Soccer: Purse offered to sweeten midweek pot

Premiership clubs will play the Phoenix reserves. Photo / Getty Images

Prize money of about $2000 will be offered to help convince Premiership clubs to put out their best sides when midweek games against the Phoenix reserves are played this year.

Wellington have long trumpeted the need for a reserve side to provide game time for squad players not needed in the matchday 15 or others returning from injury. They are the only A-League club without a second team.

New Zealand Football have committed to helping them by facilitating matches with Premiership sides (formerly NZFC) and the likelihood of prizemoney to make them meaningful. Without prizemoney, clubs have little incentive to field a strong team.

The Phoenix reserves will play eight midweek games against the eight franchises before Christmas.

"We hope prizemoney will be enough to convince opposition teams to put out a strong side," NZF chief executive Michael Glading said. "We will also structure it in a way that the home side keeps the gate. In some cases that will work out well for them."

NZF will also pick up all costs, including travel and accommodation, which is expected to cost the national body about $75,000. They are talking to a potential sponsor to help alleviate some expenses.

The Phoenix will contribute a handful of players and the rest of the side will be made up of promising juniors, who will train alongside the Phoenix first team for about 10 weeks.

Clubs will hang on to their best young talent because the Premiership matchday 15 must include two youth players.

"We want young players to be playing in the national league so to take them out of that and put them in the [Phoenix] reserve team is not our intention," Glading said. "The Phoenix will liaise with the national league clubs to work it out. The first year will allow us to see how it works."

Wellington goalkeeping coach Jonathan Gould, who has a background in youth football, is expected to coach the Phoenix reserves.

Auckland City chairman Ivan Vuksich welcomed news of prizemoney and said they would put out a strong team.

"We would have done that anyway," he said. "It's only one game a season ... but $2000 would provide a good incentive. That sort of money would be important to any national league side."