OUT WITH THE NEW, IN WITH THE OLD FOR NATIONAL LEAGUE

An era of men’s national league football in New Zealand came to an end last Sunday, when Team Wellington beat Auckland City in the final of the 2020-21 ISPS Handa Men’s Premiership.

But today, just six days later, a new era is set to begin, with the opening rounds in the Northern League and the Central League, which will join the Southern League, due to start in mid-july, in feeding into the National League Championship, which will run from October to December and culminate in a grand final.

The end of a summer-centric, franchisebased national league and the return to a winter-centric, club-based competitions has not been to everyone’s liking.

Team Wellington no longer have a place in domestic men’s football, despite their triumph last weekend, with their players heading (mostly) to two local powerhouses – Miramar Rangers and Wellington Olympic. Nor do Canterbury United, Hawke’s Bay United and Waitakere United.

But Auckland City will live on, after coming to an agreement with sister club Central United, who will now disappear from top-tier men’s football themselves, as will Eastern Suburbs and Hamilton Wanderers, who were winter clubs before joining the national league in 2015, and the Wellington Phoenix reserves.

Here’s everything you need to know about what’s changed.

Northern League, Central League, Southern League, National League Championship – break it down.

The Northern League features 12 teams from the Northern Region (covering Northland and Auckland) and WaikatoBay of Plenty Football Federations.

The Central League features 10 teams from the Central (covering Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu¯, Taranaki, and Whanganui) and Capital Football Federations (covering the Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa, and Wellington)

The Southern League will feature eight teams from the Mainland Football Federation (covering Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, and the West Coast) and Football South (covering South Canterbury, Otago, and Southland).

The top four teams from the Northern League, the top three teams from the Cen

Northern League round one, all matches 3pm today:

■ Auckland United v Eastern Suburbs; Keith Hay Park, Auckland

■ Hamiltonwanderers v North Shore United; St Paul’s Collegiate, Hamilton

■ Melville United v Manukau United; Gower Park, Hamilton

■ Northern Rovers v Birkenhead United; North Harbour Stadium Turf 3, Auckland

■ West Coast Rangers v Western Springs; Fred Taylor Park, Auckland

■ Bay Olympic v Auckland City was postponed

Central League round one:

■ Today, 2.30pm: Wainuiomata v Napier City Rovers; Richard Prouse Park, Wellington

■ Today, 2.30pm: Miramar Rangers v Waterside Karori; David Farrington Park, Wellington

■ Today, 3pm: North Wellington v Wellington Olympic; Alex Moore Park, Wellington

■ Tomorrow, 2.30pm: Western Suburbs v Lower Hutt City; Endeavour Park, Wellington

■ Tomorrow, 3.30pm: Wairarapa United v Petone; Memorial Turf, Masterton

tral League (with one exception), the top two teams from the Southern League, and the Wellington Phoenix reserves will qualify for the National League Championship, which will consist of a round-robin and a final.

What’s the exception in the Central League?

Because the Wellington Phoenix reserves are guaranteed a place in the National League Championship, their partner club, Lower Hutt City, is not allowed to qualify.

Why does the Southern League start later than the Northern League and the Central League?

The Northern League and the Central League already existed in 2020, but there hasn’t been a proper, full-season Southern League since 1998.

As a result, the top five teams from the Mainland Premier League (featuring teams from Canterbury and Nelson) and the top three teams from the Southern Premier League (featuring teams from Otago), will qualify for the Southern League.

Steven Taylor took it as an insult when the physiotherapist encouraged him to just get through as much of Wednesday’s game againstmelbourne Victory as he could.

‘‘There was no way I was going to come off that pitch,’’ he said. ‘‘You find sore points on your body and you’ve just got to deal with it and play on, and what a game to be a part of. It was an important one and one that we had to win.’’

The returning former captain marked his first game for Wellington Phoenix in 215 days by playing a full 90 minutes in a comprehensive 4-1 win over the A-league’s worst team, despite the fact he was released from managed isolation only the previous Thursday.

