The 2024 Zone Football League season kicks off this weekend with the return of promotion and relegation and the historic connection of the football pyramid to make it one of the most anticipated seasons in memory.
The Zone Football League, including the Zone League One, Zone League Two and Zone League three competitions, is administered by the Newcastle Football, Macquarie Football and Hunter Valley Football member zones.
NNSWF and the three member zones announced last year that the men’s Hunter football pyramid would be connected for the first time from the NPL Men’s NNSW and HIT106.9 Northern League One competitions through to Zone League One, Two and Three, allowing for the return of promotion and relegation.
Zone Football League One
The race for promotion is on for Zone League One teams, with the 2024 premiers automatically promoted to the HIT106.9 Northern League One competition in 2025.
The top four sides from last season including reigning premiers and champions Newcastle Suns, premiership runners-up Dudley Redhead United, beaten grand finalists Warners Bay FC and Mayfield United Senior FC will be eager to finish at the top this season with their sights set on promotion.
Cardiff City, Minmi Wanderers and Hamilton Azzurri finished in the bottom three last season and will look for much-improved campaigns, with a 12th-placed finish meaning relegation to Zone League Two in 2025.
Zone Football League Two
Zone League Two’s 11 clubs will vie for a place in Zone League One next season, with a number of teams eyeing off promotion.
The Hamilton Azzurri side that won the premiership in 2023 will now play as Croudace Bay United and will again be among the favourites for promotion.
Grand final winners Newcastle Croatia and Stockton JSC have recruited strongly and are the most likely to fight for promotion.
Southern United FC and Cooks Hill United FC have been promoted from Zone League Three and will be eager to shake up the competition.
Zone Football League Three
Zone League Three has expanded to a 12-team competition as all teams compete for the chance to be promoted to Zone League Two in 2025.
Premiers Southern United and seventh-placed Cooks Hill United have joined Zone League Two, leaving premiership runners-up Lambton Jaffas JSC, beaten grand finalists Kurri Kurri FC and Greta Branxton FC to battle for promotion.
Southern Lakes United, Charlestown FC, Garden Suburb FC, Lake Macquarie City FC and Merewether United have all entered the competition and will hope to work their way up the ranks and be in contention.
NPL Men’s NNSW
After four rounds of the NPL Men’s NNSW competition, Lake Macquarie City FC, Cooks Hill United, Adamstown Rosebud and New Lambton FC are most at risk of relegation early on. Lakes and Cooks Hill are without a point, while Adamstown and New Lambton have one point each.
The team who comes last in NPL will be relegated to HIT106.9 Northern League One in 2025, while the team that finishes 11th must survive the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off to feature in NPL next season.
HIT106.9 Northern League One
Belmont Swansea United are five points clear at the top of HIT106.9 Northern League One to lead the race for automatic promotion.
Toronto Awaba FC, Thornton Redbacks and Singleton Strikers are in line to be a part of the promotion play-offs.
