Whanganui Athletic given unexpected Central League promotion for 2023 season

Whanganui Athletic was unbeaten in its Federation League campaign this season. Photo / Karen Hughes

Whanganui Athletic’s 2022 season came to an end with a heartbreaking loss to Stop Out Sports Club for promotion to football’s Central League.

But the club will be making the jump anyway, after Wellington United withdrew from next year’s competition.

Athletic president Pete Czerwonka said he heard a rumour about the move and immediately approached Football New Zealand.

“They confirmed it at the start of last week and we had 24 hours to submit a club licence.

“We managed that and they [Football NZ] were happy with what they saw in that application, and with the added details I gave about the progress we’re making as a club, the direction we’re going in, and where we want to be in the future.

“Now we just have to back it up on the pitch.”

The club license initiative was brought in by Football NZ in the past few years and set guidelines on how it wanted clubs to operate at the highest level, Czerwonka said.

Wellington United said the past few seasons were heavily affected by Covid-19.

“The reset will mean the men’s first team will be competing in Capital 3 next season,” it posted on social media.

“This will allow the club to focus on the junior and youth pathways, and to provide further support to the successful women’s teams as well as the wider club as a whole.”

Whanganui Athletic captain/coach Matt Calvert said he felt for Wellington United and somemight think that the club had been “given a spot in the Central League”.

“They have to remember that in 19 competitive games the club played this season, we only lost two.

“If we were in any other country, 99 per cent of the time if you win your league and there’s one league above you, you get automatically promoted to it.”

It was a massive step forward for football in Whanganui, Calvert said.

“As a player, there have been chances to go and play for other clubs in the Central League but they never excited me as much as the prospect and ambition of playing there with Athletic.

“We are going to do that next season and it’s going to be a surreal moment.

“Some of the top teams in New Zealand will be coming to Wembley Park next year and there will be a standard of football people have probably never seen before. If we can get it right, the legacy could be absolutely fantastic.”

Matt Calvert will retain his duel role next season. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui Athletic was last in the Central League in the early 1990s.

Then-president Trevor Strong said Ken Dugdale was the coach of that team.

“It was a magnificent time. Players like John Unsworth and Derek Visser were in the side, along with Shane and Lloyd Wye,” said Strong, who is chairman of the Whanganui Football Development Trust.

“I remember a game at Cooks Gardens and there were close to 2500 people. I think it was against Waitakere.

“That was great for Whanganui. We were playing on Sundays, so all the rugby guys and other sporting people would turn up.”

The city was still very good in terms of its support, Strong said.

“When we played [Wellington] Olympic this year, they said it was the biggest crowd they had played in front of in this area.

“Athletic played some great football back then [the early 1990s] and that’s what’s going to have to happen again next season.

“Everyone needs to step up.”

Athletic went down to Wellington Olympic in the second round of this year’s Chatham Cup.

The club’s only other loss this year was in the second promotion game against Stop Out.

It went unbeaten in the Federation League and lifted the title for the first time since 2014.

Czerwonka said one stipulation of moving up was having qualified coaches for all teams in the club.

Athletic also needed to prove it was financially and administratively stable.

There were additional facility requirements, but the clubrooms being built next year would tick a lot of boxes, Czerwonka said.

“Whanganui has always had the raw talent to be able to compete on the pitch.

“Without having a team at the highest level, it doesn’t really push the youngsters as much as it could. We don’t see the refined talent as much.

“Hopefully this opens the door for them to see they can play high-level football.”

The vast majority of this year’s squad had been retained for next season, Calvert said.

He will retain his dual role next year.

“We’ve been talking to other players and trying to identify who would fit into our club, our culture and our values the best.

“It’s important to have players that are committed and ready to do the hard yards in preparation for the season ahead.”

He said the first game of next season would kick off in the last weekend in March.