Football’s national body says it will develop consultation guidelines when it wants to change future regulations for the Men’s National League.
New Zealand Football has apologised for its late communication of decisions on changes for 2024 that affected clubs playing in the Northern League and in the top men’s competitions run by Northern Region Football.
The apology and revised guidelines for the future followed mediation between NZF, NRF and Auckland club Fencibles United, who complained about the regulation changes.
The changes were triggered by the desire to include a reserves team from new A-League club Auckland FC in the 2025 Northern League competition.
To accommodate the extra team, regulations were altered to put three Northern League teams at risk of relegation to the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship.
It also meant only one Championship club would be guaranteed promotion to the top tier, and there were potential knock-on implications for clubs in the Lotto NRFL Men’s Northern and Southern Conferences, and NRF League One.
As results turned out, Fencibles United won the Men’s Championship and, subject to meeting licence criteria, will play in next year’s Northern League.
READ MORE: Late changes to promotion/relegation rules disrupt start to season >>>>
Statement in full
The following is the full statement published by NZ Football:
Agreed outcome of NZF, NRF and Fencibles United mediation
Following mediation between New Zealand Football, Northern Region Football and Fencibles United, after changes were made to the Northern League promotional and relegation rules to accommodate the new Auckland FC reserves team, all three parties agreed the following statement and future steps for communicating changes to competition regulations:
In the week of 18 March 2024, New Zealand Football (NZF) advised clubs participating in the men’s National League – Northern League that changes were being made to that competition’s promotion and relegation rules to accommodate the new Auckland FC’s reserves team within the Northern League for 2025. The new rules affected the Northern League and subsequently Northern Region Football (NRF) made amendments to its leagues’ rules, including the LOTTO NRFL Championship, to accommodate the changes made by NZF.
Fencibles United, whose men’s first team currently plays in the LOTTO NRFL Championship, raised concerns with NZF as a result of receiving notice of these significant changes just days before the start of the 2024 season. While all welcome the new professional team, the timing of changes was problematic as clubs had already planned and invested for the 2024 season.
NZF acknowledges that late communication of its decision affected clubs, players and NRF and apologises for this.
On 15 August 2024, at a mediation attended by Fencibles United, NZF and NRF, it was agreed that to avoid similar situations occurring in future, NZF will develop consultation guidelines with District Federations that will be used for future Men’s National League regulations changes, and changes to other NZF competitions that integrate with District Federation competitions.
The relegation/promotion changes to the Northern League and LOTTO NRFL competitions for the 2024 season communicated to clubs in March will remain in place, with more detail on playoff formats and teams to be shared in early September.
This story was first published on September 5, 2024.
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