The 2019 Ultra Football Central League kicks off this weekend with 10 clubs competing for the trophy in one of New Zealand’s premier domestic leagues. Last year’s competition saw Napier City Rovers claim their third trophy since 2012 in a thrilling finals day victory against Wairarapa United. Western Suburbs finished just three points behind in second place after a tight contest with Rovers throughout the season. Havelock North Wanderers struggled in their introduction to the Central League being the side relegated from the competition, replaced by North Wellington from Capital Premier for the current season.

Waterside Karori are contesting their second year in the Central League with an emphasis on providing local young players with a chance to prove themselves in top flight club football. Coach Rupert Crump is keen to consolidate the clubs place in the league and build on the 2018 season.

In the off-season Karori have looked to ensure their existing player pool is at the top of their priority list, only adding reinforcements where there are gaps in the squad. Crump backs his young talent to play an exciting brand of football and compete against the best in the league. Crump says, “our priority is making the team stronger and proving a platform to make the Wellington player the best they can be.”

Waterside Karori had a difficult first year in the Central League, finishing 9^th, seven points clear of the relegated Havelock North Wanderers. Although gathering points was difficult in the early stages of the 2018 Central League, Karori picked up momentum in the latter half of the season and Crump will be looking for his team to make a mark in the clubs 125^th year.

Waterside Karori face an experienced Stop Out side at Petone Memorial Park on opening day. Both sides have played each other twice in the lead up to the season and with the chance to draw first blood Crump is convinced his team will be well and truly ready to go.

Hutt Park will feature part of Stop Out’s 100^th centenary celebrations in 2019 for a big year on and off the field for the club. The club is excited by the prospect of another Central League season and eyes top performances against key opposition as the secret to success at the ex-raceway.

Stop Out have ensured last year’s core group of players return to keep consistency within the squad. In 2018 they fielded the oldest squad in the Central League with an average age of 26 years. To help Stop Out’s chances of an inaugural Central League victory, the coaching staff have recruited the services of Jared Cunniff & Ryan Benson from Lower Hutt City, while Scott Henderson returns after a stint back from the UK.

Whilst the coaching staff are pleased with the work going on within the club in the Academy and Reserve Team space and hopes this will strengthen the club, they say the rule is always, “the best player plays”, but are excited by some players coming through that will cause selection headaches as the season progresses.

Stop Out believe they have gone through a stage of “gradual progression” since their promotion to the Central League but believe the league continues to strengthen each season based on the diverse nature and contrasting styles of clubs that compete in the competition. The club is wary about the first match against Karori and believe the team “being on to it out of possession” will be key to unlocking what is expected to be a youthful Karori team.

Wellington Olympic are pleased with how their team shaping up for the coming season. Former National League Golden Boot, Tom Jackson, and former Wellington Phoenix Goalkeeper, Keegan Smith, are just two of the club’s off-season signings. Jackson is coming off the back of a long-term injury while Smith joins the squad after a season with Tasman United.

The club tells us how important it is to ensure Olympic keeps its strong links to the Greek Community, which is sure to be assisted with the return of club legends Chas Lawrence, George Barbarouses & Jimmy Haidakis. “The community need to relate to the team and form connections with the players; George, Chas and Jimmy all have this connection and I know the community will love seeing them back in blue. I am also really pleased to see the next generation of Greek players emerging, the likes of Sam Mitrakas and Lukas Halikias who you will see plenty of this season.”

Olympic travel over the hill to face a fresh looking Wairarapa United side for their opening game. Olympic is expecting their team to be well prepared and ready to execute the plan. The coaching staff tell us “it’s a great place to play, a good playing surface and they have passionate home supporters. We will be competitive, we have been very deliberate about the types of players we have retained, and those who have been recruited. You will see a team who fights for everything.”

Olympic believe the Central League always provides some fascinating match ups and knows they must step up against the big clubs if they are to do well this season. “For Olympic to be competing with the top teams we need to be constantly evolving as a club and team, the players need to be improving every day and the coaches need to commit to becoming the best they can be, a mentality of always striving to be better.”

Big changes are the story of Wairarapa United’s off-season. The retirement of Phil Keinzley from Central League coaching duties has meant a shift in the approach of the club to the upcoming season. The club is looking to place a strong emphasis on providing a platform for Wairarapa’s young talent to be showcased.

