But with this year’s top three Federation League sides — Palmerston North United, Palmerston North Marist and New Plymouth’s FC Western — going into Central League 2 automatically and Taradale getting there by way of playoff, only five of this year’s sides would be left to contest a 2025 Federation League.
The next leagues down have been the Taranaki, Horizons and Pacific premierships. This year, those leagues had eight, seven and seven teams respectively.
Of the five Federation League teams who didn’t go up to Central League 2, Whanganui Athletic are in the Horizons catchment, New Plymouth Rangers and Peringa United are in the Taranaki area, and Havelock North Wanderers and Gisborne Thistle are in the Pacific catchment.
Central Football proposes forming two conferences — eastern and western — to replace the three premierships. Horizons and Taranaki would combine to form the western conference, and the Pacific Premiership would be renamed the eastern conference.
Central Football operations manager Donald Piper said plans for the reintroduction of a Central League second division were known well in advance of the 2024 season, and Federation League and some premiership clubs were surveyed on their preference for the competitions available to teams who didn’t qualify for it.
The options were to:
●Continue with the Federation League.
●Rely on the three-premiership model to absorb the teams who didn’t go up to Central League 2.
●Move to a conference model comprising eastern and western premierships.
The clubs’ response was strongly in favour of eastern and western conferences.When the playoff results were known, Central Football repeated the survey. The response was even more strongly in favour of the conference model.
Piper presented these findings to Tairawhiti-Gisborne clubs at their post-season meeting two weeks ago. Central Football undertook to follow up with potential members of an eastern conference, focusing on the sustainability and viability of their league entry.
“We’re looking to confirm entries and set a draw in December,” Piper said.
The goal was a 10-team league with three Gisborne entries, he said.
This model would decrease travel and accommodation costs by eliminating regular-season trips to Taranaki, Whanganui and Palmerston North. A 10-team league that included three Gisborne teams would also mean 11 of their 18 games would not require travel.
The weighting for a nine-team league would be even more attractive in terms of travel: 10 of 16 games would be in Gisborne, with two byes.
Sustainability was a strong consideration, Piper said.
“We have to have a concept that is sustainable and offers a level of competition that gets clubs ready to make the next step.”
Promotion to Central League 2 would be decided by a series of playoffs. Initially, the winners of the eastern and western conferences would play off, probably over two legs, home and away. The winning team would then play off, home and away, against the winners of the Capital Premier league from the Wellington-based Capital Football Federation.
Thistle president Shannon Dowsing backed the idea of more Gisborne teams in an outside league.
If the top club teams played in outside competition, the local Eastern League competition might be more evenly balanced.
Gisborne United first team coach Josh Adams said he did not think he could field a competitive team willing to travel every second weekend. Many of his players were at an age where family responsibilities had first call on their leisure time, but they could get away for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. A full day away for a game in Hawke’s Bay was a different matter.
Asked if the reduced travel brought about by a three-team Gisborne presence in the league would make a difference, Adams said he would have to talk with his players about that.
The High School Old Boys/Gisborne Boys’ High School Prems entry has school head of football Sebastian Itman excited.
It would be a Boys’ High First XI playing under the HSOB name, he said. This would allow the boys to train together as a team competing every week, home and away, against the best club opposition available to Gisborne players.
It would be ideal preparation for the end-of-season interschool competitions, where Boys’ High had been at a disadvantage because of their limited time training and playing together.
Those who had a strong desire to play for another club could do so, but he was confident the great majority would want to be part of the school’s venture into outside club competition. Garrett Blair would continue as head coach, assisted by Itman, Darren Larkins and former Fiji under-20 national team coach Ronil Lal.
The Boys’ High second team would also be playing in club football, in the Eastern League, under the HSOB umbrella, Itman said.
Last Thursday, High School Old Boys and Boys’ High representatives signed a memorandum of understanding to set down what both parties expected the arrangement to deliver.
HSOB have experience in this type of co-operative venture. Their HSOB Sports team competing in the Eastern League second division this year was essentially a Campion College team with teacher oversight, and reports of their competence and approach to the game were encouraging.
Thistle might have to do significant off-season recruitment. They relied on the support of Boys’ High students to complete their Federation League programme this year.
The students’ departure would leave a sizeable hole in the Jags’ playing strength.
