The 84th final of the 89-year-old knockout competition became an all-Central League affair after Napier qualified for their sixth final by beating Dunedin’s Caversham 2-1 at home and Wairarapa notched an upset 1-0 semi-final win over Bay Olympic in Auckland to extend the club’s best-ever cup run.
Those results confirmed that the Chatham Cup final would be hosted outside Auckland for just the second time in a decade and New Zealand Football CEO Grant McKavanagh says a neutral venue in the Manawatu was the logical choice.
“The Chatham Cup final is a special occasion in any club’s history and we wanted to give equal opportunity for fans from both clubs to attend the showpiece of winter football,” McKavanagh says.
“Memorial Park is a couple of hours drive or less for all supporters and a final in Palmerston North presents a rare opportunity for football fans in the Lower North Island. We thank Central Football and the Palmerston North City Council for their support and efforts to make the occasion a success.”
New Zealand Football officials inspected the pitch and facilities, used by YoungHeart Manawatu in the ASB Premiership national league, on Tuesday before confirming the decision.
To protect the quality of the playing surface, Central Football and the Palmerston North City Council will transfer games scheduled for Memorial Park this weekend to other venues.
ASB Chatham Cup Final
Napier City Rovers vs Wairarapa United
Memorial Park, Palmerston North
Sunday 28 August 2011
Kick-off: 2pm (TBC)
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand football go to www.nzfootball.co.nz

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