The Wairarapa side are embracing the new setup and are looking to the Paul Ifill Football Academy to help produce the next tier of players ready to take the field in the Central League for the club.

Noah Boyce and Jonty Roubos are two examples of young players expected to take the field for Wairarapa this season. Boyce also featured for Team Wellington in the National Youth League at the end of 2018. The club is convinced there are many more Callan Elliot’s ready to be developed in the Wairarapa and Central League can be the breeding ground for players with bright futures ahead.

The squad won’t be lacking in experience with veteran Paul Ifill still on the roster for the season opener against Wellington Olympic this Saturday at Masterton Memorial. The club have “full faith” in their side but expect a tough game against Olympic, “they are a strong team who have made some big signings. There are threats we know we need to nullify but I’m excited to see what the boys have to offer.”

Reigning champions Napier City Rovers have secured the services of 2018 Central League Golden Boot winner, Martin Bueno, to help their chances of a consecutive title. Bueno collected an impressive 22 goals last year for Rovers and has been amongst the golden boot race in the ISPS Handa Premiership for Hamilton Wanderers.

Coach Bill Robertson is delighted to have the majority of the victorious squad return for a fresh winter season but admits pre-season is always difficult with the National League season crossover. Robertson is keen to continue the progression his side made and is expecting another competitive Central League competition.

City Rovers are at home first up at Bluewater Stadium against newcomers North Wellington, who overturned Palmerston North Marist in the 2018 playoff 12-0 on aggregate, for their spot in the Central League. Robertson is wary of the Johnsonville based club, who he thinks “will look to make an impact from the start in the league,” but is expecting a great opening encounter.

North Wellington ran riot in Capital Premier in 2018 having picked up a record 50 points across the 18 league games, continuing that form into the Central League Playoff. Magno Vieira replaces Lloyd O’Keefe as coach for the season and insists his team is ready for the challenge and are hoping to compete well.

Vieira has kept the core of the Capital Premier side from last season and has found recruitments in the form of some of Wellington’s best up and coming players. Jesse Randall will be amongst those who feature at Alex Moore Park this season, coming across from Island Bay where he scored 15 goals in their Capital Premier campaign in 2018.

North Wellington will be without Chas Lawrence who returns to Wellington Olympic, and Kieran Cripps, who has retired after his efforts re-establishing the club over the last few years. Cripps tops the all-time North Wellington league goal record with 62. Veteran Sasha Nathu will continue between the sticks for the club, while Ryan Worrell is just one of the names that will return from National League duties with Tasman United.

Coach Vieira sees no better start than going to Bluewater Stadium to face the current champions. Vieira says “we’re going up a level and are ready to test ourselves against the champs. We’re here to compete and we might as well test ourselves against the best to start.”

Western Suburbs fell just short of what could have been an unbelievable season for the club having just missed out to Napier City Rovers in the Central League race and losing on penalties to Birkenhead in the 2018 ISPS Handa Chatham Cup Final. Ben Sippola takes the reigns of the Suburbs team from the 2017 Central League winning coach, Declan Edge, and is not putting any limits on what his side can achieve this season. Sippola is not dwelling on what has happened over the past couple of seasons and instead is excited by some fresh faces that will be turning out for the Whitby based club this year.

Sippola has big respect for the role the Central League has in providing a platform for young players to develop and believes there are lots of diverse challenges across the league that make for a healthy and competitive competition. Sippola says “the Central League is always fickle but there is a huge respect now between teams and we’re looking forward to playing a brand of entertaining football.”

Western Suburbs will begin with a new young cycle of players with most of last year’s side not returning to the team after their National League duties end with Eastern Suburbs. Sippola sees some “good problems” on the horizon for the team this season with players potentially being called away on national duties in a Under 17 & Under 20 World Cup year.

The team face Miramar Rangers in their first-round match up on Sunday at Endeavour Park. Sippola notes his side lost their only game last season to Rangers, and although the same match up in Whitby last season saw Suburbs come out 8-2 victors, is looking forward to an enjoyable opening fixture.

