South Island League

Table too follow. Any news from Dunedin Tech v Southland?

Happy birthday Ben! ?

Tech leading 2 nil early on.  Football South with the great media coverage, live here...Football South twitter

FT Dunedin Technical 3 (Alistair Rickerby 2, Garblan Coughlan) Southland United 0 HT 2 - 0

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
Dunedin Technical	1	1	0	0	3	0	3	3
Cashmere Technical	1	1	0	0	5	3	2	3
Coastal Spirit	1	1	0	0	2	0	2	3
Ferrymead Bays	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
Nomads	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
Queenstown Rovers	1	0	0	1	3	5	-2	0
Nelson Suburbs	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0
Southland United	1	0	0	1	0	3	-3	0

Round 2 Fixtures

Saturday 2:45pm

Cashmere Technical vs. Ferrymead Bays

Queenstown Rovers vs. Southland United

Sunday - Midday

Coastal Spirit vs. Dunedin Technical

Nomads vs. Nelson Suburbs

It was goal average that was used back then, which was worked out by dividing the number of goals you scored by the number conceded

so Caversham had Goal Average of 1.96 but New Brighton won as they had goal average of 2.31

And were the better side?. I remember it well, the year I transferred from Northern Hearts to the mighty Seasiders.

Cant wait, mouthwatering ties everywhere!

Apart from Football South doing a good job from Dunedin (Facebook, Twitter, Photos, Website) and Gavin Searle doing updates via Twitter, all in all I have to say it was a pretty sh!t effort on promoting the league over the weekend. 

Not one club had live twitter updates, not one has posted on Facebook or their website the result of their game. 

Mainland still haven't done a preview on their website, and have just posted the results on FB courtesy of Gavin. 

Even at the two games I went to neither had a programme to look at.... 

Is this the best we can do? 

Yes four of the top five sides all clashing in Christchurch over the weekend so good to be able to watch both games.

Dunedin Tech produced a match programme for all to read - was a really good atmosphere around the Caledonian with some seriously good football being played

This! Sounds like some clubs are taking the step up to a higher standard seriously - which is what the league is all about afterall, on and off the pitch. Chch clubs (and you too Nelson Suburbs) are still a long way behind the north island clubs' social media standards. With media downsizing local sport coverage, the clubs have got to step up if they want to connect with their fans locally and overseas. I've just watched a live facebook feed of a NSW Premier League game between Manly United and Rockdale City Suns. <hint>

Over 6,000 views for 2 clubs currently mid/lower table and without the biggest supporter base.

Great to see a solid write-up on the rounds matches on MF and in the ODT.  

Nothing in The Press as per normal.

Fairfax (The Press) only cover "National" sport now not local or regional

Each club at the very least should be supplied updated and correct team lists, with starting 11 and bench, to post on Facebook prior to kick off and then update halftime and fulltime the score and name of goal scorers. And then someone can just ask a player and coach from both teams a few questions on a video on their phone. Could also do a interview at training looking ahead to the game. That right there is very easy to achieve but would make a big difference. If the league itself wanted to do some little graphics of the ladder, golden boot etc then that's a bonus.

Too bad the Christchurch Press no longer has an interest in local sport, well actually its quite scandalous that they show no interest in local sport, because for those of us who aren't on facebook it was like there was no SI league games at all in the weekend. I heard nothing about it, zip, zilch.

Social media is just one tool to reach people but don't forget not everyone is on social media (or wants to be) and it seems we get forgotten in the mix

What a great idea!!!

Even club rugby league in Auckland streams big matches online these days.

Exactly. Know of any Auckland clubs streaming games regularly Doloras? 

Did the likes of the Christchurch Press say why they were no longer going to cover local sport?

I am guessing it is all part of Stuff (Fairfax media) downsizing and heading towards being a online slick/streamlined (or bland depending on where you stand) national news outlet only. 

Good on the ODT for still showing an interest in local sport and for giving local journo's the chance to cover games

You only have to read it to know why they don't cover it.

Sport is based on facts, winners and losers, scorelines etc. In the current climate the only way they'll cover sport is 

a) if there's scandal involved.

b) that scandal needs to be accompanied by an accompanying overwhelming personal tragedy 

c) you overcome that tragedy by marrying your cousin without realising it

d) who turns out to be the crack addicted mother of Winston Peters.

of course this only works if Winnie denies it otherwise the story gets binned.

There's nothing stopping the clubs and the competition itself promoting the games though is there?

Reality is most games have less than 100 people in attendance.

Maybe they should look to the community newspapers, such as the Nelson Weekly and the Star.

You don’t need advertising. How many juniors do some of these clubs have? Fred can correct me but let’s say Cashmere Technical has 1,000 junior players. That’s about 3500-4000 family members. They are almost unique in having privately owned ground too. If clubs put more effort into the match day experience surely they can pull a larger crowd. Then the local community media may report it. Don’t mean to pick on Cash Tech but using them to demonstrate a point. 

Not at all, not even at NRFL Premier level; though many video their games for online highlights later.

Oh no go ahead, we don’t mind ?

When I played masters and coached juniors I was always bemused by those who would rather pay to go watch the Crusaders or Canterbury play over supporting their clubs premier teams. I spell premier with a small “p” intentionally. Giving a team that designation without the resourcing and support is LIP SERVICE. Likewise, calling it a premier league is a JOKE when it’s given the name but not treated any differently to any other Saturday league. Ordinary and underwhelming. It seems we in football aspire mostly to MEDIOCRITY apart from a few, Cashmere being one of them.

