Northern Leagues

overturning the result would be dramatic. 

Extremely.

Quite harsh to let it stick at 1-1 though.

Tough one.

Oh yeah, if Waitak supporters are at fault, then I'm all for a 3-0 loss to them. 

I'm with tegal on this one - from what i have read Waitak had a player sent off before the game and then during the game and if it is their supporters being inappropriate then yeah take the points off them.

I'm sure there will be howls of anger about how bad the referee was but there has to be a line in the sand and this sounds like a good chance to show the league what is unacceptable.

Agree! Very important for the league to send a message. The supporters didn't just ruin it for the teams but also those casual supporters like myself who wasted $20 petrol to get out there.

Anyone know what the sending off before the game was for yet?

So just heard from a FHM player. Sounds like the ref was urging waitak to get their team out on the park in time for kick off and used some colourful language in doing so. One of the waitak subs then replied with "you can't fudgeing talk to me like that" so the ref pulled out the red card. Not totally surprised the ref copped some flak after that start - not that I'm saying that's it's okay to get stuck into a ref as a supporter (they do in pro football, YF etc) but it's highly likely to happen after that especially seeing as the ref kind of provoked that response from the player.

I have seen a couple of people on social media ask who the referee is, not sure if they are trying to get at if it's a certain referee that he should shoulder some blame.

Have looked it up on the AFF website and it was a WaiBOP referee called Carl Watkins - don't think there would be any prior issue between him and Hago so unless someone has info that says otherwise let's bury that issue right now.


Like I said above if Waitak are found to have had supporters that caused the referee to abandon the game - then make it a 3-0 win to FHM and that will send a bloody strong message to the rest of football in Auckland.

Having talked to some involved it sounds like the official was having a delicate day

Glenfield v's Onehunga, 3 red cards to Glenfield Players, anyone with details?

So lots of changes being mooted by AFF for the NRFL and local football in the AFF, NFF and Waibop areas.

First the plan to move the Women's NRFL to 8 teams in 2018 has been delayed until 2019 as clubs who had entered the 2017 season on the understanding of a 10 team with promotion/relegation fought back.  I would like to think that 8 teams in 2019 is still open to some consultation with clubs.

Their is a proposal based off the NRFL review to scrap Div 2 Reserves in 2018 and then Div 2 itself in 2019 - this is a proposal that dosn't seem to have much support at all - i have heard some clubs (who it dosn't effect at the moment) are non-plussed, but there are plenty of clubs who are fully against either of these changes.

The club licensing scheme looks to be a good concept to instill minimum standards, as long as they ease it in over a number of years so clubs and teams can adapt and make sure they comply.

And the most controversial proposal is the Premier Youth Leagues which conceptually are meant to come in above the current Metro grades to create an elite level of competition, and the plan is to potentially run these grades on Saturday and face them straight up against school football so players have to choose club or school.  Lots of questions about how this will actually work but again the general concept seems promising.

If you are involved in a club in the AFF/NFF/WaiBOP regions and you want to know more - hit up your club leadership or your federation and make sure they hear your opinion, clubs are the stakeholders and need to be listened to about core changes to our sport.

I am interested in this.

I personally think that ditching Northern 2 and the reserves is the way to go. The best players rise to the top strengthening the remaining 2 leagues. There is always 1 team in the prems that is getting spanked every year with stuff all points so that *could* stop that.

It also strengthens the lower levels and reduces the inter-province travel immediately. Costs come down, less players get paid and money goes into better choices.

I'm not sure I understand why people want to keep it Northern 2. Northern League should be something to aspire to be in not just be in it at the bottom playing shark football (and having watched Te Atatu, its bloody average football). Central League is set up that way.

I can see why Chopah would want to keep it, seeing as Ellerslie are heading straight for it.

Thats harsh on Chopah. To be fair to his club, over the last few years, they have focussed more on developing young players than bringing in mercenaries. I can respect that. 

A couple of years ago, they were Prems with those players and almost got back up. Probably has not worked so well this year for them.

any decent games on this Sat near cbd that a bunch of wgtonians can take in (from the balcony with a beve)?

waiheke seems a bit of a mission

Sorry to be picky but point out where I said I personally want to keep div 2?

Everything seems to be out in the burbs this Saturday. Taharoto Park for Takapuna v Fencibles is not too far across the bridge and they have a good balcony. It's Div 2 so football won't be great

just as a bit of background on this - the Div 2 is in danger because they don't meet the purpose of the competition (which was established with the conclusion of the NRFL Review) which is: The NRFL should be an elite regional competition to develop the most talented domestic based football players in order to provide a pathway for youth to national and international honours.