Miramar Rangers is one of the most successful clubs in the competition having collected five titles since the first Central League revamped in 2005. Coach Scott Hales is targeting a new crop of young talent to help booster Miramar’s depth for the new season. Hales has locked down Hawkes Bay United Defenders James Marsh & Jorge Akers, whilst Tasman United defender Jake Williams also puts on the black and blue for the first time. Williams appeared for Wellington United in the 2018 season, before being a regular starter for the Team Wellington Youth League side at the end of the 2018. Akers is a current NZ Under 20 international and the son of former All White, Martin Akers.

Fletcher Kelleher will also be a new face at David Farrington Park with the 19-year-old signing from Birkenhead United in Auckland. Tiahn Manuel will return to Rangers after a successful summer season with Team Wellington, including his selection to attend the FIFA Club World Cup & OFC Champions League Qualifiers.

Hales is looking forward to seeing more young players being given the chance to thrive in the Central League this season and isn’t concerned with any impact Team Wellington’s Champions League campaign will have on Miramar’s start to the new winter season. Hales believes the league will continue to get better through the raft of technical players coming through the pathways and coaches developing their tactical knowledge of the game. Hales is determined to reverse the score line from the same fixture last year where Miramar fell on the wrong side of an 8-2 loss to Suburbs.

Lower Hutt City are embracing a new era at the club with their new home of the Fraser Park Sportsville now open, as well as the new partnership with the Wellington Phoenix Academy. Academy Director, Paul Temple, will take the reigns of the Central League side and is encouraged with how the two entities have started their relationship. Temple said, “the club and those on the board have been extremely supportive and we look forward to our relationship getting stronger and stronger.”

Temple believes the Central League gets stronger every year, “there are no easy games in this league, every game is a contest, and it’s fantastic for our boys to be a part of.” Temple is ready to put out a young side full of promising talent, including a number of players who have featured in the National League over the summer. Temple eludes to players such as Sam Sutton & Ronan Wynne who will be key to Lower Hutt’s successes across the season. 

The Lower Hutt coach concedes that it will be a challenging year for the club with the potential of players being away at World Cup’s and other opportunities but says it’s important to embrace the need to be adaptable, which will present opportunities for up and comers to get a taste of the pace and intensity of the Central League.

The Fraser Park based club will face Wellington United in their opening fixture of the season. Temple is wary of the rebuilding side, and without much information on United’s tactics, is focusing on all his attention on his side’s preparation prior to the clash at Wakefield Park.

Not quite as many clubs have gone through the level of change experienced at Wellington United in the lead up to this season. With the club’s relationship with the Wellington Phoenix Academy ending at the end of the 2018 season, it was always going to be a tough off-season to rebuild a Central League side. However,      coach Renaldo ‘Rapha’ Christians is taking the whole experience in his stride. Christians was previously Head Coach in the 2014 season where Wellington United finished 4^th in Capital Premier.

Christians was quick to point out that the situation at the club is a positive, “we’re taking every step as an opportunity, rather than a negative” he said. Christians pointed out the “huge opportunity for players now at this club”, and says his side are “ready to surprise a number of teams this season.” Christians was reflective about his time away from Wellington Football but felt it provided him some perspective and is ready to get back to work with modern techniques that aim to refresh players and the club.

Wellington United have secured the services of Manny Achol, previously at Lower Hutt City. Christians admitted that pre-season has been difficult having been behind from the start but is confident they will prove they are a competitive side this weekend when they face Lower Hutt City. Christians informs us of a three-year plan the club is working towards and although understands setbacks will occur naturally, believes with patience each step of the way the club can be back towards their successful roots.

Christians says there is a lot to be proud of in Wellington Football and is pleased with the huge range of talented players available, the tactical superiority of which teams train and play, as well as the bit people around the region are trying to better the game. For Christians, success this season looks like “achieving an opportunity to some unknown players to show what they’re capable of.”

Follow all the Ultra Football Central League action via capitalfootball.org.nz or join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #MCL19.

WEEK ONE FIXTURES:

Saturday 30^th March

Waterside Karori v Stop Out SC | Petone Memorial Park | 1pm

Wairarapa United v Wellington Olympic | Masterton Memorial Park | 5pm

Wellington United v Lower Hutt City | Wakefield Park | 3:30pm                                      

Sunday 31^st March

Napier City Rovers v North Wellington | Bluewater Stadium | 2pm

Western Suburbs v Miramar Rangers | Endeavour Park | 2pm

Article added: Thursday 28 March 2019