Football: North Shore City bid backed by region

NFF chief John Limna and North Shore City FC committee member Paul Temple. Photo / Supplied

North Shore City FC's bid to join the ASB Premiership from next season has been boosted by official support from Northern Football Federation (NFF).

The club and the federation today signed a memorandum of understanding that sets the tone for cooperation in the best interests of football in the region should North Shore City be granted one of the new licenses for an expanded 10-team national league.

New Zealand Football is set to announce their decision on December 16, with eight clubs thought to be bidding for the two expansion licenses on offer. North Shore City is a joint venture between Takapuna AFC and North Shore United.

NFF chief executive John Limna said basing a national league team in one of New Zealand's biggest player regions was strategically important for the federation.

"Approximately a fifth of all football players in the country are within our federation and 60 per cent of those are on the Shore," he said. "It's the biggest football market not currently served by the existing spread of ASB Premiership teams and part of the reason why we're throwing our support behind North Shore City.

"There is currently a production line of young talent within the region - for instance six of the last seven under-19 finals in Napier have featured at least one North Shore club, so this initiative will provide a great local outlet into the national league for North Shore based players."

The agreement outlines ways the two organisations will cooperate, ranging from shared promotion and junior coaching opportunities through to advocating at local government level and exploring the alignment of existing women's and futsal league programmes.

North Shore City committee member Steve Browning said the document laid a foundation not just for a successful bid but also a successful club that was representative of the whole region.

"The two clubs involved were united by a passion to reignite a proud national league history on the North Shore," he said. "If our bid is successful, this agreement will be vital over the next few years in building a team that the whole North Shore can get behind and running a programme that delivers outcomes for the whole region including other winter clubs."

NFF development manager Darren Bazeley, who has coached New Zealand at under-17 and under-20 levels, said a successful North Shore City bid would be the missing piece in a NZF-endorsed pathway from junior to elite level.

"Both Takapuna and North Shore United have been delivering Whole of Football initiatives since the plan was launched and North Shore recently achieved quality club mark status.

"A national league team would complete a development pathway from first kicks through to federation and national talent centres and onto ASB Youth League and the ASB Premiership.

"When you consider the North Shore has a population of over 300,000 people that can only be good for Northern Football and ultimately New Zealand Football."