Football Kingz benefactor Brian Katzen has offered New Zealand Soccer a 10 per cent shareholding in the club but cannot yet stick a pricetag on it. NZ Soccer chief executive Bill MacGowan will present the offer to his board on June 23 as well as a "memorandum of understanding" he thrashed out with Katzen at a meeting in London late last month. The document includes a sharing of services agreement which would see the Kingz tap into NZ Soccer's physiotherapy and sport science specialists and possibly even goalkeeping coach Mick Leonard. In return the Kingz are promising NZ Soccer the "best possible development ground for young Kiwi players". But the Kingz are unable to put a value on the shareholding till they get more detailed criteria of what they are selling – a berth in the new Australian premier league. Kingz general manager Guy Hedderwick said the club was awaiting an official criteria and application pack from the Australian Soccer Association. National associations are not normally able to take a financial interest in a professional club under their umbrella, though it is understood NZ Soccer has received dispensation from Fifa given the fact that the Kingz are New Zealand's only professional soccer team. The club is also investigating the formation of youth academies in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Talks are already underway with Kevin Fallon's renowned Mt Albert Grammar School setup and Dave Wilson's Ole Soccer Academy in Porirua. Meanwhile, Mark Burton, Jason Rowley and Jeremy Christie recently agreed new contracts with the club, joining Danny Hay and All Whites forward Noah Hickey on the Kingz' books. Hedderwick confirmed veterans Chris Jackson and Harry Ngata were also mulling over new offers, while NZ Soccer would approach a couple of its "young stars". Crowdie
as you well know crowdie i am not a fan of the Kingz or it's heirs to be in the APL especially when we are trying to get our game in order.
One of the ASA's requirements for a Kiwi side to get into the APL was that NZ Soccer had to own a share. That is what you are now seeing the start of. Crowdie
well besides their sexual tendencies i think they have in the forums i have been there is little to no support from Aussies or kiwi's alike for the Kingz in the APL or any other for that matter.
Not a great situation for Australian sport at all The Kingz have not performed at all in their history but you have to look forward and they represent a key part of the soccer structure in New Zealand. They give local players a team to play for when they progress to a higher standard than the forthcoming National League: All Whites ^ Kingz ^ National League ^ Northern League Premier (or equivalent) ^ Northern League Premier Reserve (or equivalent) ^ Metro Leagues (or equivalent) ^ Junior Leagues Crowdie
One of the key things about the Kingz is that they have development squads that introduce youth players to a professional football environment. Crowdie
i still think that Australia needs to fix itself before NZ get the easy way in and take an important spot of a Melbourne or Sydney team in the early stages of the APL
Good morning Mr Crowdie Why The Football Kingz has a these problems? IS Ken Dougdall this year too the coach? They have difficults to find good players? Is arrived down this year? I did not see any game of Football Kingz this year, but in Australia I saw 9 games of first level and some of others and sincerely I think that is not so special respect Europe or South America. Why these problems to obtein a good result? I wait for Your answer
But if NZS is developing a new league then surely there would be no need for a NZ side in the APL. I think a champions league set up with the top 4 APL and NZPL side play, that would boost the game here.
I have always thought that the standard of the NSL was poor at best. The standard of the old National League here was even worse. The National League is designed to be a stepping stone to the APL.
That is my point, the "why waste money where a gullible nation will pay for us?" We need to get our house in order before the guests come over for the party. simple really. yes i agree the NSL was not up to the standard it should of been but that is the whole point of it folding.
