Changes for 2013-14 season. Worst team in last three seasons - YoungHeart Manawatu - lost their licence and they are about to be replaced with New Zealand U20 team as part of U20 WC 2015 preparation - New Zealand hosts that tournament. Also, Waikato will be replaced by WaiBOP (Bay-Of-Plenty) team, team that will represent whole Waikato region. Schedule is not published yet, but it is almost definite that 14 games will be played again. Also, youth league rose to 12 teams (had 10 in previous editions).
Really?? (Checks news) That is rough for Manawatu. They nearly lost their licence last time until they were able to address the funding issues. These franchises are not making much profit but it would leave a regional gap in the system. It's a sad lost, I don't why they can't just expand the teams and have a few more extra weeks. Is some extra cost that much harder to get after nine seasons?
Also, somewhere along the line, Otago United became Southern United for the upcoming season. New Coach as well. The rest of the brand is yet to be revealed. http://www.asbpremiership.co.nz/ind...s]=1919&tx_ttnews[backPid]=3&cHash=69f8d475a4
A new, and IMHO very nice looking crest, but the same colors. Still no kit that I am aware of. http://www.asbpremiership.co.nz/index.php?id=21 Good job thus far, Southern.
And now a team from Albany, Auckland, Wanderers SC. Season '13/14 underway, with only Wanderers and HBU not having played. Auckland City on top.
Auckland City FC 17 Canterbury United 17 Team Wellington 15 Hawkes Bay United 14 Waitakere United 13 WaiBOP United 7 Southern United 6 Wanderers SC 5 HBU annihilates Southern Utd. 6-1.
One round left in ASB Premiership. Auckland City won premier title after 10-0 win at Southern United - record win since league kicked off in 2004. Hawke's Bay United secured #2 for playoffs, and last two spots will be shared between Team Wellington (@ WaiBOP) and Waitakere and Canterbury, who will play each other - Waitakere needs to win to qualify.
Semifinal, game one Waitakere United - Auckland City 0-4 Hawke's Bay - Team Wellington 1-2 So, after seven seasons in a row with same teams (ACFC, Waitakere), New Zealand will have different teams in Oceania CL. Grand final winner will qualify and if there is at least one semi-finalist from NZ in this season (set to start in April), NZ will get another slot - best team in regular season that did not qualify via playoffs - Team Welly.
ASBP need some changes .... Auckland City is too strong now and nobody can catch them. Waitakere United (their rival) lost too much in last time and now they are a team like the rest of New Zeeland .... Team Wellington play well, but not enough. I think Auckland City will apply to join in A-League soon, like Wellington Phoenix, if they will have no rival here. Same problem in OFC CL, Auckland City won too many editions, and nobody can kill them in the final. Hope this season they will not win again the OFC CL
Well maybe Team Wellington is likely to be the ongoing rival for Auckland City now that they secured a place again in the OFC CL. They lost the OFC CL finals to Auckland City by a goal last season and Auckland got 3rd in the CWC.
Both Hawkes Bay United and Team Wellington has improved greatly but Waitakere city has been just keeping still and we know that Auckland City had a breakout season last year. To me, it seems that the ASB premiership has developed a de facto split of the good and bad performing teams in the mid table. Four up and four down.
2015-16 season Finals series set. 5 March | Auckland City (1) - Canterbury United (4) 6 March | Hawke's Bay United (2) - Team Wellington (3) 10 March | Grand final, better seed as host. Next season two new teams join - Nelson's Tasman United and Auckland's Eastern Suburbs with WaiBOP being replaced by Hamilton Wanderers,
Final set: 10 March | Auckland City (1) - Team Wellington (3) Auckland defeated Canterbury 2-1, TW won 3-1 at Hawke's Bay.
Team Wellington is the new New Zealand champion! They defeated Auckland City 4-2 after extra-time. This is their first trophy. 23 out of 24 trophies (regular season, playoffs) were won by two Auckland teams - Auckland City and Waitekere United. Highlights Great stuff!
This competition is under a new sponsor, so it is now the Stirling Sports Premiership. Auckland City vs. Waitakere Utd. is the first fixture, tomorrow local time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016–17_New_Zealand_Football_Championship#League_table Ten teams will compete. New are Eastern Suburbs AFC and Tasman United and Hamilton Wanderers. WaiBOP United exit.
Auckland City will face Team Wellington in the grand final for the third time in last four seasons. Auckland defeated Hawke's Bay 1-0 while Team Wellington defeated Waitakere on penalties. It was 4-4 in 90 minutes (Wellington scored in 90th), then 6-6 after ET (Waitakere scored in 120th) and finally 3-2 on penalties with nine misses in six series. Unbelievable. Final is set for April 2 with Auckland hosting it. Both qualified for 2018 Champions League.
I hope Team Wellington will win again the league !! Or, they can lose it, if will stop Auckland City to win Oceania Champions League. Is too borring for them to have no rival there, for 6 or 7 seasons in a row, they won. For New Zeeland League, this season 2016/17 was the best, the most professional year ... with 10 competitive teams, 18 rounds and equal matches per round (yes, really looks like a real league). Really, they can copy the A-League system for next seasons, and can register all 10 clubs from NZFL in Chatham Cup. This can be an expansion for football in New Zeeland ... and for Oceania, must let many NZFL clubs in the continental competitions (3 or 4), to grow up the competition there. I follow both competitions and every time I wait for better formats and better experience and to be back at NZFL 2016/17 : Auckland City - won 6 titles Waitakere United - won 5 titles Team Wellington - won 1 title each of them finished 3 times as runner-up
Competition will get new name starting 2017-18 season - it will be called ISPS Handa Premiership in next three seasons. ISPS is owned by Haruhisa Handa, Japanese billionaire who obviously loves New Zealand. Great news, there might be more investments that could create new Chris Woods and Ivan Vicelichs. Story about Mr. Handa http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11762816
will sponsor one of the oldest trophies in our sporting history, the Chatham Cup which started in 1923. Nothing about NZFL
They will sponsor both. Anyway, more important - Team Wellington defended their title! They won 2-1 at Auckland City and won second title. They are yet to win regular season title.
A last season reminder that Tasman United (Nelson) and Eastern Suburbs (Auckland) have joined the Premiership for the 2016-2017 andHamilton Wanderers replaced Waikato-BOP United. There was eight applications then. Old Madrid failed that time because they couldn't prove financial sustainability despite being the largest local Wellington club and their academy has produced plenty of NZ age group players over the last decade. Ole Madrid has then suggest that they will reapply for the 2017-2018 season.Yet no word has come out for this coming season 2017-2018. The current champions are Team Wellington. Hamilton Wanderers has a vacancy for head coach for the coming 2017-2018 season. Eastern Suburbs have appointed Former All Whites Danny Hay as head coach. Danny Hay has been coaching Sacred Heart College in the schools and NZ under 17 after Malcom Mcpearson resigned citing family and extensive business times.