Confirmation merger of clubs being planned
FOOTBALL
A PROPOSED relationship involving a handful of Dunedin football clubs has been confirmed as being in the planning stage.
Caversham and Dunedin Technical released near identical statements yesterday signed by the clubs’ presidents, Phil Collings and Tony Boomer respectively.
It confirmed a proposed relationship between the two clubs beginning this year which would also involve Melchester Rovers and Hereweka.
A name has not yet been confirmed, although South Coast United is being used in the meantime.
The proposal would create a hub, allowing the clubs to share resources and expertise, while certain activities would fall under a single banner.
That notably includes a premier men’s team, taking the place of Caversham and Tech in the Southern Premier League.
It is hoped the team will qualify to play in the South Island league, part of the New Zealand Football’s new competition structure.
It is proposed a reserve team will play in the top Dunedin grade.
Teams will also play in the Football South Development League 14th and 16th grade competitions.
The idea of the relationship is to ‘‘move with the times’’ as the sporting environment continues to change.
That involves players’ needs changing, as well as the financial environment becoming more challenging, especially following Covid19.
The move would also allow the clubs to pool resources and better meet the requirements concerning the capability to receive a national licence.
The concept would provide a pathway for children right through to senior football and would cater in both the pinnacle and community spaces.
A focus would be placed on player development as well, as would coaching and referee development.
Deciding on a coach for the new pinnacle team this year is the next step.
Caversham was coached last year by Richard Murray, while Dunedin Tech was coached by Malcolm Fleming.
Both bring strong credentials, although applications will also be open to others.
Caversham and Tech have been arguably the strongest two clubs in the South over the past 20 years at the premier level.
They have won all but three of the men’s premier titles since 2000 and in 1999 Tech won the Chatham Cup.
However, last year both clubs finished in the bottom half of the Southern Premier League.
The move follows New Zealand Football’s competition restructure.
The national competition will now move to a clubbased format, in which teams qualify through regional leagues.
For southern teams this year that means finishing in the top three of the local league to advance to a South Island league.
From there, the top two teams will play in the national league alongside qualifiers from other regions.
The South Island league will next year become a standalone league with promotion/ relegation from and to the Southern and Mainland leagues.
LONDON: Manchester United will host Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup after the two arch rivals were drawn together yesterday, the game set to be played a week after their English Premier League summit clash.
The two sides, which are both top of the Premier League table and go head to head in the league on Monday, meet in the cup for the first time since Dirk Kuyt scored a late winner as Liverpool beat United 21 in January 2012.
United has not beaten Liverpool since March 2018, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has yet to taste victory against the Anfield side in four attempts as manager, once as Cardiff City boss.
Defending champion Arsenal will be on the road and play either Southampton or Shrewsbury Town. The thirdround tie has yet to be decided after the game was called off when Shrewsbury reported several
Covid19 cases in its squad.
The FA said its Professional Game Board would meet this week to decide on the fate of the SouthamptonShrewsbury Town fixture.
Although a rising number of Covid infections — 36 in the most recent round of tests in the Premier League alone — has forced many to call for a break in the season, there is no letup of
fixtures as authorities look to complete all fixtures by May.
Manchester City travels to fourthtier side Cheltenham Town while Tottenham Hotspur, which beat eighthtier Marine,
travels to secondtier Wycombe Wanderers.
Chelsea hosts Championship side Luton Town while Sheffield Untied, which recorded its first win of the season at Bristol
Rovers in the third round, hosts Plymouth Argyle.
Fulham takes on Burnley in an allPremier League matchup while League Two side Crawley Town, which upset Leeds United, is away at Bournemouth.
Meanwhile, West Ham United laboured into the fourth round after a late Craig Dawson header gave it a 10 win at National League (fifth tier) team Stockport County yesterday.
The Hammers created few chances on a muddy pitch before central defender Dawson met a Jarrod Bowen cross from the right and steered the ball into the bottom right corner in the 83rd minute.
West Ham will next face League One (third tier) side Doncaster Rovers at home and the winner of that tie will book a clash with either Manchester United or Liverpool in the fifth round.— Reuters