The Premiership has carried itself back to us unspoiled from across that lonesome ocean of global pandemicry. Or... mostly unspoiled. There have been some casualties but after the season was cut short last time when the lockdown came about and with everything that’s happened in the intervening period, not to mention NZ Football’s penny-clutching ways, there was no guarantee we’d be able to get any footy at all so fair play to all involved, she’s gonna be most excellent.

Unless you’re from the South Island outside of Canterbury. This isn’t news, it happened a little while back, but with the release of the 2020-21 Premiership draw it’s finally real that Southern United and Tasman United won’t be competing. For Southern they’re hoping to be back next season with an extra year to pool their savings together and they probably need that time too because there was only gonna be bare bones left anyway. What was already a thin squad built on high levels of team chemistry and unity had already been skittled with coach Paul O’Reilly going back to Ireland and most of their Irish contingent also departing.

As for Tasman, there are no such future hopes. They seem to have pretty much dissolved as an already tenuous situation was pushed over the edge by covid-19 (the pandemic being the tipping point but the vulnerabilities already existed before it). After four seasons, with four different coaches, it’s a frustrating one but the team never quite found the stability it needed. Never say never though, with the league trying to shake things up with more alignment and some promotion/relegation in the future nothing’s really very clear about the National League moving forward. Those plans have been delayed a year by the events of 2020 but something’ll happen eventually. Whether there’s a presence from the top of the South Island... that’s doubtful and the worry is that Auckland and Wellington further consolidate their power at the expense of the regions.

But forget about next season and beyond, we’re here for this season. Canterbury United will effectively represent the entire South Island, operating as a joint venture of sorts with Southern and Tasman. That probably only means taking some of their best players... but there are a few of those who’d instantly improve the Cantabs. Some of those Southern youngsters (Andrew Cromb, Cody Brook, Cam McKenzie, Tim O’Farrell, etc.) would definitely add some value if they haven’t already signed elsewhere. Fox Slotemaker and Cory Brown were immense for Tasman, as good as any defensive pairing in the league when both were available, plus the likes of Jesse Randall and Matt Tod-Smith go good as well (update: jokes, Randall just got announced for Hawke's Bay… top signing, that). If done properly (never something to take for granted in kiwi football) that could be a seriously competitive team. As far as the table went last time, Canterbury Utd were actually the worst of the three SI teams. Wooden spooners in fact.

With two fewer teams that means the season doesn’t have to start as early as it usually does, hence here we are only just getting a draw in mid-October. 14 November is the starting date with six rounds taking place before Christmas, then a couple weeks off, then eight more rounds taking us through to the semis and the grand final in March. Each team plays 14 games (instead of the usual 18) with no byes, although that could change if the OFC Champions League takes place. Unlike most nations out there the Premiership will have no fan restrictions in place (as long as the current status quo level remains). So, you know: get there.

The next step is to get a peek at some squads. The teams should all be in pre-season now with only a month until the first games and given all the weirdness those squads might well have more continuity between last season and this one than they normally would. Fingers crossed we also get an effect like the basketball had where the NBL Showdown featured a bunch of really thrilling players who’d come back from university in the United States – not the top tier of pros but guys pushing to get to that level – who with the absence of international players were thrust into an opportunity to run the show instead of being mere role players. You’re shaving a bit of the upper echelon of talent away (more than a bit in the NBL’s case), but that passion and desire that they brought to the competition – horrible cliches, I know, but sometimes the cliches are legit – made up for the occasional bouts of scrappiness on the court. If the Premiership can tap into something like that then we’re in for a treat.

Professional football hasn’t stopped with the pandemic so don’t expect too much but hopefully the dudes who came back for lockdown (who’d otherwise be in Australia or America or Scandinavia) offer enough of a boost that it somewhat balances out the lack of international players. Don’t think five months of semi-pro national league footy counts as essential work so only the permanent residents will still be around. That’ll affect different clubs in different ways. Auckland City won’t have to worry too much (although word is that Myer Bevan’s off to South Africa) but some of the smaller clubs could struggle without that extra touch of class. Hawke’s Bay Utd was a team that was quite reliant on a couple superb imports last time, for example. Tough task to replace them now.

Also immensely important is that the women’s national league is back as well and has been rebranded as the Women’s Premiership. No idea why that integration wasn’t done years ago but all goods, as long as it’s happened now. All seven teams will return for the Women’s Premiership however that’s because the sacrificial lamb in this case has been the second round of fixtures. Each team will play each other once just like in the old days which means six total games before first and second go straight to a grand final to decide where the trophy ends up.

The Women’s Prem doesn’t have nearly so many imports so there shouldn’t be any dramas there... yet it should be a similar story with the calibre of locals available. Annalie Longo is back to play for Canterbury. Doubt we’ll be so lucky as to have Abby Erceg kit up anywhere even though she’s opted out of the rest of the year’s NWSL stuff... she’s still being paid and will be back in North Carolina next year so yeah, unlikely. Paige Satchell perhaps? Won’t know until squads emerge (which should be any day now, surely... the damn season starts at the end of the month) but there should be plenty of both fully-capped and age-grade internationals involved. Especially the latter... and with an Olympics campaign next year there’s a lot at stake too.

The Women’s Premiership kicks off on Halloween as Southern Utd hosts Canterbury Pride, you’d hope that’s not a bad omen there or anything. It then runs for seven weeks with each team getting a bye week before the grand final on 20 December. It’ll be short but sweet and it’ll definitely be better than nothing... nothing being what we have in place of the National Youth League.

Now, about all those squad lists...

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