National League review and future

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Bit of an advantage that we've got then with year round football and a way for our fringe players to stay match fit over the a-league season.

In the meeting I went to about this they didn't seem concerned with a geographical spread, it was more about getting the best players and clubs/entities involved

But these 'best' clubs/entities still have to put their hands up, yes? I mean in terms of facilities and coaching staff Western Springs would have to rate all over every other Auck 'entity' bar ACFC atm. 

But they're not in the mix.

Do the current 8 teams get priority?

To be fair Southern are only of that standard due to the lack of monetary support down here. No one gets any remuneration (or whatever they call it so that its not actually getting paid) and the best players from recent years (Jackson, Stevens, Prattley, Franchini) all move away..

At the moment there is no incentive for anyone good to stick around!

Based on last year's table, that might present some problems.

Don't forget to add Team Welligton [also now known as Team Agro], Nix cast offs/ Reserves and Waitakere to the list of really poor standards oh and Man Chity.

 Nah just make it the whole ASB Prem is poor bar the mighty professionals at ACFC.

Don't get caught up with the crap coverage we are being given by Sky as highlights don't just include goals and some namby waffle.

NZF and it's staff don't have a clue on how to put a top media package together. The whole ASB Prem [NZF part of] media coverage is back further than five or six years ago.  No play by play, no media guide for the league or an outline of the teams etc etc.

If the local guys in each area that are footie fans didn't get the league coverage we'd be worse than dog tucker [sorry TQ]. 

Plus Southern are tracking very well in the youth comp. In second if I'm correct. Obviously have some good talent down there.

Plus Southern are tracking very well in the youth comp. In second if I'm correct. Obviously have some good talent down there.

I think the assumption that the Tasman bid is so highly rated is perhaps a little premature. I've seen nothing that suggests it'd be any higher quality than a Manawatu etc

Heard onehunga have bid. So I've lost track of the contenders now.

Naenae?

still don't get the 3 round championship, why??? lots of teams want to play, let them play!

AGM was last night.  Have not seen the minutes so could be.

Well having more Nelson players in the ASB Premiership this season is a good start.

What about the weather, lifestyle and job opportunities.

Oh, wait.

If there are all of these clubs [as rumoured] wanting to join the new competition, what does that say about the strength of the sport here? Good administration is key to a strong league - why this positivity from so many clubs?

I suspect there is a little bit of that, but also would not surprise me if a few clubs decided to put a bid in after having a few pints at the after-match. I don't imagine the quality of some bids would be much more than a few bits of A4 stapled together

Nothing much wrong with any of those 3 things when you get to know Dunedin, Invercargill well that's scrapping the barrel though.

Much better than Wellington unless you want to be in the beehive. As for being in Auckland no thanks.

Carrot: $600,000 - $1,000,0000 qualifying from ASB to O-League to WCC.

Positivity? In NZ football?!? We really are in the Mirror Universe.

Anyway, I have a friend who lives right next to Taharoto Park, so I'm totally going to start supporting North Shore if that bid gets going (although I wish Western Springs were bidding). I'll cycle over on the SkyPath once the NIMBYs allow it to be built.

I think there are so many bids because they let winter clubs present one. If it was only franchises it would be 5 or so like in 2012

And the problem for the franchises is that it is often draining resources from the federation; which is why Waibop>>>Hamilton Wanderers and Team Welly>>>Miramar are fact/rumoured. Waibop between rock and hard place though. They don't want the responsibility of running a national league outfit but if HWFC aren't selected they want to hold onto the licence. #cakeandeatit

I think it was Choppah who mentioned his impression was that NZF wanted "the best" involved; best at what? "The best" is the most subjective criteria of all. For example, I honestly don't think how you are tracking in the youth league has any bearing whatsoever on this decision (sorry Luis, and whoever was making that argument on behalf of Southern).

You realise TW seniors are run by Miramar currently?

