Soccer: Huge score as Kings get Fifa approval

By Chris Rattue

The Auckland-based Football Kings have been given the green light by Fifa to play in the Australian league in what is being hailed as an historic moment for soccer.

A congress of the governing body of world soccer in Los Angeles announced yesterday that the Kings, who will play most of their home matches at North Harbour Stadium, have been given a two-year licence to play in the Ericsson Cup.

The general manager of the Cup, Stefan Kamasz, said from Sydney last night that the Soccer Australia chairman, Basil Scarsella, had reported from Los Angeles that Fifa would review the Kings' participation after two years.

The Kings, who will be coached by Kiwi soccer great Wynton Rufer, will play the opening match of this year's competition at the stadium in Albany on Friday, October 1, possibly against South Melbourne or Sydney United, who were last season's grand finalists.

The Kings have already signed a contract of participation with Australia giving them a five-year licence to play in the competition, which finishes with a grand final in late May.

Kamasz is confident the Kings will become a permanent fixture in the league even though the initial Fifa approval is only for two years.

"This is an historic decision for Oceania soccer and in our view it will bring so many benefits to soccer in the region," Kamasz said.

Kings chairman Chris Turner said: "After three-and-a-half years of hard work, this is the last piece in the jigsaw.

"It is an historic day for soccer in this country, and New Zealand sport. I don't think people will even realise how big this is in terms of world soccer, with Fifa allowing a team from one country to compete in the competition in another.

"Of course we would have liked a longer period than two years...and there are no guarantees after two years.

"But as long as we are still meeting conditions like lifting the profile of the game, then even if we finish bottom of the league, it will not be an issue with Fifa."

Australian administrators and the Kings were concerned that other developments, and particularly English club Wimbledon's attempt to base themselves in Dublin while still playing in the English league, would impact on the Kings' bid.

Fifa opposes cross-border teams, particularly if there is a professional league in the country where the "travelling" team is based.

Turner said the criteria Fifa would judge the Kings on would include whether there was a professional league in New Zealand, if junior development was being boosted by the Kings' existence, and the club's financial base.

Some Australian clubs still oppose the Kings' inclusion, especially those who face eviction next year if they fail to meet finance and crowd support targets.

The league has 17 teams who play 32 home-and-away matches before the top six go into a five-week finals programme.

The top seeds from the finals series have home advantage in the grand final, although Soccer Australia may pick out a grand final venue in future so they can plan a big day for the season finale. There have also been initial investigations into running an end-of-season Champions Cup involving Asian teams.

News of Fifa's decision was relayed to the Kings by Oceania representative Charlie Dempsey, who claimed that the Kings would have to pull out of the competition after two years.

However, Turner suggested Dempsey had interpreted the decision too literally, and that Fifa had simply opted to give his organisation no guarantees after the two-year period.

The Kings are still deciding whether to base their club rooms at North Harbour Stadium, or at Unitec in Mt Albert, and they may play a couple of matches each season out of Auckland. Their base, major sponsor and playing strip will be revealed in the next two or three weeks.

They have already signed Rufer as a player-coach plus Gavin Wilkinson (Perth), Riki van Steeden and Australian Marcos Stergiopoulos (both Carlton), Fred de Jong (Auckland's Central), Chris Jackson (Napier), Harry Ngata (North Shore) and goalkeeper Jason Batty, who has been playing in Singapore.

In the strange-but-apparently-true department, former German soccer star Jurgen Klinsmann may play a couple of matches for the Kings, and the brother of Liberian star George Weah is also due for a trial.

The Kings will run a 22-man full-time squad, who will have two or three "apprentices" attached.

Soccer Australia has recently changed its import quota rule, declaring that all Oceania players are regarded as locals. There is a limit of five imports and Turner said they planned to sign four or five players from Europe and other leading soccer regions.

Dempsey, a member of the Fifa executive, said from Los Angeles: "When the recommendation was first put, no one spoke in favour. In fact, three delegates spoke against what they see as setting a dangerous precedent.

"However, there is a lot of sympathy for New Zealand soccer - this is another way of helping it develop. I'm happy for everyone who has worked so hard to bring it about."