ASB Premiership: Changes Needed Next Season

Right Ali - ACFC's main focus is the O League which we've won three times in a row. Our performance in the 2009 Club World Cup was nothing short of herioc winning two games with largely amateur kiwi players. This performance is probably the main reason that Oceania is still in the CWC as other confederations don't think we should be (hence the play-off against the local host team).

Frankly winning the ASBP means little if we don't win the O League and reach the CWC.

The money we all get from ACFC by winning the O League does help, but by saying that with out you their is NO National League is very rich. If you left another club will take your spot and the league will carry on as usual with mostly local players.

But in saying that I love watching you play us, as you always play football and not the kick and chase like most teams

You can bet they are focused on the O League playoffs in May. However I think Marshall has Waitakere humming and would have some confidence in them if they win the O League - not that I want that for an instant.

If anyone thinks the ASBP is more important than the O League then they are being niave so I'm happy to state the bleeding obvious. Lets be honest, the bottom half of the ASBP are no better than glorified winter clubs.

I've never said ACFC are the best team in the world - just the best side in NZ. The facts speak for themselves over seven years of the O League/ASBP.

 What is the world coming to when you can't even buy a league title?  It's a disgrace.

Yes but you also forget to mention the near $1 mil in pokie money you get. Do not understate the significance of that. You give that to Otago (and across a winter league team in disguise as Otago) and I bet they could field an O League team just fine and probably win it. Also if ACFC fail to make the O League this year (and the way they are playing its a possibility) then you will see players move to Waitakere.

Be careful what you gloss over.

And who would stump up the life-saving $250,000 that is distributed amongst the other ASBP clubs by ACFC from its O League winnings? The bottom four franchises struggle as it is to keep viable. Imagine if Otago United had to challenge for the O League because it won the no prizemoney ASBP? Are you seriously suggesting they could put a viable team in the O League competition which would probably cost another $50,000 at a minimum for all the away games in the islands - and all due respect to OU, I like you guys and enjoyed my away game last year in Dunedin.

I don't think the other franchises in the ASBP appreciate how much time and money ACFC devotes to putting a competitive team in the O League. The last time Waitakere had a go they fluffed it and had to seriously downsize from Trust Stadium to Fred Taylor Park.

Even Team Wellington are struggling to keep a viable team in the ASBP, attracting only a few hundred to Miramar's ground for home games.

Or spend millions being the nation's only fully professional side and still finish bottom of the table? 

I'm going to talk about my wish-list for improvements to the current comp, not join in this ACFC banter:

1.  A two-division National League, with 6 teams in each division playing eachother 4 times.  That's of 20 games per team per season at a more even standard in each division then we are currently seeing - and less lop-sided games.

2. No play-offs.  I hate play-offs.  The winner of the National League goes into the O-league.  Or (ideally) the O-league would be expanded to, say, 12 teams, so runners-up would also qualify.

3.  Relegation for 2 worst Div 1 sides and promotion for best 2 Div 2 teams. Let's make that wooden spoon worth something.

Now where's Gareth?

I don't really follow rugby, how did switching from the NPC to the two-tier Premiership/Championship thing work out? Because what you suggested sounds quite similar to what happened there, so I would be interested to know if it made things better/worse or just more complicated.

But if you look at Central's regular intake of new players they get players from other Auckland clubs, and this sets them on the doorstep of ACFC, so your argument doesn't hold much water. Central United is open to any good Auckland player.

Lets be honest - a franchise like ACFC or Waitakere taking on a player from say Ellerslie - would have little or no impact on attracting extra Ellerslie football supporters to watch the ASBP other than those who already do. The leading club in the league at the monent is struggling to get more than a couple of hundred to Fred Taylor Park. Only ACFC has a decent supporter base who turn out.

