Two NPL1 teams have decided to reject their NPLV licences, leaving 28 teams to make up the second tier football league in Victoria.
Eastern Lions and Surf Coast have rejected their licences despite showing signs of moving towards implementing a new NPL structure.
Eastern Lion’s board voiced their concerns on their website, saying that the licence rejection stemmed from a failed bid to the FFV to defer their licence for
12 months as the club struggled to balance its books with the new NPL rules and couldn’t find a workable solution to the local Monash City Council’s conditions.
The deferral was rejected without reason, the club says, despite the same conditions being granted to clubs Border FC and Eastern Jets. The Lions were hoping to have a year to finish preparations for the NPL, to ease families in to the new structure the club would need to implement for the NPL.
“The Committee has concerns for families regarding the financial implications and high costs that would be imposed by accepting the offer,” the board wrote.
“The Committee will continue to discuss the ongoing direction for 2015 and beyond that will cater for all club members – not just the NPL.”
Both clubs received a lot of backlash on social media for their decisions, with many taking to Facebook to voice their disappointment.
Dean Dernikos wrote “what a disappointment, so much for ‘youth development’ and giving each child the opportunity to participate at the highest level. Not a decision many parents would have liked to have heard”.
The final list of licence holders for the NPL are listed bellow.
NPL: Ballarat Red Devils, Bentleigh Greens, Dandenong Thunder, Goulburn Valley Suns, Green Gully Cavaliers, Heidelberg United, Hume City, Melbourne Knights, Northcote City, Oakleigh Cannons, Pascoe Vale, Port Melbourne Sharks, South Melbourne and Werribee City.
NPL 1: Avondale Heights, Bendigo Amateur Soccer League, Box Hill United, Brunswick city, Dandenong City, FC Bulleen Lions, Kingston City, Moreland Zebras, North Geelong Warriors, Richmond, Springvale White Eagles, St Albans Saints, Sunshine George Cross and Whittlesea Ranges.
The FFV will release the NPL fixtures on Wednesday, February 26 . NPL Rules of Competition will be announced on Tuesday, March 4.