‘‘I had only trained what, one proper session? But I knew the adrenaline would get me through and the excitement of being back out there.

‘‘I definitely missed playing with this squad. It’s different to what I had out in

The Mainland and Southern Premier Leagues both began two weeks ago and will end after a home-and-away season on the weekend of July 3, with a single roundrobin Southern League to start shortly after that.

From next season, its envisioned an eight-team Southern League will start the same time as the Northern and Central Leagues, in late March or early April.

Are there any new rules?

Two important ones. The big new rule is that teams have to name two under-20 players (this year, those born January 1, 2001, or later) in their starting XIS, in an effort to promote youth development.

The other is that teams can only name five non-new Zealand citizens (one of whom must be a citizen of another Oceania Football Confederation country) in their matchday squads.

How have those rules gone down?

They have had some clubs scrambling – particularly those that have had little in the way of a youth development programme.

India. So to get back to this group of boys, it was great and the likes of David [Ball] and the quality that these boys bring to the table, it makesmy job very easy.’’

Fellow Englishman Ball was buzzing to have Taylor back at the Phoenix following a short stint in India and said the vastly experienced defender’s return had given the rest of the team amassive boost at the halfway stage of the season.

‘‘I’ve got my right armback, it feels like,’’ Ball said. ‘‘It’s good to have him back. We’ve got a good relationship, I’ve missed him and we’ve obviously missed him on the pitch as well.

‘‘When I was speaking to Taylor while he was out there [in India] I was trying my hardest to get him back involved. He’s huge in the dressing room and obviously makes a big difference on the pitch.’’

Although Wednesday’s big win gave the Phoenix plenty of satisfaction, they know they face amuch tougher test tomorrow, hosting impressive newcomers Macarthur at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.

There has also been the odd spot of grumpiness from coaches and players who would prefer young players to have to earn their stripes and aren’t keen on having to play them – or play alongside them.

The foreign player rule has caused some headaches too, particularly as it places a limit on the number of noncitizens.

That’s all good for men’s football. What’s happening in the women’s game?

NZ Football wants women’s football to arrive at the same place, with regional leagues feeding into a club-based national league championship, but it has – correctly – identified that the depth isn’t there yet, so it has moved cautiously to slightly change the format of the National Women’s League, which has consisted of seven teams aligned to the game’s regional federation in recent years.

Four federation teams will remain – Central, Capital, Canterbury United Pride, and Southern United – but they will be joined by the top four clubs from the Northern Region Football League’s Prem

There will be a reunion of sorts for Taylor, coming up againstmacarthur marksman and former Blackburn Rovers striker Matt Derbyshire. Derbyshire was a former team-mate of his from the England under-21 squad.

Derbyshire has performed well in first season in the A-league and is currently second equal in the Golden Boot race with eight goals in 13 games. Taylor said the Phoenix would have to be wary of the ‘‘massive’’ threat he possessed.

‘‘If you give him half a yard he’s going to punish you, and he’s done that throughout his career. He’s a poacher but his link up play is very good as well. He’s a top player for the A-league and he’ll be one to watch.’’

Taylor, 35, said he would have no trouble backing up tomorrow. It might even be an insult to suggest otherwise.

‘‘You want games, that’s what gets you fit and the momentum into games is going to be important,’’ he said.

‘‘We’ve got a big focus on what we want to do, and that’s top-six.’’

ier Women’s Division, a six-team league which starts this Friday.

When will the National Women’s League start?

There’s no official date just yet, but to fit a home-and-away season and a final in before Christmas it will almost certainly have to start the weekend of September 18.

That would be just one week after the Kate Sheppard Cup final, which means players could be lining up for clubs one week and federation teams the next.

The Kate Sheppard Cup .. . how does that work again?

They might have been cancelled for the first time since World War II last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the Chatham and Kate Sheppard Cups are back in 2021 and will start with preliminary rounds over Anzacweekend.

The national knockout competitions will then continue the weekends of May 15, June 5 (Queen’s Birthday weekend), June 19, July 10, August 7 (Chatham Cup only) and August 21, with the finals scheduled for September 12.