Wikipedia

Central Federation League

The Central Federation League is an amateur status league competition run by Central Football for association football clubs located in the central region of the North Island, New Zealand. It is currently in the third level of the New Zealand football league system, below the Central League administered by Capital Football and is entered by clubs from the Taranaki, Manawatū-Whanganui, Hawke's Bay and Gisborne districts.

Central Federation League
Founded2000
CountryNew Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams9
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toCentral League 2
Relegation toTaranaki Premiership
Pacific Premiership
Horizon's Premiership
Domestic cup(s)Chatham Cup
League cup(s)Central Federation Cup
Central Federation League Cup
Current championsPalmerston North United (1st title)
(2024)
Most championshipsHavelock North Wanderers
Napier City Rovers
Palmerston North Marist
Team Taranaki
(3 titles each)
Websitehttps://www.centralfootball.co.nz/

History

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The league was launched in 2000 and began within the second tier of the New Zealand league system as a replacement for the disbanded triple division Central League, which had run in various forms since 1966.[1]

Current clubs

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Gisborne Thistle
 
Palmerston North United
 
 
Taradale
 
 
 
FC Western
 
Peringa United
 
class=notpageimage|
Location of clubs in New Zealand for the 2024 Central Federation League season


As of the 2024 season.[2]

Club Location Home Ground(s) 2023 season
FC Western New Plymouth Lynmouth Park 2nd in Taranaki Premiership (new entry)
Gisborne Thistle Gisborne Childers Road Reserve 4th
Havelock North Wanderers Havelock North Guthrie Park 2nd in Pacific Premiership (new entry)
New Plymouth Rangers New Plymouth Merrilands Domain 3rd in Taranaki Premiership (new entry)
Palmerston North Marist Palmerston North Central Energy Trust Arena Turf 1st
Palmerston North United Palmerston North Memorial Park 2nd
Peringa United New Plymouth Peringa Park 1st in Taranaki Premiership (new entry)
Taradale Napier Taradale Park 5th
Whanganui Athletic Wembley Park Whanganui 10th in Central League (relegated)

Records

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Past Champions

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[3]

2024 Federation League Table

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Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Palmerston North United 16 11 3 2 40 36
Palmerston North Marist 16 11 0 5 29 33
FC Western 16 10 1 5 3 31
Taradale 16 9 1 6 4 28
Havelock North Wanderers 16 8 1 7 1 25
Gisborne Thistle 16 7 1 8 -20 22
New Plymouth Rangers 16 6 1 9 -6 19
Whanganui Athletic 16 3 1 12 -18 10
Peringa United 16 2 1 13 -33 7

The 2024 season saw the league increase the number of clubs from five to nine. Whanganui Athletic, relegated from the 2023 Central League, joined a trio of clubs from New Plymouth including; 2023 Taranaki Premiership champions Peringa United, FC Western (both new entrants to the league), and the returning New Plymouth Rangers. Havelock North Wanderers rejoined the league from the Pacific Premiership while Napier City Rovers reserves withdrew before the 2024 season commenced.

2024 Central League Premier Division place play-off

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Central League Premier play-off
First leg
Palmerston North United1–2Upper Hutt City FC
  • A. Jones   66'
  • C. Webster   14', 46'
Memorial Park, Palmerston North
Referee: M. Roil
Central League Premier play-off
Second leg
Upper Hutt City FC2–1Palmerston North United
  • C. Webster   39', 90' (pen.)
  • N. Cooksley   69'
Maidstone Park, Wellington
Referee: C. Bennett

Upper Hutt City win 4 - 2 on aggregate and promotion to the 2025 Central League Premier Division.

