Time right for SI football league?

A South Island men’s football league could return as early as next year.

Mainland Football chief executive Julian Bowden has confirmed the federation has begun discussions with Football South and their respective clubs around the formation of a potential South Island league, which would be more competitive and close the growing gap to the national premiership.

Mainland Football has already met with clubs to get their feedback at a forum in Christchurch last week.

"I think it’s time to refresh it and say ’can we do it better?’

‘‘I think that’s always the challenge and whatever you’ve got we should always be trying to improve it," Bowden said.

It is understood that a 10-team league that consists of two full rounds will be the initial blueprint that the two federations will work with.

Bowden said Mainland Football will present alternative models to the clubs within the next two months.

Football introduced a South Island-wide southern league in 1968. It ran for 30 years until going into recess after the 1999 season following the defection of some Christchurch clubs to a Canterbury district competition.

Bowden said the MPL clubs ‘‘right now seem to be in a space where they are really interested in engaging with how [a South Island League] would work."

The discussions come off the back of New Zealand Football’s own competitions review.

Bowden held talks with Football South federation chief executive Chris Wright at New Zealand Football’s annual congress this week and said his southern counterpart was also keen on the proposal.

‘‘He’s going to take it back to his clubs, but he’s already aware that there’s been interest within his federation.’’

Bowden said the biggest concern with the current MPL structure was the growing gap between it and the Premiership.

"I think you’ve got to keep making the sport aspirational and look at ways to improve it.

‘‘If we’re there to give the players the best opportunities, well the timing feels right.

"The clarity from New Zealand Football around the future of the national league helps a lot as well."

The Christchurch meeting produced a positive response.

Cashmere Technical president Bill Cowen - a longtime advocate for a South Island League - was among those to endorse the concept. It is understood former All Whites Danny Halligan (Ferrymead Bays’ MPL coach) and Alan Stroud (a Coastal Spirit stalwart) were also in favour of trying to raise playing standards.

Nelson Suburbs operations manager Gary Hinks was pleased to see Mainland Football enter "serious" discussions with clubs around the South Island league concept. Hinks threw his support behind the idea.

"It would be a higher standard of football and playing that higher standard week in week out," Hinks said.

"It’d be great for the public, for our supporters who watch football week in and week out, to have different teams to watch."

But for it go ahead, Hinks said the travel costs would have to be shared across each of the competition’s participating clubs.

Bowden agreed and said a cost equalisation model will be explored first.

He said it was important that the new competition be sustainable and it might need a ‘‘two or three step process before we get to the ultimate goal of a full season league’’.