Soccer: Format under scrutiny

A key meeting early next month between New Zealand Soccer and the eight franchises will have a big bearing on the format of the NZFC.

League manager Glyn Taylor said a number of issues would be discussed including the start date for the 2006-07 season, a move towards a four-round championship and the future of the grand final.

"One thing we will need to look at if a New Zealand team makes it to the Fifa World Club Championship in Japan in December as the Oceania representative is whether we put the NZFC on hold for two or three weeks as they did with the A-League in Australia last year," said Taylor.

Taylor said the start date for the third NZFC would be governed by the need to find New Zealand's representative in the OFC Champions League which in future will be played home and away rather than as a tournament by March 24.

"That could mean an early September start rather than mid-October as we had this season," said Taylor.

"Because we have to find our winner by March and with a month before the Oceania play-offs start, we might look at retaining the same play-off format as we have now or maybe go to a separate knockout competition with some prizemoney."

Taylor said there had been general satisfaction with the second NZFC with clubs embracing the youth player initiative.

"With the academy programmes the franchises now have in place, we have seen more younger players getting their chance," said Taylor. "Some clubs have made the most of it.

"Hawkes Bay, as an example, have used a number of younger players with Reiner Bauerfiend and Ethan Dent playing five NZFC matches, Robert Hunter four and Brendon Kerr three.

"Jacob Spoonley has had the advantage of being part of the Auckland City squad, Shaun van Rooyen played nine games and scored a goal for Waitakere United and Costa Barbarouses has already had eight games for Team Wellington."

Taylor said recent international selections had shown the role the NZFC had played in giving players the opportunity to be seen.

"Players who in the past might have gone off and played in the winter leagues are now realising it is more important to play their best football in the NZFC if they want to be noticed," said Taylor. "That has been an important factor in some players now resisting the urge to go straight from the NZFC to winter league and then straight back, as tired players, to the NZFC."

Taylor was a trifle evasive on the question of match officials failing to keep pace.

"Their performance has been duly noted," said Taylor. "They are an easy target and I'm not going to be drawn on that one."

That will be an issue, surely, for lively discussion at the May 3 meeting.