2024 Central League 2 play-offs

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Central League 2 play-off
Taradale4 - 1Victoria University
Massey University, Palmerston North
Central League 2 play-off
Te Kotahitanga1 - 0Gisborne Thistle
Massey University, Palmerston North
Central League 2 play-off
Havelock North Wanderers3 - 4 (a.e.t.)Douglas Villa
Massey University, Palmerston North
Central League 2 play-off
Seatoun2 - 1New Plymouth Rangers
Massey University, Palmerston North

2023 Federation League Table

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Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Palmerston North Marist 16 10 1 5
Palmerston North United 16 9 0 7
Napier City Rovers Reserves 16 6 3 7
Gisborne Thistle 16 5 3 8
Taradale 16 4 5 7

Prior to the commencement of the 2023 season, a merger of three Palmerston North clubs; Massey University FC, North End and Red Sox Manawatu created new entity, Palmerston North United. Palmerston North United replaced North End and Massey University in the league.

Napier Marist FC and Levin AFC withdrew from the league before the 2023 competition began reducing the number of clubs participating to five.

2023 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
Island Bay United4–0Palmerston North Marist
Wakefield Park, Wellington
Central League play-off
Second leg
Palmerston North Marist0–3Island Bay United
Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North

Island Bay United win 7 - 0 on aggregate and promotion to the 2024 Central League.

2022 Federation League Table

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Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Whanganui Athletic 14 12 2 0 48 7 +41 38
Palmerston North Marist 14 10 2 2 39 12 +27 32
North End 14 9 2 3 37 14 +23 29
Massey University 14 7 1 6 27 30 -3 22
Napier Marist 14 6 1 7 25 41 -16 19
Napier City Rovers 14 5 0 9 27 36 -9 15
Levin 14 1 1 12 12 43 -31 4
Gisborne Thistle 14 1 1 12 12 44 -32 4

2022 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
Whanganui Athletic2–2Stop Out
  • Holden   58' (pen.)
  • Smith   82'
  • Patterson-Gunn   19'
  • Prins   78'
Wembley Park, Whanganui
Referee: Matthew Hastings
Central League play-off
Second leg
Stop Out3–2 (a.e.t.)Whanganui Athletic
  • Tuck   85', 104'
  • Craven   90+7'
 Report
  • Bell   64'
  • Holden   90+6'
Hutt Park, Lower Hutt
Referee: Aaron Clarke

Aggregate score 5–4. Stop Out promoted to the 2022 Central League. In late 2022 Whanganui Athletic were also promoted to the 2023 Central League after the withdrawal of Wellington United from the competition.[4]

2021 Federation League Table

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Club Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Havelock North Wanderers 16 13 2 1 55 16 +39 40
Palmerston North Marist 16 11 1 4 62 26 +36 34
Whanganui Athletic 16 9 3 4 38 23 +15 30
Gisborne Thistle 16 10 0 6 43 32 11 30
Massey University 16 8 4 4 40 31 9 28
North End 16 7 1 8 35 36 -1 22
Napier Marist 16 3 1 12 25 57 -32 10
Levin 16 2 2 12 15 45 -30 8
New Plymouth Rangers 16 2 1 13 15 62 -47 7

2021 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
Wellington United5–3Havelock North Wanderers
  • I. Junca   10'
  • A. Mandalawi   33'
  • C. Stephen   37'
  • W. Skinner   59'
  • J. Kang   75'
  • T. Frooms   29'
  • L. Barclay   46'
  • J. Groot   90'
Referee: Chris Bennett
Central League play-off
Second leg
Havelock North Wanderers3–1Wellington United
  • B. Christensen   8', 68', 90'
 I. Junca   49'
Guthrie Park, Havelock North

Aggregate score 6–6. Havelock North Wanderers win tie on away goal rule and are promoted to the 2022 Central League.

