Soccer: All eyes on $1m payday

The Christmas break, short as it is, gives clubs in the New Zealand Football Championship the opportunity to prepare for the big push and the chance of a $1 million payday.

The winner of the inaugural NZFC grand final in March will play matches against American Samoa's top club side there in June for a place in the Oceania club championship in Tahiti.

The winner goes on to Fifa's World Club Championship and a guaranteed big payoff.

The New Zealand representative and the Australian side are expected to fight it out, but the identity of the Australian team remains unknown.

"We have been told by Oceania all countries must find their team by the end of March," said New Zealand Soccer chief executive Bill MacGowan. "But I understand the Australians plan a mini-tournament in May to find their representative. That could be a problem."

Looking back on the first half of the championship, MacGowan said the feedback had been positive.

"The gates have averaged about 1100 for the first 10 weeks, which is far above anything we have seen in recent years. It could have been even better. This was supposed to be a summer competition. We have to wonder when we are going to see that."

He added: "I think we have achieved some of what we set out to do. Off the park, the game is a whole lot stronger and some matches on it have reached the standard we wanted. We always felt once we got things outside the white lines sorted, the standard inside would improve. This might take three years. We are happy with the standard of players being attracted to the NZFC.

"Overall, I would give it 7 1/2 out of 10," said MacGowan. "There is still a bit of fine-tuning to be done, including looking at a home and away grand final."

He remains convinced that in settling on eight teams, NZ Soccer got it right with the two Auckland clubs happy they have the best available players on their books.

MacGowan is also happy that some are putting their hands up as prospective Football Kingz players.

But who will end up with the North Harbour Stadium-based club whatever its name - and chief executive Guy Hedderwick confirmed there would be a name change next month - remains to be seen.

Hedderwick yesterday dismissed suggestions that former full or age-group internationals including Kris Bright, Allan Pearce, Leo Bertos, Michael Wilson, Steven Turner, James Pritchett, Steven Old, David Mulligan and Tony Lochhead had been offered contracts.

"Some players might have been spoken to by the old company, but the new company has not signed any new players and will not do so until John Adshead is back and has had a chance to look at them."

He confirmed that Darren Beazley and Danny Milosevic had been signed after their names had been put forward by Danny Hay.

Hedderwick dismissed suggestions from across the Tasman that Tommy Mason was set to be signed as Adshead's assistant.

"There are still four candidates in my mind."

Adshead can go outside these four but he will still have to come back to the board for final approval.

Hedderwick did admit, however, that he was keen to see a New Zealand-based coach in the role.

Adshead is due back from Oman in mid to late January.