Junior and senior soccer seasons to start in July

Narrabri and Wee Waa soccer teams will be back on the park next month, seniors from July 4 and juniors from July 18.

The senior season was scheduled to start back in March followed by the junior season in May, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed both competitions.

On Monday, Northern Inland Football informed senior clubs that the 2020 Namoi Soccer League season will kick off on Saturday, July 4.

A July 4 start date was initially suggested, then a proposal to play a trial game on that day ahead of a July 11 start was put forward.

However, NIF decided that a July 4 kick-off would be best suited for the Namoi Soccer League to create a draw where each team played its opponents an equal number of times before a two-week finals series culminating in a September 26 grand final.

That will be a four-team competition made up of two Narrabri sides and a team from both Wee Waa and Moree.

The 12-week regular season will match up each team against its three opponents four times – twice at home and twice away.

Narrabri Junior Soccer announced on Monday that its season would begin on Saturday, July 18, after the school holidays.

That will run for 10 weeks and a decision on whether or not the competitive age group will contest finals will be made when player numbers are known.

Narrabri Junior Soccer president Danny Laws told The Courier that at this stage the club would not host a carnival or a presentation day this season.

Laws also said that junior players must wear shin pads in all matches in 2020 but could play in joggers to eliminate the need for parents to spend extra money on boots.
Meanwhile Narrabri and Wee Waa senior sides have been busily preparing for the approaching Namoi Soccer League season.

Narrabri FC will have two teams playing under its banner as separate sides in 2020 after it welcomed Crossroads Eleven FC earlier this season.

That team, which will now play as the Narrabri Elevens FC, was struggling financially and also from an admin side of things so made the switch to keep a second team in the town running.

The Elevens will be coached by Chris Simmons and have picked up a new key player in Bailey Campbell who is returning to local soccer after playing for Northern Inland Premier League champions Tamworth FC for the past three seasons.

Narrabri FC’s 2019 minor premiership-winning team will play as the Narrabri Sporties FC.

That team will be coached again by Neil Brayshaw and has lost Zac Lauritsen and Connor Hill from last year’s team, but has picked up several new players including Matt Hall, Jess O’Neil, and the returning Jason Foxe.

Narrabri’s two teams have now been training for three weeks.

Wee Waa United FC’s team returned to the training paddock on Tuesday night.

The defending champions have lost defender Lukas Kerkhoff, while a couple of the team’s older heads are still considering whether or not they will play.

However, the majority of last season’s premiership-winning roster will return and the team has also added Ryan O’Neill who was Crossroads’ best midfielder last season