Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle on the upcoming National League campaign and a special family milestone. Video / Neil Reid
Ahead of football’s 2024 National League, Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle talks to Neil Reid about lessons learned, pressure and a special family moment.
Both finishing spots didn’t do justice to how competitive they were to some of their more-fancied opponents.
Hoyle – whose pride in Napier City Rovers’ qualification in 2024 is strong – said lessons should be learnt from those seasons, including having strong self-belief and focusing more on themselves than the opposition.
“This year we have to really back ourselves... focus on what we can do to trouble teams,” Hoyle said.
Head coach Bill Robertson (left), pictured with one of his assistants Stephen Hoyle, has guided Napier City Rovers to a third successive qualification to New Zealand Football's National League. Photo / Neil Reid
“We’ve got a strong group. And we could make some big upset upsets, I reckon, in the National League.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of tough teams in the National League. The quality steps up, that’s what you get with qualifying for the National League.
“But if we focus on ourselves, our playing style, our habits and what we need to do, I think it will be better off in the results come the end of this National League season.”
The National League draw will see Bluewater Stadium host Western Springs, the Wellington Phoenix Reserves, Auckland City and Cashmere Technical.
Captain Jim Hoyle has been one of Napier City Rovers' best players all season in 2024. Photo / Neil Reid
Away from home, they will face defending champions Wellington Olympic, Western Suburbs, Birkenhead United, Eastern Suburbs and Coastal Spirit.
In the 2024 Central League, they twice beat the Wellington Phoenix Reserves, drew one and won one against Western Suburbs, and lost both matches to Wellington Olympic.
“We can take some pride from that game and some learnings. This is what we need to match; we were there or thereabouts.”
Just what a victorious Chatham Cup run would have meant – and the disappointment of losing a knockout game they looked so strong in – was evident post-match in the quarter-final, with emotions hitting hard amongst the squad.
Four weeks later, emotions of a different kind were witnessed by fans at Bluewater Stadium when Napier City Rovers destroyed North Wellington 6-1; a result that secured their National League spot.
Hoyle said what fans saw was a team who was “super happy” to achieve its pre-season goal.
Further scenes of unbridled joy were unleashed in the side’s dressing room, with Hoyle saying one of the emotions was “relief” that they’d got the job done.
Qualification came after back-to-back league losses to Miramar Rangers and Petone which saw the former threaten to qualify for the National League, in the process ending Napier City Rovers’ season.
He said those losses had “made it harder for ourselves” in the run home.
Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle, facing camera, will be hoping for more reasons to celebrate during the 2024 National League. Photo / Neil Reid
“It was a pure pressure release... that we’d got it done,” Hoyle said.
“But it was also a testament to the team’s character throughout the season.
“Ben Stanley’s come in and kept his head down, worked as hard as he can, and then he’s the guy who secures us National League with two goals. So, I think the whole team was super excited for him, super happy for him.
“Everyone achieved the goal together. I think that helped boost all the spirits of everyone when we got into the changing rooms.”
Napier City Rovers players Kieran Richards (left to right), Harry Mason, Sam Lack, Fergus Neil, team physio Alex Gairdner and video analyst Tim Motu on the side's bench late in their 6-1 Central League win over North Wellington at Bluewater Stadium. Photo / Neil Reid
Among the vocal crowd at Bluewater Stadium were the Hoyle brothers’ Auckland-based sister, Aimee, and their mother Linda who is on holiday from England.
The win over North Wellington – which included Jim again leading the Rovers’ defensive line, and Stephen scoring a goal – was the first time Linda had seen her sons play together live.
She will again be at Bluewater Stadium for Napier City Rovers’ 2024 National League campaign kickoff against Western Springs in late September.
“That was pretty cool, for mum for the first time to see me and Steve play together in front of her,” Hoyle said.
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.
