TAREE Wildcats captain-coach Shannon Hall believes the decision to snub Football Mid North Coast Zone for a trial game against A-League club Newcastle Jets on Thursday, August 25 will be the 'final nail in the coffin for the Coastal Premier League.'
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The Jets will tackle a 20 strong Coffs All Stars combination at Coffs Harbour.
All players in the All Stars are made up from CPL clubs in the Coffs Harbour area.
Hall described this as a 'debacle.'
"Apparently the game was organised by North Coast Football and I've heard the reason given to exclude southern clubs was because of the travel involved,'' Hall said.
"But we've been travelling all season. I don't think players from around here would mind a bit more travel if they had the opportunity to play against the Jets.''
Hall's side, the Wildcats, haven't won a game. But while it has been a lean year, Hall said there would be 'one or two' of his younger players who would relish a game against the Jets.
"Even if was only for 5 or 10 minutes,'' he said.
He added that Macleay Valley Rangers are third and Port United fifth while Southern United from Forster-Tuncurry is just out of the top six. Kempsey Saints are still a hope to make the playoffs.
"You're not going to tell me that the top 20 players in the CPL are all from the Coffs Harbour,'' he said.
Hall further claims there's widespread disappointment at the snub from FMNC players.
"Everyone who I've spoken to is pissed off and said they don't want to be part of the competition next year if this is the way they're going to be treated. I think it's the final nail in the coffin for the CPL.''
Football Mid North Coast chairman Lance Fletcher said originally the game was set to be played on a Wednesday night, with a southern selection made up of FMNC players contesting one half and a North Coast selection the other. However, the Jets wanted the game played on a Thursday night.
"That would have made it logistically awkward for southern players to travel to Coffs on Thursday for a game and then head back up there on the Saturday for CPL commitments,'' he said.
He added the trial game was 'pulled together pretty quickly' and was a initiative from the Jets and the Coffs Harbour area and not the CPL or Football Mid North Coast.
Mr Fletcher said FMNC general manager, Bruce Potter, is negotiating with the Jets regarding a visit to this area when the A-League goes into a hiatus in November during the World Cup. He expects this would involve training sessions and school visits along with other promotions and could include a game against the Jets featuring FMNC players.
"But again, it just underlines the lack of facilities we have in this area. We just don't have the facilities to host A-League teams,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Taree will meet Southern United in a CPL game tonight (Tuesday) at the Zone Field.
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