Honestly if any NPL club should one day be let in it should be them. Largest fan base outside the league and actually have well behaved fans from what I've heard (At least less problematic than Preston you SU58) Then again they wouldn't be very appealing to sponsors who would essentially just be advertising themselves to the Melbourne Greek community
Really the FFA/APL should have studied how Aussie rules expanded from the Victorian VFL to national AFL league.
They first put new Franchise type teams in South Australia (Adelaide Crows) and Western Australia (West Coast Eagles). Two teams not affiliated to any particular local SA or WA Aussie rules club. Uniting the local 'footy' communities against the big Victorian clubs.
Once those two new teams were bedded in and a success, they then used long established big local clubs to leverage off to form 2nd AFL teams in Adelaide (Port Adelaide) and Perth (Freemantle). Very quickly they had tasty huge derby games in both cities. Very very smart and successful.
By the same expansion strategy if should have been Melbourne Victory in the ALM first, and then later South Melbourne. Big opportunity missed.
They first put new Franchise type teams in South Australia (Adelaide Crows) and Western Australia (West Coast Eagles). Two teams not affiliated to any particular local SA or WA Aussie rules club. Uniting the local 'footy' communities against the big Victorian clubs.
Once those two new teams were bedded in and a success, they then used long established big local clubs to leverage off to form 2nd AFL teams in Adelaide (Port Adelaide) and Perth (Freemantle). Very quickly they had tasty huge derby games in both cities. Very very smart and successful.
By the same expansion strategy if should have been Melbourne Victory in the ALM first, and then later South Melbourne. Big opportunity missed.
so Victory and City are scared that their South melbourne fans would leave?
Queenslander 3x a year.
No specific dates, but more than once Pragnell mentions that NZ will get a 3rd A League club in the South Island
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qx6Vjc5cOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qx6Vjc5cOQ
No specific dates, but more than once Pragnell mentions that NZ will get a 3rd A League club in the South Island
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qx6Vjc5cOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qx6Vjc5cOQ
Queenstown would be awesome. Photogenic, great airport, tourist money...
Oi Oi Edgecumbe... lets have a clean sheet
No specific dates, but more than once Pragnell mentions that NZ will get a 3rd A League club in the South Island
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qx6Vjc5cOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qx6Vjc5cOQ
Queenstown would be awesome. Photogenic, great airport, tourist money...
Just needs a very rich backer to make it happen. And Q'town is crawling with them.
Dunno if QT suggestion is serious, but I don't think the current population is enough to fill the Caketin, let alone trying to support a pro football club. I think their best clubs are 4th tier in the NZ system (might not even officially have a club in the pyramid). It's probably a good 30 years of sustained population growth off being ready.
Obviously gotta be Christchurch as it is the only city big enough, will have a great new stadium and I expect would be able to get good fan support. I'm not sure anywhere else can really make a strong case.
Obviously gotta be Christchurch as it is the only city big enough, will have a great new stadium and I expect would be able to get good fan support. I'm not sure anywhere else can really make a strong case.
A third NZ team at this point would be more bad news for the Nix.
Would it though? I reckon we've pretty much hit rock bottom. Only diehards left. I'm sure plastics in all 3 islands are already backing AFC or SIU.
Supporter world's best and worst football teams: Waikato/WaiBop, Kingz, Knights, Phoenix, The Argyle, The Whites & the All Whites
I don't think many are jumping ship from the Nix for SIU for numerous reasons, including the fact SIU are currently an average team in a worse league, not to mention they play less matches in the South Island this year. More likely people support both.
On the flipside, I also don't think it will have a massive draining effect. I don't think the two sides would have the same type of rival rivalry as Nix-AFC (more likely a second rival for Auckland), leading to a lot more people supporting both teams and probably attending whoever is easier. It's also more likely a Christchurch team ends up at a similar level to the Nix, where they're sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes average, rather than being a top team in the comp.
Biggest issue I think will be the extra competition for quality players and dilution effect it creates which could mean weaker squads for the two sides during the first couple of years, although this would be very dependent on when this expansion would end up occurring.
