by Pete Petterson (
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I'm a writer blogger who has been resident in the Hutt Valley since the late 1960's. I'm a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I have seen many people come and go over the years, seen many things good and bad. Time to remember whanau
The A-League is a professional men's soccer league, run by Football Federation Australia (FFA), It is Australia's primary club competition for the sport. The A-League was established in 2004 as a successor to the old National Soccer League (NSL) with the new competition commencing in August 2005. The league is currently contested by ten teams; nine based in Australia and one based in New Zealand - the Wellington Phoenix, or locally known as the "Nix". They are based at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.
The competition is officially known as the Hyundai A-League (HAL) through a sponsorship arrangement with the Hyundai Motor Company
The A- League seasons run from October to May which include a 27-round regular season and an end-of-season finals series playoff tournament involving the highest-placed teams, culminating in a 'grand final' match. The winner of the regular season tournament is dubbed 'premier' and the winner of the grand final is 'champion' for that particular season..
Australia and New Zealand have their own competitions below the A-League. The A-League provides a pathway for younger players seeking national recognition in the Australian Socceroos or the NZ All Whites, or contacts with overseas professional clubs. Some players are finishing their careers in this competition after overseas careers have ended.
