Hertz league to retain regional zones

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 21

Hertz league to retain regional zones

The Hertz regional soccer league will remain as a zoned competition for at least the next three years, the southern regional council has decided. The council's meeting in Christchurch on Saturday voted unanimously to retain the Canterbury and Otago-Southland zoned format in favour of a fully regional competition, thereby rescinding a decision it made last year. But the secretary of the league. Mr Trevor Gottermeyer. said the council was still looking to introduce a fully regional league, possibly in 1986. in order to get the best standard of soccer.

To this end. the number of teams participating in the zones would be limited to 10 each for 1983, and eight each for the next two years. This means that Burndale and Technical, the two bottom teams in the north zone's present 12-team contest, will be relegated. The method of determining the league's candidate for promotion to the national league will also change. Two teams from each zone, instead of one. will now be eligible for the home-and-away play-off to determine the champion. The remaining teams in each area will enter a subsidiary competition at the same

Commenting on the council's decisions, Mr Gottermeyer said the main factor in delaying a switch to fully regional competition was the cost to clubs.

“Our opinion is that at the moment it would be too high.'' he said.

"Christchurch clubs would have to make five or six trips to Dunedin for example, and Invercargill clubs would have to make about six trips to Christchurch. It is asking too much at the moment

“All the councillors agreed that the ultimate would be a fullv regional league however, and' the three-year plan will enable clubs to get into gear for it.

“They can promote the game to the club and by the end of three years perhaps be getting enough people through the gates to be able to support a fully regional league. That is what we want."

Meanwhile, the council also plans to hold future South Island under-19 tournaments in centres such as Timaru and Ashburton, if they are prepared to host them. The tournaments will be limited to teams within the New Zealand Football Association’s southern region, so Nelson and Marlborough will be excluded.