By TERRY MADDAFORD
New Zealand's oldest soccer club is determined to make the most of its return to the big time.
North Shore United's win in the National League playoffs has opened the door for the 107-year-old club to play in the next league - whenever that might be.
Club manager-secretary Alan Richards said he was aware of suggestions that North Shore might not go it alone, but no decision had been made.
"We only found out on Sunday that we were back in," he said yesterday.
"We have a function on Thursday night to celebrate what we have achieved. After that we will sit down and look at where we are going."
There have been rumours that North Shore might contemplate joining forces with other North Harbour clubs and switch their home base to North Harbour Stadium.
Richards said that while joining other clubs might happen "some way down the track", he was determined the club would stay at Devonport's Allen Hill Stadium.
He acknowledged there were some problems with the pitch this season, but said the city council was working on that.
"We got back [into the Southern Trust National League] by our own efforts," he said.
"We feel we owe it to our club members to try to go it alone. We will certainly try to do that.
"We will give it our best shot, but if we felt it was necessary to combine with other clubs, we would not discount that.
"Obviously, our efforts have to be in putting out a team we feel are not only capable of surviving but of winning the league."
He had spoken to Christchurch City player-coach Danny Halligan, who said there had been some problems in running a team made up of players from two feeder clubs, Christchurch Technical and Woolston.
New Zealand Soccer officials will meet North Shore club representatives on Monday.
The club will then join other league clubs at a meeting where plans for the new league, and a return to a summer league, will be discussed.
NZS chief executive Bill MacGowan said the clubs had rejected a proposed October 2002-March 2003 league, preferring to play from February to June next year.
Soccer: North Shore planning to go it alone in league
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