It is going to be a weekend full of football.
Southern United has a warm-up game against Canterbury United in Timaru, the Southern youth team has a testing match against Wellington United at Tahuna Park, and the Football South women are away to Auckland.
It is ASB Premiership dress rehearsal time for Southern United, as coach Mike Fridge's squad travels to Timaru to play the old enemy today in a friendly.
''Friendly'' is of course a misnomer, as both sides will be fully switched on, looking for a result to bolster morale for the national league, which starts for Southern with a game against Auckland on October 25 at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Fridge has been working his squad hard, with several games against the youth side, and a game in Invercargill against a Southern Selection, which produced an 8-0 scoreline that was hard to assess.
Regardless of the Invercargill side's lack of preparedness, Fridge stressed the steady defence which produced a clean sheet and featured both keepers, Tom Batty and Liam Little.
''It was also a chance to have a look at how some combinations worked out, and how Southern's two new players, Victor da Costa and Eder Franchini, fitted in,'' Fridge said.
Canterbury won last year's Timaru pre-season clash 5-1, and finished fifth in the ASB Premiership on 22 points, while Southern gained 10 points and finished seventh of eight teams.
While the Timaru match will be Southern's first real test, Canterbury has already played Auckland City, losing 4-1 in Christchurch last week, and the Wellington Phoenix, losing 6-2 in Wellington.
The Southern youth team plays Wellington at 1pm tomorrow at Tahuna Park.
Coach Kevin Scoullar still sees his talented young side as a ''work in progress' despite being undefeated so far, with a shock away draw against champion side Auckland City, and then beating Hawkes Bay 3-1 last week in Napier.
''So far, so good,'' Scoullar said.
''We have defended pretty well, and always look to counter early, which has paid off. Any substitutes we have brought on have fitted in to our team shape, and added to our general team effort.''
More options might be needed against a very good Wellington side, Scoullar said.
''Our target will be to stay compact in defence, and look to improve our continuity of our play so we move the ball to all areas of the pitch with greater accuracy.''
The Football South women lost three of their better players this week through injury as Hanna English, Shontelle Smith and Kelsey Kennard were declared unfit for the away match against Auckland at the William Green Domain tomorrow.
Coaches Dave Martin-Chambers and Hayley Stirling were philosophical regarding the injured players, pointing out it would give some others in the squad a chance to aim at a starting place.
Southern football
The squads
Southern United (men): Tom Batty, Liam Little, Matt Joy, Cam Attwood, Ross Howard, Craig Ferguson, David Hayman, Ben Fitzpatrick, Andrew Ridden, Morgan Day, Josh Stewart, Michael Neaverson, Victor Da Costa, Nick Hindson, Eder Franchini, Tom Connor, Tim McLennan, Taylor McCormack, Tom Jackson, Alistair Rickerby.
Football South (women): Tessa Nicol, Samantha Williams, Holly Johnstone, Jordyn Walker, Maryann Cant, Alex Mcintosh, Theresa Rhein, Coral Seath, Kate Guildford, Sammy Murrell, Jessie Clark-Grant, Jade Middleditch, Alex Clark-Grant, Tabitha Seaton, Jenna Reddy, Nicola Britten.