On the flipside, I also don't think it will have a massive draining effect. I don't think the two sides would have the same type of rival rivalry as Nix-AFC (more likely a second rival for Auckland), leading to a lot more people supporting both teams and probably attending whoever is easier. It's also more likely a Christchurch team ends up at a similar level to the Nix, where they're sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes average, rather than being a top team in the comp.
Biggest issue I think will be the extra competition for quality players and dilution effect it creates which could mean weaker squads for the two sides during the first couple of years, although this would be very dependent on when this expansion would end up occurring.
I don't think many are jumping ship from the Nix for SIU for numerous reasons, including the fact SIU are currently an average team in a worse league, not to mention they play less matches in the South Island this year. More likely people support both.
On the flipside, I also don't think it will have a massive draining effect. I don't think the two sides would have the same type of rival rivalry as Nix-AFC (more likely a second rival for Auckland), leading to a lot more people supporting both teams and probably attending whoever is easier. It's also more likely a Christchurch team ends up at a similar level to the Nix, where they're sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes average, rather than being a top team in the comp.
Biggest issue I think will be the extra competition for quality players and dilution effect it creates which could mean weaker squads for the two sides during the first couple of years, although this would be very dependent on when this expansion would end up occurring.
On the flipside, I also don't think it will have a massive draining effect. I don't think the two sides would have the same type of rival rivalry as Nix-AFC (more likely a second rival for Auckland), leading to a lot more people supporting both teams and probably attending whoever is easier. It's also more likely a Christchurch team ends up at a similar level to the Nix, where they're sometimes good, sometimes bad and sometimes average, rather than being a top team in the comp.
Biggest issue I think will be the extra competition for quality players and dilution effect it creates which could mean weaker squads for the two sides during the first couple of years, although this would be very dependent on when this expansion would end up occurring.
This post sums it up very well.
The talent dilution thing who knows, how that would go, with a 3rd NZ team. I think there are a few young Kiwis with AFC II in the OFC Pro League, that could move up to the ALM, yet if they stay with Auckland their chances maybe minimal in the next few years.
Though APL's proposed plans to lower the salary cap level, may force Auckland to bring through their reserve team players earlier. At the moment they are still heavily reliant on experienced Kiwis, Aussies and visas.
The OFC Pro League will be a good launching pad now for some domestic based young Kiwis, to springboard into the ALM. Help bridge the gap between training 2-3 times per week at your domestic winter club, and jumping into the much higher level A League. The talent pool will deepen with this new OFC league.
Randall, Piper and less so Liam Gillion have shown domestic players can step up.
Even AWs Howieson & FDV were playing Northern League before AFC came to be.
You have South Islanders McGarry and now Seth Clark with Aussie ALM clubs.
Jago Godden (League Two on loan in LOI) would likely have stayed in ChCh if there was an A League club in the Garden City.
Agree a South Island ALM club would be year in year out, be pretty similar to the Nix. Both good years & bad ones. That's unless like big boys Auckland, they unveil an American billionaire backer when they launch. But it might just be a red & black Welnix equivalent ownership group.
The only thing that is needed is money. This buys good players and pays for running costs.
As for players, it makes no difference if they weren't from Christchurch, or New Zealand, as long as they stayed longer than one season and were decent players. Christchurch public is actually less fickle and more loyal than some.
As for players, it makes no difference if they weren't from Christchurch, or New Zealand, as long as they stayed longer than one season and were decent players. Christchurch public is actually less fickle and more loyal than some.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
And when is Canberra going to front up??
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!
The Ruf, The Ruf, The Ruf is on Fire!!
The Ruf, The Ruf, The Ruf is on Fire!!
And when is Canberra going to front up??
Doesn't sound like a team will be launched in time for 2026/27 season.
Window quickly closing for that to happen.
Below article dated 24th Feb.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9180729/a-league-boss-talks-with-investors-for-canberra-united-expansion-mens-team/
Capital Football chief Samantha Farrow is adamant an investor in Canberra's A-League future "must be finalised in the coming weeks", wiping out any chance of the member federation making a last-minute rescue.