O'Neill impressed with Kingz' application Australia Soccer Association (ASA) chief executive John O'Neill is impressed with the Football Kingz' application to play in the new eight-team Australian national league. Representatives from the ASA, New Zealand Soccer (NZS) and the Kingz met in Auckland yesterday to discuss the application. "Today has been most beneficial for the ASA in understanding the Kingz bid in some detail," O'Neill said later. "Both parties sought clarification on a number of issues and I believe good progress has been made. "Today was all about talking through a very good bid document and better understanding the process from the point of view of both parties. "We (the ASA) are effectively on the road, having visited Newcastle and now the Kingz just as we will visit all 12 of the applicants for the new competition. "Once complete the ASA will further review the applications before finalising the eight teams for the new competition on September 29th with a view to an August 2005 kick-off." NZS chief executive Bill MacGowan and Kingz spokesman Guy Hedderwick were also pleased with the meeting, and indicated that a clearer picture was developing with regards to the new league. "The Kingz and New Zealand Soccer will continue to work assuming we are in the league and look forward to September's announcement from the ASA. The Kingz are the only applicants from New Zealand. Although the Auckland-based franchise have not decided their home ground, O'Neill offered a glowing endorsement of North Harbour Stadium, the venue for yesterday's meeting. "As we said in the meeting this morning, there are two keys to a successful franchise – good facilities and a good team. "There can be no doubt that this stadium fulfills the first part of that equation, it is up to the Kingz to deliver on the other. We have been most impressed by what we have seen." O'Neill said there was no Australian resentment towards the Kingz inclusion in the new competition. "I have certainly had no negativity communicated to me with regards a New Zealand team playing in the competition. If there was, I think I would know. This is all about consolidation of a product." O'Neill said a "teaser competition" was still a possibility before the new league kicked off next August. Such a competition could be played as an opening to the league and also to find an Australian representative in the 2005 Oceania world club championships qualifying tournament. If it does take place, a brief competition is likely to be played in May 2005, ahead of the Oceania qualifying tournament.
Auckland's North Harbour Stadium is such a fantastic arena. I do hope the Kingz make it their permanent home ground. http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=77 I was originally opposed to Auckland as I didn't want an Australian spot taken by an alien team. However, if their entry assists the code in NZ and leads to the NNC evolving into an Oceania competition (subject to FIFA's rules) then this is a worthy aim, isn't it? 2015 Oceania Premier League: 12 Australian teams 2 NZ teams 1 Solomon Islands team 1 Fijian team 1 Tahitian team 1 Vanuatu team
so are the Kingz officially a feeder for the All Whites? now let me throw in a bit of a dig- if thats the case, then they must not be doing too good of a job, since the All Whites are already out of WC qualies (i am still shocked). well back to my point, if i was a bigshot for the All Whites, and now we own a stake in the Kingz, i'd load my team with all the All Whites who don't play abroad. thus, the team would be able to 'gel' better and constantly get used to playing together. as for the APL, and the old NSL- this is in regards to the level of play- did the teams ever go on a preseason tour of say japan, to play j-league teams? why not play MLS (USA) teams? the hold-back i would presume is the costs of traveling to any other country did to nothing being all to close to NZ or australia.
The Kingz as a club can have players from any country as long as that player is eligible to play in the NSL and can obtain a NZ work permit. That said as NZ's only professional team the Kingz are an important stepping stone for domestic players who want to play for the All Whites. Current NZ Soccer policy is to get as many players as possible playing in overseas leagues - England, Scotland and the USA seem to be the most popular at the moment. The NSL is really a secondary league that players start in before heading overseas and this is the same for the Aussies - just look at how many of their full strength first team play in leagues other than the NSL.
All of them . Even the majority of our Olympic team plays overseas. There are about 160 Australians playing outside Australia - mostly in Europe, and a few in Asia. The aim of the new national league is to hopefully entice the players home who are playing in lesser competitions (such as lower-division Scottish football).
I like the players moving to europe but there are too many that are there and are in the reserves sides and never make it like the others do. They are under-developed and i hope the APL develops players that make them want to stay here or move abroad. APL needs to be credible and no push over like the MLS is starting to get.
There needs to be some serious changes because some of the NSL games last season sent you to sleep. The game was based around: * Defence collects ball * Defence slowly moves ball forward * Defence does several passes that result in a 5m gain * Repeat above two steps until approaching opposing penalty area * Lose ball * Repeat with other team And they wondered why nobody wanted to watch it.
Well i would understand that as the Kingz were at the bottom of the table but i saw many great games of NSL standard. 4-0, 6-0, 3-1, 2-0, 1-0, 4-1's i saw o and a 6-1 also. i don't think it was all like that.
They must have been on your side of the Tasman as I can't remember one good game on this side last season. With the Kingz struggling I am not sure if the opposition just sent over second teams or dropped their standards but football people over here didn't want to go to the games as the standard of football was so poor.