Mainland Premier League (Part 2)

Nomads might be better off paying a fraction of mainland's English park hire fee to fc20 to share avonhead #1. Closer to local aftematch venues/club catchment and it's real grass instead of plastic. By the way, anyone recall what the supposed life of the English park pitch is? I've got 8 years in my head and it went down in 2011? Have mainland made the $1M (?) fees to replace it yet?

News of a player or two coming back from England to grace the CHCH fields again this coming season.

I Wonder who??

Not for fc20 to hire out. They don't own it the CCC does....

Yet to confirm but heard ChCh United may have signed Juan Chang.

Unsubstantiated rumours flying faster than Gary Ogilvie elbows and headbutts. I'm just waiting to hear where Duncan Reed will sign so we all know who will be getting relegated this season #3inarow #thecurse

Will hold off until someone can confirm it, before names and clubs start flying through the air this early in silly season.

Ash Wellbourne. Yeah Juan Chan to United. Poor old Selwyn will never get promoted will they? 

From what I hear, Bays have the strongest players at Pre Season. And Coastal have been training 3 times a week for a couple weeks already.

Not sure he will be too much to worry about for anyone going by his Canterbury performances 

Selwyn look like they have retained everyone along with signing several Halswell first team youngsters from last year as well as a couple of Englishman coming in so they will be the team for beat for me. They must be doing something right out there to continue retaining all their best young players whilst other clubs have been chasing them. Chch United offering big money everywhere it seems

About 5 Chch players signed with years of MPL experience. Uni keeper is one of the latest

Buying players isn't always the answer. Burnside tried it a few years ago and soon after needed to merge clubs to save themselves. Don't count us out just yet

What do they need a goalkeeper? Throwing money around can only cause harm. Especially the loyal ones who pay subs and want to play for the club and not just being there for the money. 1 team and 1 supporter why would anyone want use there money for this team?

Rumour has it your unavailable for most of season so maybe he knows something after all

So Coastal joining the ranks of the pay players to play club, Oooh sorry for that mistake they have been for a while then. 

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What was SOB on last year 8K.

This season payout is let me guess $!)) per game. 

Oh please, $8k? You gotta be kidding me.  We don't pay players. If we were going to pay someone it would be the amazing Sunday League player that supports the MPL on the sideline. Now he's a good fella. Or that Russel Brand at the back simply for his celebrity status. 

As much as I would love to have another one of my favourites Ash back at Coastal he's overseas and injured as far as I'm aware. 

At least I won't need to chase you around this year!

Heard rumours that Halswell are struggling for players and have approached a Sunday League club over the need for 2 new teams

Yer someone told me that too. Although the Avonhead teams are pretty good, I'm not sure (I deffo know they aren't) if they are MPL or Reserve league standards. When you are delving into the realms of Sunday League to fill your Satdy teams there may be an issue.

Could be a state Halswell have gotten into if true.

I'd imagine the main 2 teams fighting at the top of the qualifying league will be Selwyn and Chch Utd.

Parklands have long term plans to be up there and will look to improve under new management m, and Burwood and Waimak's youngsters will have benefited from last year.

Whilst last seasons table didn't necessarily reflect it, the qualifying league was quite a competitive league.

Does anyone know if this league is open to more teams if they want to move up or if it's a closed shop now? Would be great to not play teams 4 times and to have some more variety

CCL open to any club not already in MPL. Think a reserve team is required though. That and probably hefty fine for defaults may discourage some smaller clubs.

Are any other clubs willing to step up this year then?

I was told "Messiah" is paying for Ash's flights home. 

Just made aware of a further 3 MPL players of to Chch United. 

Lured through coaching $$$ 

Be interesting to see if they can make a cup run.

My Tech contacts havnt been telling me much :( not sure what they are pulling out of the bag. Whispers of UK international transfers going through

Nelson Suburbs have lost their keeper to a huge $$ move to Welly

Suburbs will still be in for the title with a handful of Tasman players sticking around.

Any new Coastal signings at pre season yet? I dont think they will be any stronger

Nomads are very active. Dozen new faces and I heard Marty Taylor was training there.

Tasman/Nelson's best players off to the Rapa.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/887...

Nelson Bays' Football General Manager Clive Beaumont: 

"I kind of hoped those players would stay and play for Suburbs, along with a couple of the others, and that guys would stay around Nelson and play in Nelson. But I don't think that's the case and we haven't got a cheque book like Phil has and that's the difference," Beaumont said.

"The simple fact is they're going there because the money is easier to come by and because they believe the Central League is better than the Mainland Premier League, which is a huge debate."

Not sure there's much debate about the relative standards of Central League and the MPL, but still.

who is the goalie? Turipa? To Rapa?

Yep. Hope Phil's got a decent budget for takeaways.

Would of be good to see most of the Tasman boys stay on and strengthen Suburbs.

Would make for a good MPL race.

Money talks at the end of the day, if you got offered to be paid whilst playing AMATEUR in NZ go figure.

The dozen new faces at Nomads? Must have been all the masters age players having their weekly 6/7 a side kick around. 

Nomads require more GKs to keep up with demands of playing at this level. Col P [teams number 1] is a good shot stopper but has a few clangers in the locker from time to time which can cost his team points. 

Sounds exactly like most other GK's in the league...... - Duncan, Eddie, Taco.

2 if not all 3 of those keepers, plus obviously Turipa and Uni keeper now could all be out of MPL this year. Only "new" face to the city at this stage is Batty. Any news of who will replace them?

Seven weeks until the opening round of the MPL will be completed.

League milestones that will be brought up this season:

The 300th round will be played - in the third round this season, which also means Ferrymead Bays, Nelson Suburbs and Western will also play their 300th MPL game

Nomads with play their 250th MPL game - in the 16th round

University with play their 100th MOL game - in the 15th round

That is interesting as on the Southern Football tread saying at least three is the Irish lads will be playing their winter football in Dunedin.

Silly season is upon us! Keep it coming.

I heard they were joining Nelson Suburbs.... then returning home midway through cause the Guinness here is pants.

Clearances not needed until the season kick-offs, so for friendly pre-season games you will find players turning out for team 'A' and a week later lining up for Team 'B' as coaches settle on their squad.

Clearance page should start heating up in March.

More fun with rumours when they are posted on here 

The clearance page has some up there now.

Handy player Messiah potentially has on his hands....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Ball

Yeah sounds like Coastal have def gone off shore to improve. I wondered why they didnt get Kelly, Nikolai or Tuckey. Cant get 20 goals from the big ginger....

Big Keiran has committed to Bays though so I cant see how they will get throgh him.

I heard Western have asked Harry McCosh to play up front due to lack of numbers. Apparently he was always a #10?

Hey so what club will get hurt the most if Dragons make play offs? Obviously Nelson will have all 6 of their new Tasman recruits for the start of the season. Game 1 against Tech will be a lot easier for them if Willys army March on !!

Hey why do I have 3 Karma? You guys actually freaking like me :)

Cheers guys, ill make sure I keep posting regularly