Central Premier League


The Central League is an amateur status league competition run by Capital Football for Association football clubs located in the southern and central parts of the North Island, New Zealand. It is at the second level of New Zealand Football behind the national association based ISPS Handa Premiership, and the highest level of club based football available to teams within the region.

League history

The premier league was initially set up as one of the three feeder leagues to the New Zealand National Soccer League in 1992, and continued in this form until being disbanded at the end of the 1999 season. The league was reinstated in 2005 as the top club league for the central region of New Zealand football, and the current strength of the league is demonstrated by it providing the past Chatham Cup winners in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2015.

Central Premier League Clubs

ClubLocationHome Ground
Havelock NorthHavelock North, HastingsGuthrie Park
Lower Hutt CityLower Hutt, WellingtonFraser Park
Miramar RangersMiramar, WellingtonDavid Farrington Park
Napier City RoversNapier City, NapierBluewater Stadium
Stop OutLower Hutt, WellingtonHutt Park
Wairarapa UnitedMastertonMemorial Park Turf
Waterside KaroriKarori, WellingtonKarori Park
Wellington OlympicWellingtonWakefield Park
Wellington UnitedWellingtonNewtown Park
Western SuburbsPorirua, WellingtonEndeavour Park

ClubLocationHome Ground
Petone FCPetone, Wellington,Petone Memorial Park
Lower Hutt CityLower Hutt, WellingtonFraser Park
Miramar RangersMiramar, WellingtonDavid Farrington Park
Napier City RoversNapier City, NapierBluewater Stadium
Stop OutLower Hutt, WellingtonHutt Park
Wairarapa UnitedMastertonMemorial Park Turf
Waterside KaroriKarori, WellingtonKarori Park
Wellington OlympicWellingtonWakefield Park
North Wellington AFCWellingtonAlex Moore Park
Western SuburbsPorirua, WellingtonEndeavour Park

2017 winners

coached by Declan Edge won the Central League title with two games to go by beating Palmerston North Marist at home 6-0; it was the club's first title since 2009 and sixth since the league was formed in 1992.

Promotion/Relegation

With the bottom team getting relegated each year, 2017 saw Palmerston North Marist finish last and get relegated back to a local Central League division. For promotion a home and away game is played by the winner of Capital Premier representing Capital Football which was Waterside Karori and the winner of Federation League representing Central Football Havelock North Wanderers. The first match was played at Havelock North home ground, Guthrie Park and resulted in a 2–1 win for Waterside Karori. The second game was played in Karori Park and saw Havelock North win 1-0 meaning the aggregate result finished 2–2. Because of the away goal rule, Waterside Karori won promotion to the Central Premier League after an 18 year absence
Team Taranaki withdrew from the competition for 2018 and Havelock North Wanderers were invited to take up the vacant spot.

Capital Football awards

The following awards were given at the Capital Football awards for the 2017 Central Premier League season.

Men's Central League Player of the Year

Past Champions