Northern Leagues

CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

congrats! what an end to the season - drama, drama, drama!

I've seen 4 div 1 games this year and the biggest differences I have seen are:

1: Referees in div 1 were soft and called soft fouls that referees at the next level don't call. Birkenhead this year suffered the whinges a bit because they wanted the soft calls they got last year in div 1 but are not given in premier.

2: CBs in div 1 are a real step below and are often CB by default because of their size. The back 4 operate in isolation and not as a team

3: the ball spends a lot of time in the air

4: teams are not punished for dozing off as much

5: you can have 1 good player in your team and get far. North Shore had the bald Irish guy and Hector. If they come up, they'll get destroyed in their current form because the rest of the players can be passengers (they have a good keeper though)

You make good points JV, I slightly disagree on NSU, I think they have enough quality at the back and up front to be competitive, I don't think they'd be "destroyed", they do need a little bit something extra in the midfield though.

Ngaruawahia are one team who I think could hold their own in the Prem, they are a classy outfit, very technical, quick and skillful, they put together some lovely passing and have a fairly dependable back four - especially Irving (who is being chased by every ASBP team bar Waitak and Otago) and Habib, their centre back combo.

It's Narra v NSU to decide who earns promotion, and after their epic encounters earlier this year, it's one of my most anticipated match of the season.

I haven't seen Narra this year but I have heard they are a decent side.

I've seen Shore twice this year. I caught the second half of yesterday's game after I left Olympic and FHM were dealing to them which I was quite surprised about. The Shore team I saw yesterday were marginal. I have also seen them against Taka and they were better but there was nothing yesterday from them.

Interesting Three Kings had the two top NL Prem goalscorers in Bredevelt and Konik. Pretty sure I've seen Bredevelt in Auckland City colours playing for the yoof team. Could be a name to remember.

just googled him. 23 already.

Yeah they snuck up there with the help of Allan Pearce after being off the pace in the front half of the season.

Shame he's retiring from ASB. Too good to put his feet up yet.

I agree with you. I understand he is focusing on his physio career and after spending most of his life trying to be a professional footballer, now other things are the priority. Fair enough too I guess. He's done more than most.

Only one game today, Waitakere vs Sports. Anyone going?

Going to watch hibiscus v shore

How did that go? Waitakere Sports was shyte. Lovemore had the Hattie, looks in much better shape

Heading out to Narra v North Shore in what could be the game of the year, I haven't been more amped for a Northern League game for some time. Huge promotion encounter, these two teams are always great to watch, put on a great show, I hope my expectations aren't too high but I feel this could be a cracker!

What happened? Shore collapse.

They just didn't have it in them, Narra were so classy, balls just were sprayed everywhere, especially in behind McClure, who didn't have the pace to match Marquez or Frewen. Some spectacular goals, there were three especially which were just phenomenal, NSU just really lacked a midfield to get anything flowing.

It was pretty much a done deal after 15 minutes, and by the end of the game NSU had lost a midfielder who got marched for abusing Mirko, so did their coach.

Going to be very very enjoyable watching Narra in the Prem next year

Good chance they'll go straight back down.

Possible, but I reckon they have the quality to overcome that, they really do play some nice football. If they manage to pick up an extra striker and defender in the off-season, which is quite likely, then nobody would want to play them. 

Having said that, the Premier Div is pretty strong at the moment, Narra would have to take advantage of the early loss of opponents key players with ASPB duties and the likes, there'll be no easy points against the likes of Ellerslie or Manurewa next year.

I did say a couple of weeks ago that Shore were not strong after watching them against FHM. They just had nothing and it's shown.

I do think their league position was higher than their actual talent. Chopah your team would have run circles around them for a bottom prem team v top 1st team. If Shore were in with a chance of promotion, I expect you'll bounce back up no worries.

I suspect you will and that will only benefit your team with time together and another year older.

I think that we are being a wee bit hard done by here. A couple of things to take into account. This was our first season in Division 1 after coming second in Division 2 last year and gaining promotion. Unlike a lot of other clubs I think 5 or 6 of the first team have only played for North Shore also. This game came 2-3 weeks too late for us and injuries/suspensions didn't help.