But do Miramar Rangers AFC hold the license for Team Wellington; or Capital Football?

Team Wellington hold the licence for Team Wellington.

CF have never played a part in it

OK thanks. I don't know TW history except that Sport Wellington the original vehicle wasn't it, along with about 6 of the Wellington clubs? Thought CF played some sort of role at some stage but i must be wrong.

Team Wellington have always been an independent body. It's constituency has changed over time and now pretty much is just Miramar Rangers.

As a Waikato fan I think granting our licence to the Wanderers would be a big mistake.  They have never been a big supporter of Hamilton AFC, Waikato United, Melville United, Waikato AFC or the current WaiBop United.  They have always worried more about their own patch.

I'm aware of many WaiBop fans who support Ngaruawahia, Melville, Cambridge and Claudelands who will never attend a Wanderers match at any level as a Wanderers fan (myself included).

I really hope our Federation thinks very carefully about this.

They have already thought about it. Won't present a bid unless Wanderers' one is unsuccesful. I don't like the idea either but it seems that federations prefer to support winter club rather than hold the licence themselves

I would prefer the federation to be the licence holder, if only because it socialises the cost of national league in the event of operations running at a loss (and this regularly happens).

But it also makes sense for the federation not to be fighting with one of its own stakeholders over entry. In this instance Wanderers Sports Club seem to have more enthusiasm for an entry than Waibop do.

Previously Waikato FC was an independent entity, run by a handful of board members, including myself for a couple of years, but even that was problematic, in that it required broad support but was constitutionally answerable to nobody.

Waikato FC invited the federation to take over after the federation earlier declined to pursue the implementation of a $2 a head levy to support national league entry. 

But even at a pathetic $2 it was seen as politically unpalatable and rejected. The irony is it then cost 10 times that in reality under federation control, but just via less transparent financial mechanics.

Funny old world. 

On the subject of the licence criteria, Bruce wrote in the northern leagues thread/topic...

I also would favour the federation model, and think it is really bold of Wanderers to put their hand up to run solo, given the long-term prescription for mandatory men's women's youth and futsal teams.

And this brings me back to the point I was clumsily trying to make earlier: that it is primarily the federations' responsibility - as i see it - to foster player development (as opposed to trying to control or run it) across all genders and ages, and to foster the development of a sister sport like futsal, but running a national league club is a very different kettle of fish. In other words, clubs are probably better suited than franchises to run a national league operation; but federations, with their broader outlook, are more likely than clubs to ensure development opportunities across a wider remit.

Yet I wonder if NZF have conflated the role of club and federation by including futsal development in the criteria for a national club licence. Isn't the development of a sport like futsal the responsibility of the federation, rather than a single club? I know futsal want a true national league of their own for men and women but there is not one single club, in Christchurch at least, even close to being capable of such a feat. (Side note: I did hear some Cash Tech board members discussing futsal not that long ago; coincidence?)

An interesting perspective.   You could take your second paragraph, substitute Hawkes Bay teams names for the first four clubs you list, substitute Wanderers for Napier City Rovers and bingo - you have the jackpot.   It seems that various regions are different geographically but have the same philosophical views.

I think Bruce Holloway gives a more reasoned approach in another post.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/74615236/western-suburbs-chairman-confirms-bid-for-national-league-football-franchise

So according to this interested clubs/franchises are: Hamilton Wanderers, Palmerston North Marist, Eastern Suburbs, Onehunga Sports, Wairarapa United (assumed), Western Suburbs, Tasman United, North Shore City and Auckland United. It says also that teams already competing weren't required to apply. 

In my thoughts the new 10-team league would be: ACFC, Canty, Hawke's Bay Utd, Hamilton Wanderers, North Shore City, Southern, TeeDubs/Western Suburbs, Tasman United, Waitakere and the WeeNix. Have my doubts about Waitakere though, maybe Auckland Utd? Or Palmy?