Now the key there in my opinion is what qualifies as most talented?  The difference in talent between say Te Atatu and Birkenhead could be miles, however if Northern 2 is removed and Te Atatu are playing NFF football where does their talented youth go?  Can they make the jump from NFF football at Tat to Div 1 Football at Waitemata (for example).  I'm not sold either way on the removal of Div 2 - I just want to see a longer term (10 year) plan from AFF about where competitions sit in 10 years time and what the landscape looks like.

I'm kind of over the planning for the here and now without a long term strategy.

Metro vs Waitemata at Phyllis Street

Don't inflict Metro on them!

Could you explain what this club licensing scheme is and what it would cover?

Sharks me royally that the NRFL is over here doing this, the South Island is down there doing its thing, the Central League is going fairly stagnant (at least from the outside), the national league is a mess. 2026 and the OFC's direct WC tickets hould be the end zone, and if it means ripping up recent work to start again, so be it. Other OFC nations are planning for 2026, and while we can't ignore 2022 as much as they can, we could end up embarrased.

Of course Central v Bay Olympic in the cup at Kiwitea St is probably your best option

oh yup. what time is that and is there a string of pubs enroute? (best way to get there?)

2pm kickoff

There's a bus that goes up Sandringham Road from the city so that's probably the best one (is it the 248?).

There's pubs in Kingsland, but also one just around the corner from the ground - the Kitchener.

Send me a PM and I will give you a link to the info.

So interesting news from the Northern League today as Manukau City who won promotion into the premier league off the back of an excellent 2017 campaign have merged with Mangere United who were in Div 2.

The new entity Manukau United FC (awfully close to Auckland Manukau United) will play out of Centre Park in the 2018 NRFL Premier League.

I expect Fallon will continue as coach but that has yet to be announced.

The vacant spot in NRFL Div 2 will be filled by the winner of a playoff between Onehunga Mangere who were relegated in 11th place from NRFL Div 2 in 2017 and Beachlands who lost the NRFL Playoff with Cambridge.

Exciting developments for South Auckland - hopefully this new merged club delivers opportunities for young South Aucklanders and we don't just see mercenaries shipped in left right and centre - I for one hope the latter dosn't happen.

Mangere provide the money and Manukau the board etc?

Centre Park? So no-one has to brave the changing rooms at Walter Massey any more?

(This coming from someone who might well be facing the Manukau girls in the Conference next year)

the ones at Mangere are better - as long as they don't demand your car keys to supply a padlock for them.

It's actually quite interesting how players value venues based on a room where they spend less time than on the field - some players i know would rather a shark field and superb changing rooms (which seems backwards).

But since we are on this topic - how about a bit of fun with a thread that was posted on the NRFL Forum.

1. Worst Changing Rooms

2. Worst Field

3. Worst Clubrooms

You can post the best ones as well if you want but that's not nearly as much fun.

F.H.M .. all 3 of them

Worst clubrooms have to be Waitak. Absolute disgrace especially considering the sister franchise in the national league played there for a number of seasons.

Worst Changing Rooms: Waitemata by a country mile

Worst Clubrooms: Probably Waiheke if they only get to use that little end bit

Worst Field: In Div 1 (have not seen some of the div 2 fields) it's a equal draw between Franklin and North Shore

There are plans to sort out the famous potato paddock at Bledisloe (if you believe the Council), pitches are going to be completely redone and rotated so that the No.1 pitch is in front of, and side on to, the Clubrooms. Not due to happen till 2019 though (I think).

Haven't been there for a while, and it may well have changed, but Manurewa wasn't the flashest playing surface I'd ever clapped eyes on either!

I'd like to give a special mention to Madills Farm.

While the pitch is usually in ok condition, it's not unusual to find the occasional ankle breaking hole.

Worst pitch defo North Shore. Is it even grass? Been the same for about 6 years now. Fudgeing joke outfit they're running there.

Best pitch Shepherds by a mile. 

'

Shepherds? Really

Find me something better.

best three are shepherds, Waitak No 1 and Kiwitea Street. Best clubrooms - Birkenhead and Kiwitea

Coast has a nice pitch - clubrooms are pretty good as well.

What's the ECB pitch like now, used to be a bit rank, like Keith Hay Park.

If Tuakau ever make it into NRFL I think they will top out the worst of these three categories.

yep memorial park is not great in winter, bang average actually.