Soccer: Costs dash hopes of three rounds

Manawatu's Seule Soromon shoots for goal against Auckland City in their New Zealand Football Championship match. Photo / Paul Estourt

Spiralling costs have dashed any hopes of returning to a three-round national soccer championship in the foreseeable future - probably never.

After playing over three rounds - 21 games - for the first three seasons of the New Zealand Football Championship, the competition was trimmed to two rounds for the last two seasons.

"To go back to three rounds for the ASB Premiership would add another $60,000 to the costs for each of the eight franchises," said New Zealand Football competitions manager Glyn Taylor. "That is out of the question in the current environment.

"We have no plans to expand as we feel it is more about getting the best players playing in the eight incumbent franchises at this time. We had a review in November last year and the recommendation was to stay with eight but with the view to go to 10 teams at some stage. We are not there yet."

Taylor said there had been some interest in adding another team from the greater Auckland region with the suggestion second teams from Wellington and the Hawkes Bay could be considered. "To be fair, it is really no more than just interest at this stage," said Taylor.

Participating in the Premiership does not come cheap.

Each franchise pays $65,000 which covers the entry fee to both the senior competition and the ASB Youth League. That league is played over one round with the eight teams split into northern and southern conferences (six rounds) followed by semifinals and a final with the opening round on October 30 and the final on December 19.

Taylor estimates the "thick end of $500,000" will be needed to run this season's Premiership with the entry fees and the first $150,000 (of the $450,000) of the national body's share of the prize money won by Auckland City with their great run at last December's Fifa Club World Cup covering most of the costs.

Franchises can expect to spend up to $350,000 to participate in the Premiership. For Waitakere United and Auckland City that blows out to around $450,000 when their O-League costs are added.

The O-League remains the carrot with Taylor confirming New Zealand will again have two teams in next season's Oceania championship.