Administrators have decided to restart two senior men’s competitions after deciding it’s the best and fairest way to safeguard the integrity of the competitions.
The Lotto NRFL Northern Conference and the NRF Men’s League One will start afresh following the belated promotion of Central United to the Conference after the club was originally placed in League One.
The promotion followed a ruling by the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand, overturning a decision by NRF to block Central’s elevation to the higher competition.
NRF maintained that Central were ineligible for promotion because of their Memorandum of Understanding and close ties with Auckland City.
The dispute process meant the two competitions were already scheduled when Central’s promotion was confirmed, throwing results and future fixtures into doubt.
After discussions with the clubs involved, NRF says: “The NRF team regrets the impact this has on your campaigns, and we appreciate all the clubs who’ve fought hard to win points so far, travelled to play and are having their season reset.”
The decision means new fixtures for:
Lotto NRFL Northern Conference
Fixtures — Round 2
Games to be played on Saturday April 29, 2023
Albany United v Bucklands Beach
Rosedale Park, Albany, 3pm
Central United v West Auckland
Seymour Park, Royal Oak, 3pm
Northland v Oratia United
Trigg Arena, Whangarei, 3pm
Waitemata v Franklin United
McLeod Park, Te Atatu South, 3pm
Beachlands Maraetai — Bye
Standings
NRF League One
Fixtures — Round 1
Games to be played on Saturday April 29, 2023
Papakura City v South Auckland Rangers
McLennan Park, Papakura, 3pm
Ranui Swanson v Uni-Mount Bohemian
Starling Park, Ranui, 3pm
Papatoetoe v Te Atatu
Murdoch Park, Papatoetoe, 3pm
Northern Region Football’s statement
NRF released the following statement:
“Quality competitions is what we strive to deliver, and is what we’ve based this decision on. Following the Sports Tribunal’s ruling to promote Central United after their appeals process, both competitions will be restarted in their new formats.
“As football people, restarting a season that’s underway is a huge call and one we’ve by no means taken lightly.
“After working with clubs on several possible scenarios, this is ultimately the fairest and most equitable outcome, and the short-term disruption will allow all clubs to complete the season on a level playing field.
“The NRF team regrets the impact this has on your campaigns, and we appreciate all the clubs who’ve fought hard to win points so far, travelled to play and are having their season reset.
“Accommodating Central United’s promotion is a substantial change — the Northern Conference and League One are now new competitions, with a different composition of teams, number of rounds / games, and format, and we believe the reset safeguards these competitions’ integrity,
“We want to thank all players, clubs and their supporters for their patience through this period.”
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