Schoolboy soccer players score private jet

Mt Albert Grammar soccer coach Kevin Fallon was not joking when he told organisers of next week's premier tournament in Napier that he and his players would be flying in by private jet on Sunday.

No long, drawn-out bus trip for the defending champions who last year made the journey south in two mini-buses.

The flight to the Lotto Sports Premier tournament at Park Island was promised as part of a sponsorship deal the Emerald Group made with the school a month ago.

"The players were quite chuffed when we told them," said Emerald chief executive Kevin Whitley yesterday.

Whitley bought the 19-seater $1 million Jetstream 32 this year. It has since been used for flying Fallon and some of his Mt Albert players around the North Island to play for Gisborne City in the Central Premier League.

When not being used for football or company business, the aircraft is flown by Air New Zealand under a contract arrangement.

City, backed by Emerald and major shareholder Russian-based businessman Adyl Khidirbekov, are chasing a return to the glory days of the 1980s when they won the national league and Chatham Cup.

The company, which has interests in construction, hotel operation, a dairy farm and gold exploration, has a two-year arrangement with Mt Albert Grammar. Asked what will happen if they don't win in Napier, Whitley joked: "They will have to walk home - or look for some mini-buses."

The odds are stacked a little against Fallon and his team. They have won the tournament four times in the nine years Fallon has been in charge but have yet to successfully defend their title.