FOOTBALL Mid North Coast remains confident a two grade Zone Premier League (ZPL) with a minimum of eight clubs will be in place next season.
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The ZPL will be similar to the Football Mid North Coast Premier League that was in operation up to 2020 when the now aborted Coastal Premier League (CPL) kicked off. The CPL involved clubs from Football Mid North Coast and the Coffs Harbour-based North Coast Football.
The CPL collapsed last week when all bar one of the North Coast clubs declined to nominate. Clubs cited travel and costs as the main reason for withdrawing.
FMNC chairman Lance Fletcher said the zone has spent the last week putting a format for the ZPL in place. This will be sent to clubs within days.
"This will be open to all clubs in the zone,'' he said.
At this stage the clubs would need to field first and reserve grade sides, although Mr Fletcher admitted this could be reviewed.
"I'd like to think we'd get eight clubs at a minimum. Certainly the Coastal Premier League clubs would go into it,'' Mr Fletcher said.
He said Northern League powerhouse Camden Haven applied to join the 2023 CPL and he would expect the Redbacks to nominate for the ZPL.
Camden Haven played in the original FMNC Premier League until its demise.
However, Mr Fletcher confirmed the zone supports the Forster-Tuncurry-based club Southern United's application to play in a Newcastle competition next year.
"We still want to be able to provide a higher level pathway for local players,'' he said.
"Obviously getting into the Newcastle comp is going to take a bit of work, but I can see at some point a team from up north, probably from the Port area and a team from down here playing there.
"We'll support anything that helps our elite players aspire to a higher competition.''
Two Great Lakes clubs, Wallis Lake (Great Lakes) and Tuncurry-Forster, were involved in the previous FMNC Premier League.
Mr Fletcher said the zone needs the Great Lakes area to be represented in next year's ZPL, but concedes that if Southern United is successful in the application to play in Newcastle, it would be a drain on player numbers.
"Pacific Palms are extremely strong, Hallidays Point are extremely strong, but they're single teams. So we're going to have to look at how many clubs we get... we may have to go back to single clubs.''
Mr Fletcher understands that the former CPL clubs are feeling "some frustration" that the competition won't be going ahead.
Clubs have appointed coaches and started training.
"That's not going to happen now. So we'll press on and we're confident we'll have a strong zone premier league with a first and reserve grade,'' he said.
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