Note - Wairarapa United withdrew from the 2022 Central League prior to the start of the season and were subsequently replaced by Wellington United.[5]

2020 Federation League Table

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2020 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
New Plymouth Rangers3 - 5Wainuiomata
  • D. Squatriti   27'
  • M.McGrath   75'
  • A. Olivier (o.g.)
 Report
  • T. E. Hser   15'
  • K. Gould   22'
  • J. Mitchell   50'
  • G. King   54', 68'
Merrilands Domain, New Plymouth
Referee: Mark Rule
Central League play-off
Second leg
Wainuiomata7–3New Plymouth Rangers
  • A. Olivier   4'
  • K. Gould   8', 11', 14'
  • J. Smith   26'
  • T. E. Hser   32'
  • C. O'Reilly   87'
 Report
  • L. Snellgrove   57'
  • T. Warren   75'
  • D. Squatriti   82'
Richard Prouse Park, Wainuiomata
Referee: Mark Whitehead

Aggregate score 12 - 6. Wainuiomata are promoted to the 2021 Central League.

2019 Federation League Table

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2019 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
Havelock North Wanderers4–2Petone
Guthrie Park, Havelock North
Central League play-off
Second leg
Petone4–1Havelock North Wanderers
Petone Memorial Park, Petone

Petone won 6 - 5 on aggregate and promotion to the 2020 Central League.

2018 Federation League Table

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2018 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
North Wellington6–0Palmerston North Marist
Alex Moore Park, Wellington
Central League play-off
Second leg
Palmerston North Marist0–6North Wellington
Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North

North Wellington won 12 - 0 on aggregate and promotion to the 2019 Central League.

2017 Federation League Table

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2017 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
Havelock North Wanderers1–2Waterside Karori
Guthrie Park, Havelock North
Central League play-off
Second leg
Waterside Karori0–1Havelock North Wanderers

Waterside Karori won promotion on away goal rule to 2018 Central League.

2016 Central League place play-off

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Central League play-off
First leg
Team Taranaki0 - 1Waterside Karori
Central League play-off
Second leg
Waterside Karori1 - 2Team Taranaki
Karori Park, Wellington

Team Taranaki won on away goals rule and promotion to the 2017 Central League.


Past Clubs

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Club Location Home Ground(s) Last Season
Gisborne City Gisborne Childers Road Reserve 2003 - merged as Gisborne City Marist
Moturoa AFC New Plymouth Onuku Taipari Domain 2003 - league position given to Team Taranaki
Gisborne City Marist Gisborne Childers Road Reserve 2004 - withdrew
Manawatu AFC Palmerston North 2004 (amalgamated)
Red Sox Riverside Palmerston North 2004 (amalgamated)
Linton Area Defence FC Palmerston North Linton Military Camp 2005 - withdrew
Napier City Rovers Napier Bluewater Stadium 2010 - withdrew to Pacific Premiership
Feilding United Manawatu Timona Park 2015 - withdrew
Team Taranaki New Plymouth Yarrow Stadium 2016 - promoted to 2017 Central League
Port Hill United Napier Marewa Park 2016 - withdrew
Wanganui City FC Whanganui Wembley Park 2019 - withdrew
Palmerston North Boys' High School Palmerston North High School Ground 2019 - relegated
Hokowhitu FC Palmerston North Hokowhitu Park 2019 - withdrew
Red Sox Manawatu Palmerston North 2020 - withdrew
Levin Levin Donnelly Park 2022 - withdrew
Napier Marist Napier Bluewater Stadium 2022 - withdrew
North End Palmerston North Memorial Park 2022 - merged as Palmerston North United
Massey University Palmerston North Massey University 2022 - merged as Palmerston North United

Central Federation Cup

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The Lotto Central Federation Cup is the premier men's knock-out trophy of the Central Football Federation and is contested annually by clubs affiliated to the Central Football Federation. The cup competition in its current form began in 2009, with the exception of the COVID-19 affected 2020 season when the first round of matches was initially scheduled then subsequently cancelled.

Central Federation Cup Champions

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*(2) denotes club's second team

References

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  1. ^ "Central Football". ultimatenzsoccer. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 26 June 2007.
  2. ^ "Central Football Federation League 2023". Central Football. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Honours Board". ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Whanganui Athletic to join Central League for 2023 season". New Zealand Football. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Update to the 2022 Central League". NZ Football. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
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