The 2013 football season kicks off this Easter Weekend for 2012 Western Premiership title winners Wanganui City as they take on a new format in terms of the Federation League and being Wanganui's only representation.
Wanganui Athletic withdrew their interest early in pre-season to concentrate on a rebuilding process in the upcoming Western Premiership competition.
Comprising Team Taranaki (New Plymouth), Taradale (Hawke's Bay), Redsox Manawatu, Palmerston North Marist, Palmerston North End and Feilding United, the seven teams involved in the Federation League will play out two rounds.
The winner after league play will earn a coveted play-off spot for Central League against the eventual winner of the Capital Football Premiership competition. Along with Chatham and Federation cups, the Federation League-based teams will play a third which will have no bearing on final placings.
City, for their part, will start the league as one of the perceived front runners for another shot at a title. Coach Karl Hayward will look to take the favourites tag away from his side, given his change in playing personnel from the title-winning team from last season.
Gone from an experienced unit are pivotal players Ben Toyne (work commitments), Scott Tunnicliffe (work/family), Josh Annabell (family), Josh Plumridge (Australia) and the Englishman Michael Hewitt who has headed back to the United Kingdom to finish his biomechanics degree. Hayward heads into today's match over at Skoglund Park with a 2.45pm kick-off against North End with a few fresh faces to his squad. The club has been able to bring back a few Wanganui players who have been playing their football in other regions.
The biggest coup for City is ex-Wairarapa Central League-based and Chatham Cup winner James Oxtoby. The policeman, keen to ease up on the travel, brings a wealth of experience which his relatively youthful 26 years belies.
A class player, his ability will help his teammates around him. Another of those will be Troy Smith, who has returned home to Wanganui to start his teaching career. Smith coming from PN Marist has a two-fold effect, adding depth to the locals while taking away from an opponent's stocks.
Add in another former Marist player in Jack Judd-Nuttal, another to return home for his career, and Hayward will be looking to these lads to help in leadership roles among the team. They will join last season's captain, David Mulford, striker Chris Annabell, midfielders Zane Robinson and Kyle Graham-Luke as the experienced back bone of the local side.
The group will be aided with the addition of youth. Youngsters Adam Gill, Shaan Stuart and James Dorgan will bring their youthful enthusiasm while Stuart has a modicum of experience from his Western Premiership times at Wanganui Athletic.
Shot stopper Nicholas Hayward, who at times last season was the difference in a couple of matches for his teammates, will be looking to keep his defenders on their toes and alert, while brand new father Collie Siew wants to celebrate the birth of his son with a first up victory to set the team up for the right start to any season.
City had planned to host Central League side Wellington Olympic this weekend at Wembley Park to finish off their somewhat stuttering pre-season programme.
But with the start of the league being brought forward by one week, it is a case of Hayward (Snr) hoping his charges have the mentality come game day to polish off some rough edges in terms of play and positional decisions.
After a grinding 3-1 win over a Michael Utting-coached Levin AFC in pre-season, City came back to earth somewhat when handed a 0-5 lesson against a much sharper Wellington United.
Today's opposition North End, for their part, are an unknown quantity but will always put up an honest effort against any side in the league and at home can prove to be a hard unit to crack.
With all teams starting on a level pegging, given all will be experiencing the usual personnel changes that come each year, it will be an interesting first round for all as second and third placegetters Palmerston North Marist and Redsox Manawatu faced off on Good Friday.
The top three from last season will all be looking to get the jump on the other with the originally scheduled Team Taranaki vs Feilding fixture now postponed due to the latter unable to front with a reputable team over the long weekend break, and Taradale drawing the bye in round one.