Soccer: Kings take a step towards Australia

By Chris Rattue

The cause of the Auckland-based Kings, who will play in the Australian soccer competition, has taken another step forward this week.

Australian soccer bosses have told the Kings that their lawyers have begun drawing up the documents which will confirm the Kings' place in their summer national league on a five-year licence.

And Kings spokesman Chris Turner, one of the three directors, said his organisation had the money in place to pay a licence fee.

Turner would not reveal what money Australia required from the Kings, but sources said they would have to pay a fee of $A500,000 and produce guarantees that they had access to another $A500,000 to be paid later.

Turner said: "It's another important step, although I've had no doubts about the Kings since Australia confirmed our place in writing last year.

"But we have wanted to keep a low profile until everything is in place. There is no problem for us in paying the fee, and we will be drawing up a document to sign with New Zealand Soccer as well.

"We have been desperate to do everything correctly and not to jump the gun, and hopefully some major announcements [about backers and coaches] are not too far away."

The 16-team Australian league begins in October, so their season would clash with the proposed South Pacific Cup in New Zealand. The Kings' entry into the Australian competition would all but end any hopes of creating a major summer league and probably return the focus to winter football in this country.