Defending National League champions Wellington Olympic await Napier City Rovers in the opening round of football’s Central League.
The teams will go head-to-head on Sunday at Bluewater Stadium, with Napier City Rovers fans hoping for a turnaround in fortunes from their side against the country’s top-ranked club.
Wellington Olympic were comfortable winners of the 2023 Central League, then beat Auckland City FC in the National League final.
And Wellington Olympic – who this year are coached by ex-Wellington Phoenix star Paul Ifill – last year saved some of their best performances for when they played Napier City Rovers.
Forward Jonny McNamara said he and his team-mates were under no illusion that they faced a “tough” challenge first-up. But, he stressed, it was one everyone was up for.
“We’ll go out there with our plan and give it a good go,” the 2019 Chatham Cup-winner said.
“Our team’s full of courageous players. We don’t want to be scared to go out and play Olympic . . . you can’t be scared to play anyone in this in this league.
“You just have to want to go out there and try and take three points [against] everyone.”
Sunday afternoon’s rivals played three times last year; with Wellington Olympic winning all three games being won comfortably.
That included 6-3 and 4-1 wins in the Central League.
Worse was to come in a National League clash in the capital, with Wellington Olympic dismantling Napier City Rovers 7-1 in an emphatic performance.
McNamara played that day but added more pain to his side when he was shown a red card for an off-the-ball incident.
Six months on, the feelings of disappointment linger for the proud player; who in 2022 was voted the Central League’s Most Valuable Player.
“It was tough, obviously, but that’s because I care about the club,” McNamara said.
“I wear my heart on my sleeve.
“I want the club to do well, not just for personal reasons, but for the people that are here day in, day out, doing stuff around the ground and doing stuff in the community. This club’s great.
“I love this club. It’s probably the best club I’ve ever played for in terms of football, in terms of how the club’s run and how it’s a family club. It does hurt when you get when you get beaten . . . we do hurt.”
The National League round-robin result led to a “quiet” five-hour bus ride back to Napier. McNamara was also handed a three-match suspension following his red card.
McNarama again shapes as a key player in coach Bill Robertson’s squad for the domestic football season; a squad that features a lot more depth compared to 2023 following off-season signings.
Sunday’s season-opener comes after an at-times exhaustive eight-week pre-season campaign.
The 30-year-old said a “strong bond” had already formed between the core of the 2023 squad who remained and the new recruits.
That group includes the returning Stephen Hoyle, older brother of captain Jim Hoyle. Stephen Hoyle has returned as both a player and assistant coach.
McNamara said training sessions in the lead-up to the 2024 season had seemed “more intense” than previously, something which would benefit the team over the coming months.
“I think it’s great for the team and it’s good for the camaraderie with all the lads,” he said. “Because everyone’s up for it all the time now.”
McNamara tasted success in his first season with Napier City Rovers in 2019, being a key member of the side that secured the club its fifth Chatham Cup final triumph. The Liverpool-born plumber and gasfitter was also the competition’s top goal-scorer in the run to the title.
He said he’d love to be able to add a league-winners medal to his haul, as well as help his beloved side go on another run deep into this year’s knockout Chatham Cup.
“It’s a long season, we’ve gotta turn up every game,” he said.
“Every team [we play] will be decent this year. Let’s just go and have a good time. Let’s go and enjoy ourselves . . . go play some football and see where we end up.”
McNamara is a fan’s favourite at Bluewater Stadium; a player who gives his all on the pitch and someone who makes time for supporters young and old post-match.
And rarely is he seen without a smile.
“I’m the biggest advocate of having fun . . . whether it’s at work or in football,” McNamara said.
“You want to be serious, but you’ve got to enjoy yourself at the same time. You play your best football when you’re enjoying yourself.”
McNamara was to thank for Napier City Rovers sporting a different look at training last Thursday night.
Players and coaching staff donned colourful mismatched socks as part of World Down Syndrome Day, joining the global #lotsofsocks campaign.
Promotion for the event states: “The idea is to start a conversation, so when people ask you about your socks you can tell them, ‘I’m wearing them to raise awareness of Down syndrome’.”
About one in 1000 babies born in New Zealand has Down syndrome; a lifelong condition that impacts learning and development.
“I told all the lads to get together and get their most vibrant socks,” he said.
McNamara said Napier City Rovers was a club that celebrated inclusiveness, and it was great for the team to promote a good cause.
Napier City Rovers’ Central League draw:
Sunday: v Wellington Olympic, Bluewater Stadium
April 6: v Waterside Karori, Karori Park
April 14: v Stop Out, Bluewater Stadium
April 13: v Wellington Phoenix Reserves, Fraser Park
April 28: v Island Bay United, Bluewater Stadium
May 5: v Miramar Rangers, David Farrington Park
May 12: v Petone FC, Bluewater Stadium
May 18: v North Wellington, Alex Moore Artificial
May 26: v Western Suburbs, Bluewater Stadium
June 8: v Wellington Olympic, Wakefield Park
June 23: v Waterside Karori, Bluewater Stadium
June 29: v Stop Out, Hutt Park
July 14: v Wellington Phoenix Reserves, Bluewater Stadium
July 20: v Island Bay United, Wakefield Park
August 4: v Miramar Rangers, Bluewater Stadium
August 10: v Petone FC, Petone Memorial
August 25: v North Wellington, Bluewater Stadium
August 31: v Western Suburbs, August 31, Endeavour Park
Inside the Rovers videos:
Episode One: Back to Work
Episode Two: The Darkest Days
Episode Three: Skin Deep
Episode Four: Good as Gould
Episode Five: The Hard Yards
Episode Six: Leaving a Legacy
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.