Press Release - Better Football Announces U21 League

Better Football is incredibly pleased to announce the creation of the Better Football U-21 league. The Olé, Wellington Phoenix, and Team Wellington academies will all be sending two teams to participate in this Wellington wide round robin. 

With the space formerly filled by the NYL left vacant, Better Football have stepped into the void to give Wellington’s young footballers the competitive action sorely needed at their age. It’s a testament to the faith shown in Better Football that the region’s premier academies have signed up. 

“The lure of Better Football was the good administration, and how everything is done really professionally,” explains Olé Technical Director Ben Sippola. “The beauty of working with an administrative body is that it takes away a lot of stuff which the coaches don’t wanna do, allowing them to focus on the football.”

“While it’s obviously disappointing the NYL is not here, it’s important that through the hard work of [Better Football co-founder] Mike Anderson and others we have sealed the vacuum it left,” agreed Team Wellington head coach Scott Hales.

“It’s just vital we have something for our youth players to keep them going throughout the summer period, and that is what Better Football offered.”

Matches will be primarily played at Olé itself, and mainly on Sundays, although there will be some midweek fixtures. A full draw will be released shortly. Additionally, all games will be streamed live on the Better Football Facebook page with commentary.

While it is a U-21 league, some overage players will be allowed to compete, thereby raising the standard of play and lifting the competition, which works well with the dynamic of each side having two teams. For example, one of the Nix’s squads will be made of a purely academy based contingent while the other will have players on the fringes of their ISPS Premiership squad. Olé has said they will operate in a similar manner.

But the key advantage of the U-21 league is how it lets young players do what they sorely need to do most at this age; play competitive matches.

“Games give meaning to the training. They give players opportunities to put into practice what we work on and gives you a gauge to measure where they are at,” said Phoenix academy director Paul Temple.

“Training is an important part of the cog but you need competition games because otherwise it becomes monotonous.”

The Better Football U-21 league will kick off on Saturday the 31st of October with an Ole derby at the Olé Academy, 7pm.