Soccer: Kings delighted at response from coaches keen to tackle new side

By Terry Maddaford

Kings bosses have been overwhelmed with applications from coaches keen to take the side into the Australian national soccer league.

Spokesman Chris Turner said yesterday that at least 10 coaches had expressed interest in the job before it was advertised and a further five or six applications - some from outside New Zealand - had been received in the past few days.

"The response has been superb," said Turner.

He said the Kings had received the franchise agreement from Australia last week.

The document was being scrutinised by their solicitor and should be returned in the next few days.

"Once we have been given the okay, we will sign the agreement and also the agreement between ourselves and New Zealand Soccer.

"At that point we will be ready to `announce ourselves' with an official launch, which should give full details on where we will play, where our headquarters will be, who our sponsors and backers are and, hopefully, who will be coach.

"We expect that to happen before the end of March. The league is due to start in October."

The Kings will be allowed to use up to five imports in their first year, four in their second and three in their third and subsequent years. Any Australians lured across the Tasman will be deemed as imports.

Turner remains coy on how much and when the Kings must pay to confirm their entry into the Ericsson Cup.

"Those terms are a business arrangement," said Turner in response to suggestions that a $500,000 first instalment had yet to be paid.

New Zealand Soccer chief executive Bob Patterson said his association saw few problems in reaching an agreement with the Kings, who had Turner, John Batty and Noel Robinson as their directors.