Michael Burgess: The other side of the story at Western Springs Football Club

Springs Sam Tawharu scores and celebrates her goal. Women's National League 2022, Eastern Suburbs v Western Springs, William Green Domain, Auckland, Friday 9th December 2022. Copyright Photo: Shane Wenzlick

OPINION:

One of the most fascinating books written in recent years was Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers.

The author illustrated, through a series of high-profile cases, the dangerous consequences of misreading people we don’t really know.

It looks at the miscommunication and assumptions that can arise and the crossed wires that eventuate.

There are some parallels with the Western Springs football saga this week involving two groups of people who appear to be strangers to each other.

The players, mostly teenagers or in their early 20s, likely know little of what is involved running an amateur football club, especially Western Springs, which has the largest membership in the country.

And those on the committee, many in their 40s and 50s, will struggle to walk in the shoes of aspiring young players, especially as the sport’s landscape has changed so much in recent decades.

That makes fertile ground for miscommunication and misunderstanding.

On the surface, Western Springs appear an unusual target.

They are one of four Auckland clubs - along with Eastern Suburbs, Auckland United and Northern Rovers - that have typically spent more than $100,000 a season on their women’s programmes in recent years.

Below that is a significant void to the next tier, and beyond that, almost nothing; many Auckland clubs have skeleton women’s programmes and teams nowhere near the top level.

I covered the Women’s National League final last year at Mt Smart – won 4-0 by Eastern Suburbs – and was impressed by the large entourage on the Springs bench. The match day programme listed a coach, assistant coach, manager, physiotherapist, video analyst and goalkeeping coach. There was also a vocal contingent of Springs fans, who told me the club had organised a supporters’ bus.

Springs appear proactive in the women’s space. According to their website, in 2021 they launched girls’ academies at under-14 and under-16 level, as well as a pre-academy for 9-12 year olds. A female coach development programme started the same year. Their recent rise has shown the fruits of that labour.

According to reports this week, squad members have been pushing to have a player representative on the Western Springs committee. In almost 20 years of reporting on football, it’s difficult to think of any first-team players, male or female, who have served on an Auckland club committee.

Springs team photo. Women's National League Championship 2022 Final, Eastern Suburbs AFC v Western Springs AFC, Mt Smart Stadium Auckland, Sunday 18th December 2022. Copyright Photo: Shane Wenzlick

It’s not about barriers, more that players don’t have the time or inclination to do so. There is nothing glamorous about it. It’s relentless, never-ending administration: arranging fields, teams, referees, coaches, open days and tournaments, along with the constant struggle to find sponsors.

Duties never stop, whether stepping in to coach a team, referee a game, help in the kitchen or organise a working bee.

Allegations from players that women’s teams are the “last choice” for matches on the No 1 artificial turf do not bear scrutiny. Northern Region football records show the Springs premier women played almost every home game on the club’s marquee field in 2021.

The logo has also been a point of contention, with its supposedly phallic overtones. Really?

It’s a black female swan – from nearby Western Springs lake – sitting on two footballs which represent the clubs that amalgamated (Grey Lynn and Pt Chevalier) to form Springs.

Dating from the club’s inception in 1989, it’s not the greatest emblem, but there isn’t scope for Crusaders-level outrage. The club has more than 2500 members. At $60 a shirt and $35 for shorts, that’s more than $200,000 that would need to be borne by parents and players, and can’t be done on a whim.

Pay parity is another flashpoint. Under new New Zealand Football guidelines, all clubs are limited to reimbursements of $150 a week for players. Some can earn more, generally from coaching junior teams. But no one in football is printing money and everything is stretched.

Funds come from membership fees and the largesse of sponsors which are increasingly difficult to find. NZF accounts show the majority of Auckland clubs, including Western Springs, ran at a loss last season.

The Fifa Women’s World Cup upgrades, which are happening around the country, don’t mean extra money going into club coffers for the running of the club. All the funds, which come from local and central government, go to builders and tradespeople.

As one of seven Auckland clubs hosting World Cup teams, Springs were eligible for upgrades. That’s a benefit but also comes at a cost, as they won’t have access to facilities for up to a month around the tournament, one reason other clubs chose not to participate in the programme. The Fifa approval process also entailed mountains of paperwork.

Probably the most damaging allegation was the “highly misogynistic” behaviour of the board. There is evidence to suggest otherwise.

Northern region football records show Springs had more staff allocated to their women’s premier team last year than their men.

That was shown by results; reaching a National League final does not come without significant investment.

There are also the female academies, the coaching development programmes, the women who have won national honours and the hundreds of girls who play every weekend.

Being on any club committee is a tireless and often thankless job. They are all volunteers, not highly paid directors. Mistakes will happen and some have been made in this case.

The committee has also erred in their lack of communications and should have known that writing letters and emails are no substitute for face-to-face conversations.

Hopefully, for the sake of the sport, ongoing mediation will bear fruit and both parties will learn more about each other.

Because talking as strangers never works.