CHANGES TO THE LEAGUES BEING USED BY UK FOOTBALL POOLS
IN 2014
This
page usually has a listing of the promotions/relegations and other
minor changes. However there are major changes to the way the Football
Pools will operate in 2014 and the Leagues that will be used.
Firstly
coupons will feature matches that will be played over a weekend ie Saturday/Sunday
instead of just using Saturday games. This means a complete results check
will not be available until around 13:00 BST on Sundays. The pools results
page will still be updated as usual with results posted as final whistles
blow across Australia. The closing time for entries has been brought forward
and is now generally 04:00 BST Saturdays.
The
State League game in Australia has recently undergone vast changes with a
new layer of leagues established to underpin the very successful A-League.
Clubs competing in these National Premier Leagues (NPL's) have to meet high
standards in terms of facilities, coaching, players, finance and junior structure.
These eight NPL's, along with two second divisions, will form the backbone
of the ten weeks of Australian fixtures which will ensure consistency for
the punter with the same teams appearing most weeks.
Using
these higher profile games will also ensure much more information is
available to punters and this site's Facebook page carries direct links
to match reports, photos, video, club news and previews for the
majority of matches that will be used.
So
lets take a look around the leagues State by State
New
South Wales's Premier One saw the Central Coast Mariners Academy
relegated and St George FC promoted from Premier Two. There was no
other changes to this league.
Travelling
north the Queensland NPL sees an expansion to thirteen clubs which originally
was fourteen but CQ FC had their licence revoked after three matches and were
expelled so consequently we have a Bye team each week. The Queensland Academy
of Sport were replaced by Brisbane Roar's youth side while SWQ Thunder is
a new team based in Toowoomba. Another newcomer is Harimau Muda A who are,
in fact, the Malaysian Under 22 side who have moved to Queensland for the
season. They last played competitively in 2012 in the S-League in Singapore.
Their name translates as "Young Tigers".
Victoria,
whose matches have played a significant part on the pools for many years,
has undergone major changes with the league structure completely re-organised.
The top tier is the new NPL which includes many of the old Premier League
teams along with country teams such as Ballarat Red Devils (who in 2013 played
in Division Three) and Goulburn Valley Suns based in Shepparton.
Below
the NPL is NPL One which comprises most of the old Division one sides
along with a few teams from the old lower leagues together with newly formed country side FC
Bendigo.
Over
in Western Australia their NPL sees the NTC removed in favour of the Perth
Glory youth team and Bunbury Forum Force being relegated with their place
taken by Subiaco who were in Division Two last season. The first division
features twice to make up the numbers when there are breaks in other States
fixtures. Here Rockingham City were relegated and no side was promoted from
division two.
Back
in Adelaide the NPL is now comfortably into its second season and the
changes were the relegation of Adelaide Cobras and Enfield City to the
State League. Sadly just prior to the season commencing Enfield City
folded leaving an odd number of sides in the second tier of football in
South Australia. West Adelaide went through 2013 winning 28 of their 30
matches and drawing the other two and they were promoted from the State
League along with South Adelaide. The State League matches feature most
weeks and are used to fill the gap when there is not sufficent fixtures
in the nationwide NPL's.
On
the "Apple" there have been no changes to Tasmania's Victory League
line-up.
Games
from Northern NSW have not appeared on the pools for many season but
they make a return with the new NPL structure. Based in the Hunter
Valley area around Newcastle many older people will remember the likes of
Adamstown Rosebud from the 60's and 70's.
Another
first will be the use of games from the Capital Football NPL which is
based in and around Australia's capital city Canberra. This is a new venture from the coupon
compilers.
So
thats the run down on how things have changed since the UK pools were last
in Australia. Enjoy the 2014 eleven week visit.