still there.

News in from the Dragons awards night last night held at Robbies Riccarton -

Youth players player of the year Aaron Spain.

Youth player of the year Louie Bush ( who apparently used the benefit of 13 years of high quality education to give an outstanding acceptance speech).

Senior player of the year Julian Collett.

Senior most improved Ash Welbourne.

Canterbury Utd only team to beat Waitakere and have big plans for next season.

If that's the case then rob has a good chance of getting compensation for constructive dismissal (or workplace bullying) from the employment court! More likely AC has been allocated the funds from robs job but it would clearly be doing different stuff due to different skill set & to get around the business of pushing him out. Dont you love it when strictly shamateur meets quasi semi professionalism? Sort of sums up state of the game in this country doesn't it? I agree with AW, now the season is upon us, lets talk about the on field stuff more! Ill let you know when i see it on the transfer list but i cant help wondering what kylie minogue best position might be!

Always good to hear the off-field dramas as well as the on-field. Keep it coming. Should be an interesting week of transfer page action.

Not sure why AW82 thinks Nomads are going to be able to manage a draw against Bays. Here's my picks.  One year we did a picking comp, that was fun. 

Nomads 0 - Bays 3
FC2011 0  - Nelson 3
Halswell 1 - Cashmere 3
Coastal 3 - Western 1

transfer news: Blair Duncan (western - ex dragons) has gone to Welly

Burnside HS have pulled out of 18D1 - 5 schools left.

Nomads 0 - Bays 2
FC2011 1  - Nelson 3
Halswell 0 - Cashmere 2
Coastal 3 - Western 1

Update a few things.

Woolston Tech did both Rangers tournamaent and MPL in 2009.

No Shaun O'Brien in the transfers yet, gossip has him back to Nomads.

Also Nomads transfer of Chris Anderson from ChCh U denied.

Ducan Reed back to Nomads form Cashmere as GK seeing as Nomads have lost the 2 Ex Cant United keepers for this year.

Picks for weekend.

 Nomads 1 Bays 0.  

 Dean Hutchinson to get a win over his old club. Nomads have had problems scoring goals in the last couple of years including last year, let's see if they get that end sorted.

FC 2011 [no that's not the score]  1 Nelson 3

Halswell 1 Cashmere 2

Coastal 2 Western 0