Football derby clashes abound

Federation League football kicks off in Palmerston North on Saturday with five local sides, two from Whanganui and one from New Plymouth all chasing higher honours at season’s end.

The prize is promotion to the Central League for the winner of the playoff at the end of the season, with the team that finishes first in the Federation League competition taking on the side that tops the Wellington-based Capital Premiership League in a home-and-away series.

Battle-hardened Palmerston North Marist must be favourites for a quick return to the Central League after they were relegated at the end of last season.

Shane Rufer is coach again, but how many others are back from last season was unknown at time of writing, although two players have reportedly joined Marist from New Caledonia – a first for the city. Marist have already indicated they will be a force to be reckoned with, despite their disappointing form last season, when they won their Chinese Cup encounter with Massey 5-2, recently.

New to the Federation League are Hokowhitu, which won promotion from the Horizons Premiership last season, and Wanganui City, runner-up behind Hokowhitu. North End entered the league to fill the vacant eighth slot after they won a playoff against Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

There’ll be no shortage of derby clashes this season because of the composition of the league, with highlights in the first round looking to be the Marist, Hokowhitu encounter at Memorial Park, Palmerston North, and the Wanganui City, Wanganui Athletic fixture at Wembley Park.

The top side from New Plymouth this season is New Plymouth Rangers, after Team Taranaki folded, while the other Palmerston North team in the league is Red Sox. A significant change this year will be the trialling of sin bins in both the Federation and Horizons leagues.