And who would stump up the life-saving $250,000 that is distributed amongst the other ASBP clubs by ACFC from its O League winnings? The bottom four franchises struggle as it is to keep viable. Imagine if Otago United had to challenge for the O League because it won the no prizemoney ASBP? Are you seriously suggesting they could put a viable team in the O League competition which would probably cost another $50,000 at a minimum for all the away games in the islands - and all due respect to OU, I like you guys and enjoyed my away game last year in Dunedin.

I don't think the other franchises in the ASBP appreciate how much time and money ACFC devotes to putting a competitive team in the O League. The last time Waitakere had a go they fluffed it and had to seriously downsize from Trust Stadium to Fred Taylor Park.

Even Team Wellington are struggling to keep a viable team in the ASBP, attracting only a few hundred to Miramar's ground for home games.

So why don't we just scrap the ASBP and send you guys every year? Having one team with an unfair amount of resources and paying to win the league every year is what dwindles interest in the league elsewhere. But if anyone else were to win and go into the O league, then the ASBP would go bust according to you, so why not save a lot of time and money and just scrap this whole thing? It's the most logical conclusion based on the 'facts' you give. 

I'm going to talk about my wish-list for improvements to the current comp, not join in this ACFC banter:

1.  A two-division National League, with 6 teams in each division playing eachother 4 times.  That's of 20 games per team per season at a more even standard in each division then we are currently seeing - and less lop-sided games.

2. No play-offs.  I hate play-offs.  The winner of the National League goes into the O-league.  Or (ideally) the O-league would be expanded to, say, 12 teams, so runners-up would also qualify.

3.  Relegation for 2 worst Div 1 sides and promotion for best 2 Div 2 teams. Let's make that wooden spoon worth something.

Now where's Gareth?

I think you anti-ACFC sentiments are blurring what you are reading. I'm merely trying to explain what's reality.

By the way ACFC has had a number of young NZ players through its ranks and many of them have come from outside Central United ranks so your accusations of not helping local football doesn't hold water.

And who would stump up the life-saving $250,000 that is distributed amongst the other ASBP clubs by ACFC from its O League winnings? The bottom four franchises struggle as it is to keep viable. Imagine if Otago United had to challenge for the O League because it won the no prizemoney ASBP? Are you seriously suggesting they could put a viable team in the O League competition which would probably cost another $50,000 at a minimum for all the away games in the islands - and all due respect to OU, I like you guys and enjoyed my away so what your really saying is that because ACFC is so much better than all the other ASBP teams they don't need to bother to lower themselves to helping local football in their area because they are really not interested in that and instead would prefer to concentrate on only thats where your wrong - i want to forge closer relations with ACFC - we believe we have players who are good enough to trial and we have a good youth system but as i have made clear ACFC don't want a bar of clubs outside central - someone even said as much - they basically use central to recruit players from other clubs and then ACFC picks them up - no wonder people are not flocking to see games.  Now i have been to the odd game and i have enjoyed it but like many i don't have any tie to ACFC so there is no real drive to support them - and it seems from responses on here from ACFC fans that dosn't really bother you because your not focused on that kind of thing as your aiming at competing on a world stage and all the other rag tag franchises can do the grassroots stuff.

It's a shame becuase if ACFC wasn't so inwards focused they may have a massive following in Auckland..  Seems like you just don't care though.

The big change required is volunteers and spectators 1st.

TV coverage would help gain sponsor support. Most teams video their games so a grass roots rugby style highlights program could be supplied to Sky, TV 1or TV3. 

I'm told a TV highlights package would cost about $100,000 for a weekly broadcast during the season but miserable NZF won't stump up anything and the franchises can't afford it. I guess Van Hattam reasons he'd rather invest in the Phoenix than back his own national league. We should take it out of the NZF O League prizemoney grab and do it anyway!

I'm going to talk about my wish-list for improvements to the current comp, not join in this ACFC banter:

1.  A two-division National League, with 6 teams in each division playing eachother 4 times.  That's of 20 games per team per season at a more even standard in each division then we are currently seeing - and less lop-sided games.

2. No play-offs.  I hate play-offs.  The winner of the National League goes into the O-league.  Or (ideally) the O-league would be expanded to, say, 12 teams, so runners-up would also qualify.

