Mainland Premier League

Last updated

Mainland Premier League
Mainland Football Logo.jpg
Founded1998
Country New Zealand
Confederation OFC (Oceania)
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid 3
Promotion to Southern League
Relegation to Canterbury Championship
Nelson Bays Division One
Domestic cup(s) Chatham Cup
League cup(s) English Cup
Current champions Universities AFC (1st title)
(2023)
Most championships Cashmere Technical (10 titles)
Website Mainland Football
Current: 2023 Mainland Premier League

The Mainland Premier League is a league competition run by Mainland Football for association football clubs located in the northern half of the South Island, New Zealand. It is currently regarded by the New Zealand footballing community as the strongest football league in the South Island of New Zealand[ citation needed ] and features current and former New Zealand Football Championship players.

Contents

The competition currently runs between March and August each year, and consists of seven teams based in Christchurch, and one team in Nelson. There are 21 rounds where teams play each other three times. The winner of the league qualifies for the South Island Championship, a one-off game against the winner of the FootballSouth Premier League, which is hosted by the two federations in alternate years.

By statute, the winners of the Canterbury Championship League and Nelson Bays Division One play in a home and away play-off, with the winner of the tie receiving promotion to the Premier League. However, due to potential extra travel costs, the winner of the Nelson Bays Division One title usually forgoes the right to a play-off. This effectively means that the winner of the Canterbury Championship League title is normally promoted to the Premier League.

In 2012, Woolston Technical and Cashmere Wanderers merged to become Cashmere Technical; they replaced the Woolston side that had finished sixth in the 2011 competition. Recently merged teams Coastal Spirit (Established between New Brighton AFC and Rangers AFC in 2008), and FC Twenty 11 (Established between Avon United and Burnside AFC in 2011) entered the Premier League through promotion from the Division One competition.

Mainland Premier League clubs

As of 2024 season. [1]

ClubLocationHome Ground(s)2023 season
Burwood Marshland Clare Park6th
Cashmere Technical (2) Woolston, Christchurch Garrick Memorial Park2nd
Halswell United Halswell Halswell Domain4th
Nomads United (2)Casebrook, Christchurch Tulett Park3rd
Parklands United Parklands Parklands Reserve7th
Waimakariri United Kaiapoi Kendall Park5th
Western Mairehau Westminster Park8th
(2) — Denotes club's Under 20 reserve team

    Winners

    Mainland Premier League:

    ClubNumber of TitlesYear(s) Won
    Christchurch United 11998
    Halswell United 31999, 2000, 2001
    Ferrymead Bays 52002, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017
    Nomads United 22003, 2007
    Nelson Suburbs 32004, 2005, 2008
    Cashmere Technical 102009*, 2010*, 2013, 2014, 2015,
    2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

    Canterbury Premiership League:

    ClubNumber of TitlesYear(s) Won
    FC Twenty 11 12022
    Universities AFC 12023

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch United</span> New Zealand association football club

    Christchurch United Football Club is an amateur association football club in Christchurch, New Zealand. They compete in various Mainland Football competitions at Junior and Senior level. The club has won six National League titles and seven Chatham Cup trophies. Christchurch United are the current Southern League champions, Chatham Cup champions and English Cup champions.

    The New Zealand National League is the name given to the current New Zealand top football competition. Originally set up as the New Zealand National Soccer League there has been many versions of the competition as well as many different names. The most common format saw club teams play each other, at least two times, on a home and away basis. At the completion of those games, the best-performing team was declared as the New Zealand champion. The latest version has the clubs play in their regional leagues with the top teams qualifying for the Championship phase to then play each other for the champion.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrymead Bays</span> Football club

    Ferrymead Bays is a semi-professional association football club based in Christchurch, New Zealand. They compete in the Mainland Premier League and they have won the league title on five occasions. Ferrymead Bays FC play their home games at Ferrymead Park in Ferrymead and Barnett Park in Redcliffs, Christchurch.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Cashmere Technical</span> Football club

    Cashmere Technical is an association football club based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was formed in early 2012 from the merger of two of the city's premier teams, Cashmere Wanderers and Woolston Technical. The two clubs had agreed to work together in early 2011, and the 2011 Christchurch earthquake which devastated their home city and resulted in the loss of many playing facilities hastened their merger into a combined side.

    The 2017 Chatham Cup was New Zealand's 90th annual knockout football competition.

    The 2016 Chatham Cup was New Zealand's 89th annual knockout football competition.

    The 2018 Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 91st annual knockout football competition.

    The 2019 Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 92nd annual knockout football competition.

    The 2013 ASB Chatham Cup was New Zealand's 86th knockout football competition.

    The 2021 Kate Sheppard Cup is New Zealand's women's 27th annual knockout football competition after the competition was cancelled, for the first time in its history, last season due to COVID-19. This is the fourth year that the competition is known by the Kate Sheppard Cup, or New Zealand Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup for sponsorship purposes, after previously been known as the Women's Knockout Cup since its establishment. The cup has had twelve different winners lift the trophy over its 27 year history with Lynn-Avon United from Auckland being the most successful and Eastern Suburbs being the current holders from the 2019 season.

    The 2021 Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 93rd annual knockout football competition.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern League (New Zealand)</span> Football league

    The Southern League is an amateur status league competition run by FootballSouth and Mainland Football for Association football clubs located in the South Island of New Zealand. It is at the second level of New Zealand Football behind the national association based New Zealand National League, and the highest level of club based football available to teams within the region.

    The 2014 Chatham Cup was New Zealand's 87th annual knockout football competition.

    The 2022 New Zealand Men's National League is the second scheduled season of the National League since its restructuring in 2021; the 2021 National League was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in northern regions. 32 clubs compete in the competition, with four qualifying from the Northern League, three qualifying from the Central League and two qualifying from the Southern League for the National Championship phase. Each team can field a maximum of four foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who has Oceania Football Confederation nationality. Each team must also have at least two players aged 20 or under in the starting eleven.

    The 2022 Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 94th annual knockout football competition.

    The 2022 Kate Sheppard Cup is New Zealand's women's 28th annual knockout football competition. This is the fifth year that the competition is known by the Kate Sheppard Cup, or New Zealand Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup for sponsorship purposes, after previously been known as the Women's Knockout Cup since its establishment. The cup has had thirteen different winners lift the trophy over its 28 year history with Lynn-Avon United from Auckland being the most successful and Wellington United being the current holders from the 2021 season.

    The 2023 New Zealand Men's National League was the third scheduled season of the National League since its restructuring in 2021; the 2021 National League was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in northern regions. 32 clubs compete in the competition, with four qualifying from the Northern League, three qualifying from the Central League and two qualifying from the Southern League for the National Championship phase. Each team can field a maximum of four foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who has Oceania Football Confederation nationality. Over the course of the season, each team must also ensure players aged 20 or under account for 10% of available playing minutes.

    The 2023 Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 95th annual knockout football competition. This season the Chatham Cup celebrates 100 years since its inaugural edition.

    The 2023 Women's South Island League, is the 2nd season of the 2nd level women's football in New Zealand and the 1st season under the name Women's South Island League.

    References

    1. "New World Premiership".