Football: Port United president Peter Moore says club backs Coastal Premier League concept in 2020

While president Peter Moore raised concerns about what the competition would mean for the local Premier League competition, United would apply for a three-year licence into the CPL.

"Originally that's what the Premier League was - it was from Woolgoolga in the north to Taree but then they dropped out," he said.

"If we want to develop the level of the game, we've got to do something so the better players go to a better level of football.

"As it is now with all the clubs, we've got a couple of good players, but not the depth and that's holding the level of football back around the area."

Moore said the club had previous experience playing at a higher level of competition than what was available locally when they joined the Newcastle competition for four years.

The main reason was they wanted to field a team at a high level as it improved the overall ability of their players.

"Depending on the level you play at is where you get to or where you drop to," he said.

"We had experiences with that as a club when we went to Newcastle for four years.

"We got hammered in the first game but by the turn of the round we beat the winners of the competition and then we came back (locally) we were beating sides 15-0.

"By the second round it was a lot closer."

Moore, however, was concerned that taking five of the best clubs out of the current Premier League would weaken the competition to strengthen another.

"The biggest problem for Football Mid North Coast is going to try and keep the standard of the remaining sides to a bit better level than normal Saturday league," he said.

"That's going to be the stumbling block.

"A lot of the clubs that won't go into the CPL will expect the Premier League to be like it was, but if you take five of the better sides out who do you replace them with?"

United's admission into the CPL will also depend on at least another four clubs also applying.

"It's worth trying again because it's worked before," Moore said.

"We'll give it a thrash and if it doesn't work then we'll reassess, but I'm a big believer in you can't knock something until you try it.

"As a club we've always strived to be at the best level that's available."

Port Saints did not offer a comment when contacted by the Port News.

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