Mainland Premier League

who is on the board ?

Has the new club starting at Yaldhurst in recent years had an impact on FC?

(reply to Dark Horse - still getting used the forum)

I like the view on CCL and will agree with the sentiment :-)

Went and watched Western Nomads the other week and my goodness were Nomads awful!! Can see them conceding for fun this year. Appalling defence! They’ll be lucky to make top 5. One of the dirtiest teams I’ve seen in a while too. Reminded me of how Pitman used to play! 

Mainland have a new hashtag for twitter this season - #mpl19

Let's hope lots of clubs use it this year, been a bit haphazard of late with the social media and match reporting. 

And given lack of publicly available transfer info, starting teams and match day squad lists please. 

Any more news on Fc?

The merge is not happening this season but will most likely happen next season (FC and Chch Utd) 

[quote=madridsta]

The merge is not happening this season but will most likely happen this season

[/quot

Merge with which clubs

FC and Chch Utd

They were fielding a mostly reserve side, wouldn’t read much into the result.

Have heard that Cashmere looked quite poor in their match against Queenstown at the weekend.

Tips in. Tipping chat on the tipping thread. Thanks for organising again Vim.

Are you involved at either club, as this was talked about the other year and FC decided against it so are you aware of what has altered. 

I’ve just seen that coach Quainoo has said he’s lost ELEVEN of his 18 man 2018 squad.

Where have they all gone? 

And who has replaced them? 

Also heard that they've failed to get dispensation for a striker that turns 16 mid season to play for the 1st team on the grounds that he hasn't come through Mainland's Talent Centres!

Said player has dispensation to play for the reserves until he turns 16 but with a couple of players out Coastal hoped to be able to use him this weekend

Clearless to loss so many players

Ferrymead have posted their squad. Nice note from their coach!

.

Sorry lads and laddettes.

No surprises in todays results -

Selwyn 6 Nomads 4

Nelson 0 Western 0

Bays 2 Cashmere 1

FCTwente 0 Coastal 4

Any report from the Bays game, what a result.

Yes and good to see Selwyn getting a result after some unsavoury comments about Nomads being lucky to draw Selwyn first so they should be ok from their supporters! Silly comments considering other than Cashmere Technical, they have the most stable squad in the league, and still young too! Not sure about no surprises though with Western getting a great result in Nelson and Ferrymead getting a result I would say 3 of the 4 results are surprises! How good that football is back!

I well remember Selwyn's tough introduction to MPL football last year when they went 3-0 up against Coastal before getting run over in the 2nd half, I wonder if that game was in their supporters minds as Nomads got close a couple of times?

No surprise that Western got a good point in Nelson, Robbie Stanton is a quality coach, Western will be fit, well organised and dedicated to the cause. Any team that takes 3 points off them will have thoroughly deserved them.

Bays over Cashmere, no surprise with so many Cashmere players on Dragons duty.

FC vs Coastal - are we seeing the table as it will be after the final game of the season? Coastal on top by goal difference and FC propping up the table. FC were woeful, Coastal put in a disjointed but workmanlike performance and were easily the better side, not surprising given how many new faces in the side plus 4 - 5 still to come back from injury and the Dragons.

Round 1 scorers and table:

Ferrymead Bays 2 (Chris Anderson, Scott Rowlands) Cashmere Technical 1 (Lyle Matthysen) HT 2 - 0
FC Twenty11 0 Coastal Spirit 4 (Anthony Jones 2, Hemi Innes 2) HT 0 - 2
Nelson Suburbs 0 Western 0
Selwyn 6 (Dan Ede 3, Declan Hickford, Troy Pennycuick, Liam Pledger) Nomads 4 (Nishan Biswa, Hamish Cotter, Mika Rabuka, Liam Thompson) HT 3 - 1

First time that there has been a 6 - 4 scoreline in the league

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
Coastal Spirit	1	1	0	0	4	0	4	3
Selwyn	1	1	0	0	6	4	2	3
Ferrymead Bays	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	3
Nelson Suburbs	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Western	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Cashmere Technical	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1	0
Nomads	1	0	0	1	4	6	-2	0
FC Twenty11	1	0	0	1	0	4	-4	0

Looks like several Southern United players will be playing in the MPL this season and could be others as well. Sounds like players may not be happy with the likely standard of the FootballSouth Premier League so are looking to play up here. 

Sounds like one team - Grant Braes has opted out of the FSPL so will be down to ten teams, with the league again over one round to find the top three for the Southern League.

Any news on if any of the out of town Dragons are stayig around for the MPL?

If this is true, then they have essentially boycotted the region they are trying to raise the standard of - if everyone got on board with the FSPL then it would be a far more competitive league. And there are good sides down there, they just need an injection of a little more quality in some areas.

It's such a pain that Nelson now play on Satdy at 1pm. Whatever happened to the Sunday game? Makes it heaps easier to get up there for the wknd. Also, why are Western games on a Sunday? Also messes with my perfect planning!

Grant Braes will not be a loss to the FSPL they've been awful for a few years anyway.

FSPL & MPL going backwards by the year. Low quality of games [6-4 what sort of football do these coaches promote ah it's called Futsal] then trying to make an SIL that can be promoted yeah nah not with one round of games.

SIL needs to be put up as the best not just an also ran with a few end of season piss trips.

If Mainland and Football South don't want to go all out with a two round SIL as the top comp be better to can it and stay with a full 21 round MPL. 

As was shown last weekend not every winner needs to play for Tech. A few good players kicking around in the other grades as well.

Is this for whole season? I thought it was until the cricket finished so they play home games at Walter Park still?

Due to the early start of the MPL this season - four rounds will be completed by the end of March, cricket still being played at both Walter and Tulett Park so both Western and Nomads having to play on Sunday until cricket season os over. Re Nelson, I think that change due  to change of times of flights in and out of Nelson on Sunday has lead to the switch. 

No reason to believe it is not true as info coming from both Dunedin and up here in Christchurch so all should have clearer after Southern United's final game over the weekend. 

Sounds like O'Reilly has given up on improving Otago club football - he must obviously think putting his SU players in a much better league will pay dividends come next summer. Essentially makes the South Island League redundant.

Its a real shame that the football development manager for the region has allowed this to happen. SU players from outside the region think they take unfair criticism within the football community. Well this certainly warrants criticism. 

Just posted on Mainlands Facebook page:

In light of today’s tragic events in Christchurch we have decided to cancel all Football and Futsal that is due to be played in CHRISTCHURCH this weekend. This includes MPL and CCL matches and all Futsal to be played on Sunday.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Christchurch.
Make sure your family and friends are all okay.
From the team at Mainland Football.

Sounds like the Coughlan to Tech rumour is a done deal. Won't train, just play, Tech pick up the flights. 

Sweet deal if you can get it. 

Can you confirm keeper Liam Little to Coastal Spirit

Nope. First I've heard.