Western Premier League expressions of interest to be taken until end of January

Clubs have until January 31 to express their interest in joining what would become the Central West's top tier competition, and with at least eight clubs already on board it's looking likely to take shape.

Bathurst's Panorama FC have been the club pushing hardest for the competition's re-formation over the past few months.

Club representatives have been in discussion with Coaching and Development Manager for Western Branch, Andrew Fearnley, about reviving the WPL.

As long as enough clubs remain committed by the end of the month then Western Branch will be happy to accommodate the competition.

Panorama's Brent Osborne said it's been exciting to see clubs come on board with the idea one by one.

"There's enough interest at the club level to make it happen and over the last few months I've been ringing up clubs around the Central West to gauge interest," he said.

"As things sit at the moment I've got eight to 10 clubs who are interested and can send a good quality side to a Western Premier League competition in 2020.

"We just need the final sign off from the associations, and we've given the clubs a line in the sand to say they can give us that commitment."

That time was finalised on Tuesday when the date was January 31 was sent out to all interested clubs.

Panorama and one other Bathurst club have signalled their intention to field a team.

Three to four Dubbo clubs, two Orange clubs as well as teams from Parkes and Lithgow have also expressed desire to take part.

Osborne believes a new WPL can help further the game in the region and provide a strong pathway towards the next level of football.

"I've found there's definitely a need for a higher level of football for people across the region. For me, it's a point of frustration that we haven't been able to play clubs in Orange and Dubbo like other codes," he said.

"They've done that in other codes like rugby league and union, and now they've done the same in cricket with the Bathurst and Orange associations coming together.

"Football, which has a bigger participation rate than anything else, isn't unified across the Central West. In my mind that's madness and I think there's a space and a need for such a competition, and there's a newfound energy from clubs to get it off the ground.

"It's time for everyone in football to come back onto the same page and drive towards the same goals. Local associations should funnel into the Western Premier League which funnels into the Mariners."

The previous iteration of Western Premier League fell apart at the end of 2012 when Westside Panthers, Barnstoneworth and Dubbo FC all pulled out in quick succession, leaving just three teams in the competition.