You can't take anything away from Ngarra - they completely outplayed us from start to finish - they were also the first team this year to prevent us from scoring. They played nice attacking and even suffocating football. (I'll put my hand up and say i played like utter shite - but have a gastro bug and tore a muscle in my groin with the first kick of the game). I honestly think that if they retain their players - they will be the new Birko.

However we should have had this wrapped up a few weeks ago and this game wouldn't have mattered. Throwing away a draw against Melville in the last minute due to a brain explosion, not being able to break-down Forrest-Hill despite having 6 corners in the first half and only getting a draw, and throwing away leads against Ngarra and Glenfield at the start of the season. These games cost us ultimately in the end.

I'm not into bagging my own players and I think we have a capable - but young team that are still learning. At 31 I'm the oldest in the team for the first time ever... might be saying something...

These are just my own thoughts - I've only joined North Shore half way through the season and I would have to say it's one of the best clubs and teams I have played for and have actually started enjoying football again.

We are hurting badly - really bad. We had it and gave it right away which hurts the most. Focus next year must be on getting tighter in defence and reducing the conceded goals, in three of the games I've played in...we've conceded 16.... can't keep relying on the front men..

I agree Zane, I've said for a while that I quite rate Shore as a unit, I think you lot will continue to be a big promotion contender next season. 

I know you can't be critical of your own side and mates but I would say you guys are just one really nice midfielder away from being a Prem Division side. Dave Fahy is a really nice target man, Jaryd Gray scores goals for fun, Hector is a superb shooter when he gets on the ball, and I really rate one of your defenders - Andy, not sure of his last name. Always works hard and is a really good player in my books. Thought you played well too this season, I noticed others taking goal kicks for ya last weekend and wondered what was going on! Tough luck.

As a fan, I've always enjoyed every game I've seen NSU play this year, and always a classy bunch - the frustration from one of your coaches/players aside on Saturday. Hopefully I manage to get out next season when I move to Auckland and catch a few of your guys home games.

As an aside, I penned a column on the Ngaruawahia season for the Waikato Times this weekend, if anyone is interested I wouldn't say no to the clicks!: http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/sport/9170194/Ngaruawahia-Utd-turned-me-into-a-bad-sports-journalist

Div 1  going to be real tough next season.....springs and mangere will be up there.. Suburbs.shore.melville...Ellerslie ..

Tough very tough.......

BIG call saying they're the next Birko!

I'd say they're a fair way away from that just yet.

It will make Div 1 an exciting league anyway. I think the key is starting strong... maybe not pretty but getting a good base of points to work on. In all of these I just make my own observations - as I'm only a player at North Shore and not involved in anything else. Jaryd Gray and Dave Fahy are superb players who would slot into any team, and I hope like hell that we retain them next year. I really feel for these two, North Shore finished with joint top goals in the league (62) but conceded 6th highest goals (48) so you can see how unfair or unacceptable it is for these guys. Next year we will tighten right up from the very start and I believe that will be a real focus for us. (Me anyway). As for Hector, who knows what will happen there but he is pure quality.. and a great mate. When we practice free kicks at training he even tells me where he's going to put them and I don't get near them.

Can't wait for the next season already.

Springs will be up there but I doubt Mangere will. Mangere need to do something about the state of their pitch as well, I can't see that cow paddock being acceptable in Div 1.

Agree that it's going to be a tough div though.

Will be interesting to see the result of the upcoming AFC Fury v Papakura home and away series to see who the new club in the Northern League will be. If Fury come up that will lend an interesting mix to Div 2 with teams from Whangarei, Warkworth, Auckland x 7, Hamilton and Tauranga x 2.

That Tauranga to Whangarei will be a killer!

The Premier League needs to be 12 teams. Cant have the league finishing early August. Clubs need to have min 11 home games to create revenue from bar and sponsorship

The ASB premiership needs to start mid Oct and finish early March.

There is not the quality of footballers to justify 12 teams. Hence why they switched to 10 teams.

Next.

