Summer football will work

Football NSW has shot down rumours a turf war with its national counterpart is looming over the decision to move the state competition to summer.The state's governing body last month approved a request from clubs - including the South Coast Wolves - to start the 2011 NSW Premier League in September. That will mean the state championship - scheduled to finish in March 2012 - will be played in loose alignment with the A-League, run by Football Federation Australia.However, head of competitions and futsal Bill Kostandas doesn't believe the national body will order the competition to be played in the traditional March-August timeframe to avoid any clashes with the A-League."I haven't seen any correspondence from them. By the same token I don't know if they are up to speed about why the clubs and Football NSW want to play in summer," Kostandas said."We'll have to have a sit down with them eventually because they are the national governing body."Officials from both camps will meet tomorrow but the inclusion of the Sydney FC and Central Coast National Youth League in next year's Super League competition - to be played in winter - will be the only item on the agenda.The Mercury understands the FFA is concerned about state league matches stealing crowds and attention away from A-League contests.However, Kostandas moved quickly to ease any fears that former NSL clubs such as Marconi, Sydney United and Sydney Olympic would be going up against their A-League heirs Sydney FC."The clubs don't want to clash with the A-League games. They will schedule their games separately," Kostandas said.Meantime, the state under 20s are likely to play an interim season before the summer relaunch.The Football NSW board will vote on a 22-round season to start in February and end in August at the end of the month.