3.  Relegation for 2 worst Div 1 sides and promotion for best 2 Div 2 teams. Let's make that wooden spoon worth something.

Now where's Gareth?

Squad? Legion would be closer...

Again with the completely unfounded allegation that NZF have at any point funded the Phoenix further than paying part of Ricki's salary as he is All Whites coach.

You know that if you keep saying it over and over again it doesn't suddenly become verified fact?

I think what you propose is entrirely correct and would be an appropriate spend for NZF but it's got nothing to do with the Phoenix and in fact by throwing that in there you undermine the valid point.

The current investigation by Internal Affairs and the SFO into pokie funding is a big threat to the ASB Prem, and all football clubs in general.

Probe launched into pokie grants 

The key line in the DIA's statement is "The wider community is disadvantaged if one group can gain preferential access to grant funding from gambling proceeds".

Regardless of which trusts are actually involved if this investigation goes the distance and results in any prosecutions or fines it is going to make all trusts look more seriously at how fairly they distribute funds. I think ASB Prem franchises, in particular, could be exposed to some push back from the wider community about whether they represent a good use of funds.

It's a shame Te Ururoa Flavell's recent bill wasn't really up to the task because the whole system needs an overhaul. As much as people will say "no way" I'd like to see more centralised distribution of funds i.e. NZF makes one application for funding for the ASB Prem and distributes it evenly to franchises, rather than franchises all doing their own thing. Much more transparency (and hopefully efficiency) that way.

The current investigation by Internal Affairs and the SFO into pokie funding is a big threat to the ASB Prem, and all football clubs in general.

Probe launched into pokie grants 

The key line in the DIA's statement is "The wider community is disadvantaged if one group can gain preferential access to grant funding from gambling proceeds".

Regardless of which trusts are actually involved if this investigation goes the distance and results in any prosecutions or fines it is going to make all trusts look more seriously at how fairly they distribute funds. I think ASB Prem franchises, in particular, could be exposed to some push back from the wider community about whether they represent a good use of funds.

It's a shame Te Ururoa Flavell's recent bill wasn't really up to the task because the whole system needs an overhaul. As much as people will say "no way" I'd like to see more centralised distribution of funds i.e. NZF makes one application for funding for the ASB Prem and distributes it evenly to franchises, rather than franchises all doing their own thing. Much more transparency (and hopefully efficiency) that way.

We've got to do something about creating more interest in the ASBP because outside of ACFC, Canterbury and Hawke's Bay the games are being played in front of small crowds with little atmosphere.

You keep banging on about supporting local football Chopah and then admit you seldom watch the ASBP even though you have two top flight clubs in your home town. Unfortunately this is the norm. There are thousands of football players/supporters in Auckland and yet the league leaders at the moment (Waitakere) would be lucky to attract 200 to their home games unless its a derby game with ACFC. Apathy is making it hard going. 

Leaving it up to NZF!!!! Transparency? Efficiency? You must be joking!

Perhaps a football equivalent of the Arab Spring is called for!

I think there is some merit in your suggestion about NZF making one application for trust funding and trying to make the ASBP a more level playing field. However this would require NZF putting the ASBP top of their priorities, not near the bottom.

I also think some ASBP franchises don't put in as much effort as others into securing trust or sponsorship funding and so is it right that the more organized outfits have to subsidize the less organized? Shouldn't the franchises who are struggling try to aspire to what the successful franchises like ACFC have done, rather than take resources off ACFC?

I do think trust funding is going to be harder to get in future so isn't the answer for NZF to finally pull its fat gold-ringed finger out and raise and invest some serious money in its own national league. Football is the most successful and marketable sport in the world except for NZ and that is because of poor management at the top. We can have a successful ASBP and Phoenix together - NZF have a vertible goldmine in its Oceania route to the World Cup and Confederations cup, the national league shouldn't be playing in open fields in front of a handful of spectators with no TV coverage!