I agree 12 teams in prem, but in saying that there is not the quality for 10 teams if you looked at how this season panned out. Need more game without a doubt. Seems stupid that lower divisons play more, 

I reckon they could get enough quality for 12 teams. Sure there will be some disparity in quality of teams but that's the same in every league, there will be some teams better than others.

I think Glenfield and Narra (top 2 Div 1 teams) would have competed well in the Prem this season.

Assuming that it would then be 12 teams in each div my worry would be the lack of quality coming into Div 2 with 2 additional teams from the regional leagues. Manukau and Albany struggled this year and the 2 teams playing off to come up in Papakura and AFC Fury I'd imagine to be not that much stronger, although I havent seen either play.

Manurewa were still pants so nope, there would not be 12 teams. The same happens every year. The bottom team is usually pants. On a 10 team comp, you can't justify expansion when we reduced teams because of the poor bottom tier and then still have the bottom team being pants.

obviously any opinion I have on this is going to be scrutinised due to our finishing position but regardless I do have some thoughts on this (some my own and some having shared a few beers with opposition coaches this season and heard their thoughts).

1) it's tough to plan ahead and gain stability in a league where 20% of the teams are relegated - this effects the quality

2) with ASB premiership players coming back in and distorting the league there needs to be more games (specifically starting earlier and playing double headers on long weekends) so this issue dosn't have such a dramatic effect.

3) I don't really buy the pants arguement because the more people you have exposed to a better level then the more people will improve, if that means there are some teams that can't hack it in Premier league (us and rewa this season) that's fine - but players are benefitting from the exposure - so would the players at the bottom of div 2 who would be added. 

4) if Waitakere had ended up in the bottom two - i bet everything we would be looking at a 12 team league in 2014......

5) kinda simular to the first one - in a league where 20% drop each year it's hard to get sponsors to committ that leads to un-stability.

I'm sure not everyone will agree but for me and for most of the guys from other teams I have spoken to there needs to be more games and either less teams relegated or more teams added.  The solution dosn't have to be 12 teams but there needs to be some thought put into it.

Other options:

3 rounds?

Top 5/bottom 5?

Playoffs - top and bottom

Any other thoughts?

Hi Chopah

I don't think your opinion is going to be overly scrutinised because you were with Ellerslie.

Some of the points you have there are valid. I don't agree with 2 teams down from Premier and agree that makes it tough to plan. 1 team up and down from Premier and maybe 2 teams up and down for 1st as it allows teams to get up from div 2 if they have talent (Springs) but then to get into Premier, they need to be the best in that league and thus prove they would be a challenge in premier. Unless we bring back promotion relegation home and away match. That may not be a silly idea either cause then the best teams would be in Premier i.e. Even if you are bottom of premier, if you can beat the best 1st div side, then you should stay. Or make it 1 down and 2nd bottom - 2nd top play off home away which would have had you guys vs Ngaruawahia in a fight to go/stay up.

I don't believe it would have gone to a 12 team league for Waitakere. The only power broker they had was Rex and he has gone. They didn't give Melville a stay of execution when Edge fucked them and Waikato and that was largely the same teams! Suburbs have been a traditional premier powerhouse but fell out.

ASB players do distort the league but only to prove that if they are not playing, the other fill ins are not up to that standard, again, Waitakere.

I don't know if I agree with exposure thing. Yes your young team did undoubtedly gain from it but the standard of football at NRFL is going backwards. Natural attrition means that as experienced players drop out, greenhorns come in. Manurewa were poor this year and BO with their stars played like ass too. I think if there are players that have talent, they will migrate to higher clubs so I think they would get exposure anyway.

Good points you have raised. Pick up a midfielder and a striker and you lads will be back up.

why have play off to decided who goes up, finishing first should be enough! what was the distance between bottom teams of prem, div 1 and 2 leagues, rewa were well behind in prem, north force and forst hill, and albany and manakua. so seems like the bottom teams are pants in every league no matter how many teams are in it! 12 teams in the top 2 divisions and 10 in the div 2!

the more games played the better players develop. 18games doesn't feel like a season to me

i believe that our standards slid when we went to 8 and 10 team leagues

any drop in standard would only be transitional