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NPL 2026

Kevin Keegan71 said:
Only one thing I fundamentally disagree with and its this academy teams should be in their own league with A League Academies from their own state - it cheapens the pyramid system and devalues the NPL or they should be made to play in NPL2 or NPL3 to start with (similar) you could get to a scenario in VIC whereby 6 foundation clubs and 2 A League academies make up the 14 teams in NPL leaving only 6 teams in the NPL that would essentially kill the whole concept to me or have I got this wrong?
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As long as the NPL teams can be relegated down the pyramid Im not against it. Agree that they/we should start at NPL 3 or lower though...
 
Kevin Keegan71 said:
with respect the quality would be a lot stronger in Portugal - they do this in Spain too but this is the NPL and they should start off in NPL3 or equivalent and make their own way up the leagues in my eyes
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Germany doesn't allow any 'reserve' teams to be promoted above 3. Bundesliga (what the NPL would potentially become in this model), and if the senior team is relegated into the same league as the reserve team, the reserve team must drop at least one level below.
Monoethnic Social Club said:
As long as the NPL teams can be relegated down the pyramid Im not against it. Agree that they/we should start at NPL 3 or lower though...
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Would member federations want the NST clubs to have a presence in the NPL for name recognition, given they'd be losing a lot of their strongest teams otherwise? I think your approach gives the remaining clubs an opportunity to grow into the vacuum the big clubs leave behind and potentially drive them to seek promotion into the NST. If the NST academy teams earn their way back to the top (of NPL) they'll deserve it.
 
If @olympic's info turns out to be correct, given the league will start in October next year, I wonder how the competing teams will treat their NPL season. I assume we'll see some talent concentrate into those clubs during the winter transfer window (in particular), and then some international / bigger signings closer to the season start. The end of the 2027 NPL season could be odd, where players that are continuing into the NST are rested in the latter part of the season to avoid burnout.
 
Kevin Keegan71 said:
Only one thing I fundamentally disagree with and its this academy teams should be in their own league with A League Academies from their own state - it cheapens the pyramid system and devalues the NPL or they should be made to play in NPL2 or NPL3 to start with (similar) you could get to a scenario in VIC whereby 6 foundation clubs and 2 A League academies make up the 14 teams in NPL leaving only 6 teams in the NPL that would essentially kill the whole concept to me or have I got this wrong?
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Agree it’s not ideal. In nsw you’d have 10 U23 teams across the npls between a league and championship clubs.

Only thing I would say is that maybe maybe it’s slightly less bad than the current situation now where the npl functions as the highest level outside the a league, and you have clubs who are capable of being on the national stage being forced to play state football alongside said u23 teams. If thats the trade off for npl becoming the third tier of football nationally, and having a national second division for ambitious clubs to aspire to, I’m willing to cop it. Maybe they should be forced to start in a lower league as we say, although I dare say most of probably inevitably end up getting relegated anyway
 
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olympic said:
So to all the foundation clubs welcome back

Foundation clubs have a 10 year gurantee
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I thought there might be the possibility of licencing them to 2034 to match the APL clubs, then all clubs are on the same page. 10 years is interesting, does that mean they're locked out of pro/rel for 10 years and stuck in B-League? And any more clubs other than the initial eight? More questions 😅
 
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HappyGuus said:
I thought there might be the possibility of licencing them to 2034 to match the APL clubs, then all clubs are on the same page. 10 years is interesting, does that mean they're locked out of pro/rel for 10 years and stuck in B-League? And any more clubs other than the initial eight? More questions 😅
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Still wouldn’t rule the championship/nsd being brought under the banner of the a league/apl (English “football league” style) and have 2 divisions with the same licenses. Particularly as the fa look like they might increasingly be involved in its running again. And then look to initially do pro rel between the two as a compromise/way of selling to the current a league teams who don’t want their licenses to be invalidated.

Not the most eloquent post I’ve ever made but I think you get the gist
 
Glenardo said:
And then look to initially do pro rel between the two as a compromise/way of selling to the current a league teams who don’t want their licenses to be invalidated.
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Nail on the head there. That should be the compromise.

Grow the B-League from 8 teams up to 16 by 2034 (and the A-League to 16), with pro/rel immediately between them but no exit below B until 2034 (unless one hands back their licence). That's eight seasons to find another 12 professional teams. Hopefully by then the various NPLs will be salivating at wanting in.

I thought the Championship (a shorter format of) would be kept on as a tournament to celebrate the best of the NPLs until 2034, then used as the promotion tournament to B-League.
 
mens.nplnsw.com.au

Round 30 Preview - NPL Men's NSW - NPL Men's NSW

The final round of the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW regular season is upon us, with everything still to play for in the battle for finals football. While APIA Leichhardt have already secured the Premiership, the fight for the remaining Top Six positions is set to go down to the wire, with Sydney FC, NWS...
mens.nplnsw.com.au mens.nplnsw.com.au

final round of the season.

it's flown by.
 
Beretta said:
mens.nplnsw.com.au

Round 30 Preview - NPL Men's NSW - NPL Men's NSW

The final round of the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW regular season is upon us, with everything still to play for in the battle for finals football. While APIA Leichhardt have already secured the Premiership, the fight for the remaining Top Six positions is set to go down to the wire, with Sydney FC, NWS...
mens.nplnsw.com.au mens.nplnsw.com.au

final round of the season.

it's flown by.
Click to expand...
Flown? Lucky you. This year feels like it has last for 24 months...
 
Beretta said:
mens.nplnsw.com.au

Round 30 Preview - NPL Men's NSW - NPL Men's NSW

The final round of the 2026 NPL Men’s NSW regular season is upon us, with everything still to play for in the battle for finals football. While APIA Leichhardt have already secured the Premiership, the fight for the remaining Top Six positions is set to go down to the wire, with Sydney FC, NWS...
mens.nplnsw.com.au mens.nplnsw.com.au

final round of the season.

it's flown by.
Click to expand...

Only thing going on is who will get 2nd & 3rd. Olympic is gone so no last day relegation battle.
 
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