Exactly. If there's a crowd of 100 or even less at the games it hardly warrants media attention as clearly there's very little public interest in it. But the actual organisation who is wanting to boost the interest can easily do so with some effort. 

As much as people bemoan the lack of media coverage, social media provides clubs with a chance to promote the competition themselves. 

I often go to a club's Facebook page first when looking for a score. But it says something when clubs themselves can't even post a fulltime score, let alone a few other extras such as a quick video reaction interview, lineups, photos etc.. 

Plus, the info that is put in a programme could easily go on a Facebook page on game day.

thats not necessarily the case, I go to many games where the crowds are double figures, yet when I post a blog I'm averaging 5-600 pageviews and I am continually surprised by the people that talk to me about what I've posted, a fair few that have just a passing interest in football, but alot of the time aren't aware of it as there is no coverage in the local press

clubs can do a lot more, like ensure Facebook and Twitter are updated (if you're going to do Twitter updates during the game, don't wait until several hours later to tweet the final score!). Most top clubs video their games for training purposes, it wouldn't be hard for them to stream them or at least put them online (some do) - biggest issue here really is time and skills, apart from a couple that have links with academies, the rest all rely on volunteers. 

I find it a bit bizarre, that even the bigger & well-run clubs like Cashmere Technical & Dunedin Technical have clearly put a lot of effort in behind the scenes to get ready for this SI League - and also into the match day experience at the ground - and yet neither club has bothered to post even their scores & results on their Facebook pages! This is despite good wins! It boggles the mind a bit.

And this is especially appreciated by those of us that live in 1980s New Zealand and therefore unable to attend most games.

You need to check the facts before posting you are a day behind at least. Try to keep up. 

Dunedin Tech put the ODT report of the Sunday game on the clubs Facebook page on Monday morning.

Still agree needs be a lot better by all clubs. It's not hard when some clubs have a team of four coach /managers /hangers on at games.

If I can check a club rally stage times for drivers in real time from the middle of the back country as it happens then shows how out of touch football clubs are in keeping club members informed.

What size crowds have Cashmere Tech been getting to games? Never seems too many attending when I have been to Garrick Park tbh which I found surprising.

Do Cashmere put much work into attracting punters to games? If so what do they do? How is it going so far?

I'm not having a go for the record, just curious

My point was more around the attitude than the numbers. They walk the talk, their are a few others around doing the same. It's tough as a club to cover all the bases but if you say you are going to do it it's a good idea to do what you say you will rather than just a bit of cheap chest beating. Actions speak louder than words. It's a competitive world, money and time are both scarce resources so a lot of short cuts are taken that deliver mediovre outcomes - like calling a competition a Premier League. What's the thinking behind that and what actions support it? Why play the games at the same time as most of the potential support base are also playing? That's a fairly basic example of what I'm getting at. Sure club's need to up the ante but they should be lead, encouraged and inspired to greatness by their governing body surely?

In the Chatham cup semi in 2013 there was 700 at Garrick and iin the final it was the first sold out English park, 2500 + can’t remember the correct attendance . When Halswell played central in the Chatham cup semi there was around 700-800

3 factors in those 3 games , it was a Sunday, so all club members who played  on a Sat could go to the game with their family. The games had a lot riding on them and were massive for the clubs . Canterbury football  people getting behind it also.

When I arrived in 94, there was no National League just Southern League and There was nearly always 200 plus at most of the games, especially when Roslyn played with McGarry , Fleming etc playing . People wanted to watch . All games were on a Sunday.

So if the games were on a Sunday , which I know the players don’t like, you would get a lot more people watching imo

Coastal Spirit v Dunedin Tech this sunday - will there be a big crowd expected? Tech got a good crowd for their first home game in Dunedin so Chch teams should expect a loud atmosphere down south - I think the club is really trying to do things right with match programmes, BBQ, sponsers present etc.

I think there will

Some really good chat in here, with positive ways that clubs/federations can make a difference. With a soft directive from MF hopefully there will be a big improvement over the weekend.

I really like the idea of Sunday games, I know our turnout for Friday night football or games that aren't scheduled when the rest of the club plays is much greater. 

Hopefully Sunday against Tech will be the same. Besides, it's a great curtain-raiser for my Sunday League Team. :-)

Sunday games are great and I don't know why they aren't on more often as I am sure more people would be free to attend.

Same with the National league in the summer. Many People play sport on saturdays or maybe have a family member who does so cannot attend a game but could potentially make it on Sunday if they are ok with skipping Church.

Is there a reason for why Sundays are not better utilised for games? 

I guess it's just because this is the way that it's normally been done of late, ie: football is played on a Satdy arvo. The only reason there are Sunday games in the Southern League is because travel has dictated it. Nelson used to do Sunday games in the MPL which meant their club could come and watch, and supporters could travel up. This year they did midday Satdy games which was pretty impossible for both to happen. 

I know some Chch clubs were dead against the idea of Friday night football last year, some refusing to do it.  

I bloody well love the atmosphere of night games and any chance to get more people to games, and online as well, should be looked at. 

They literally just hit share on an ODT post a day after the match was played - they didn't actually post the result, share the graphic from the League page, or anything else. I would have thought they would want to trumpet a good win, especially when it sounds like they put so much effort into organisation and match program and stuff.

Don't want to pick on them though because there wasn't much more effort from most other clubs