Ageing player base a factor in proposal

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

FOOTBALL

MOVES to drop school teams from Gisborne’s senior football competitions have their roots in a Central Football review conducted in 2018-19.

It found that two thirds of senior footballers in Gisborne were over 35 years old, that the majority of clubs were struggling, and that the main problem was that the clubs had almost no connection with school-age players.

Small steps came first. The venues for primary and youth football were split to create more space so the Saturday morning games could finish earlier. This would enable senior players to coach primary and super league teams.

On another tack, the age range for junior grades was extended so that Year 11 students who weren’t ready for senior football could keep competing while maturing and developing.

Central Football wanted to improve the set-up for players in years 11, 12 and 13 (the old forms 5, 6 and 7).

Before 2020, the only options for players from Year 11 to Y13 were to play in a senior competition or stop playing.

Central Football’s proposal aimed to “empower the clubs to improve and support the football development” of players. The plan was that:

■ High schools would not enter teams in senior competitions and the teenagers would then be free to register with the club of their choice.

■ A development league would be created. Each team would have seven or eight youth players turning out alongside senior players who would mentor them to improve their game. This league could take place on Saturday mornings to allow the senior players to play with a senior team in the afternoon. It would finish in late July to allow high school players to train with their schools for national tournaments.

Central Football’s view was that high schools would benefit from the clubs’ help in raising the skill levels of all their players, not just the first 11; the schools would need a coach only from August, for their tournament preparation; and if the schools wanted to teach school values and spirit through football, they could still run their high school competition on Wednesdays.

The proposal document said the plan was to debrief the situation after a year of activity, make any necessary adjustments and review the pathway after two years.