'We'll be back': Belconnen United eye 2024 NPL return after being relegated to CPL next year

That's the message Belconnen United are sending to the Canberra NPL community as they eye a return to the top flight in 2024.

As one of the most successful clubs in the men's NPL, it all came down to one game last weekend. But it didn't go their way, and their first grade and under 23s have been relegated to the CPL in 2023.

The club's first grade have had 25 major honours in their history, and longtime senior player Dustin Wells has been a part of many of them since 2008.

He is hoping his side pop straight back up into the NPL, but at 39-years-old is going to reflect on his future on the field during the offseason.

"It's disappointing. It didn't really feel like it would happen but we just didn't put it together on the field. We left it too late," Wells said.

"We had a pretty strong team for quite a while, but I think we were lucky in my early days. Unfortunately, these days it's hard to keep players because they get enticed by that little bit of cash.

"I'm really close to 300 NPL games, so that would be a nice milestone, but whether it happens or not, we'll see. I always seem to be playing with a niggle, I never feel 100 per cent sadly, so I'm going to give the body a break and hopefully play again next year."

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But right now Belconnen are focused on their eight teams in finals this weekend, including their under 23s men's, who won the minor premiership, and their NPLW side.

United's operation director Ben Yuen said they were a proud club, and would be back in the top men's competition.

"Just as Tuggeranong United fought hard to regain promotion to the NPL, Belconnen will do the same with promotion back to the NPL in 2024 our driving force," he said.

"It won't be an easy journey, nor do we expect it to be. Contrary to belief, Belconnen does not have a big bank balance. The past three years have been tough on everyone, from sponsors to the families that make up our club.

"We have to obviously put this year's events under the microscope and look at what what occurred and what we need to do to move forward. It's something that we're not going to make any rash decisions, but we need to give ourselves time to look at what's happened and come up with a well executed plan to ensure promotion in 2024."

One coach who knows all about Belconnen, after almost a decade in United's men's head coaching role during the early 2000s - before returning for a year stint in 2019 - is Steve Forshaw.

In his first year in the job he took over halfway through the season, with the club bottom of the table and facing relegation, before he built them into a premiership and championship winning side.

Forshaw said retaining and securing players who bought into the club, and were after more than a few dollars, would be crucial.

"It's absolutely terribly sad that the club with the potential of Belconnen should find itself relegated," he said.

"They've got a decision to make about what direction they take. They either make a clean break from what's gone on in the last couple of years, start again, and rebuild and give themselves enough time to do that.

"Or in the transition period, they've got to look to be successful, and that would mean bringing to the club, players or staff that are genuinely interested in the success of Belconnen United rather than just getting a game of football and a few dollars in the pocket.

"If they can do that, then they give themselves a chance of not only bouncing straight back, but laying same foundations for the future."

In the club's women's program, it's do-or-die for Belconnen on Saturday at Deakin Stadium.

Scott Conlon's side will battle it out against the West Canberra Wanderers in the third match of the day to keep their finals campaign alive, and secure a spot in the preliminary final next weekend.

Saturday at Deakin Stadium:

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