Soccer: Kingz close to signing season's full squad

By TERRY MADDAFORD

A month before their first game of the new Australian National Soccer League season, the Football Kingz are finally within sight of naming their players.

As discussions continue with Michael Utting - the second goalkeeping choice for coach Ken Dugdale - most other players have either signed or at least agreed terms with the Auckland-based franchise.

"We had a long talk with Utting this week," said Kingz chief executive Chris Turner. "Both parties want to make it work and we are following things through but as yet nothing has been signed or agreed.

Utting has trained with the squad since coming to Auckland, from Wellington, this week.

Turner yesterday confirmed the 11 players who have signed for the season, including Mark Burton for the second year of a three-year deal.

Joining Burton, the club's 2000-2001 season player of the year, are Mark Atkinson, Hiroshi Miyazawa and Andy Vlahos (all for the second-year of two-year contracts), Jeff Campbell, James Bannatyne, Jonathan Perry and Chris Jackson (who have played for the Kingz in the past), Mark Beldham and Jonathan Taylor (signed from national league clubs North Shore and Napier), Chilean Patricio Almendra and Darren Young (fulltime but on a three-month trial).

They will be joined by Harry Ngata and Paul Urlovic and Raf de Gregorio who have all agreed terms and will put pen to paper next week.

"We also intend to offer a fulltime contract to Mark Dempsey (who arrived at the Kingz from Northampton Town via a brief stint with North Shore) and a part-time deal to Nick Haig (an American who has been playing for Wellington club Western Suburbs).

"We envisage signing Haig on a similar basis to that accepted by Ben Sigmund which assures him of a full season with the club but allows him to continue working."

Former Waitakere City midfielder Darren Young is on a three-month paid trial.

Turner said Sean Fallon, who played briefly for the Kingz in their away game against Perth Glory last season, and Riki Van Steeden, who played more than 30 games in the Kingz first two seasons but only eight in 2001-2002, will also be offered part-time contracts.

Former New Zealand under-23 international John Foundaulakis (ex Wellington), who is playing in Greece, is due back for a three-month trial on the same terms as Young.

Glenfield's Dean Dodds and Stephen Turner and James Pritchett (Waitakere) are training with the Kingz but, according to Turner, have "not been offered anything at this stage". They will be free to continue training with the squad.

Mark Bariamis and Josh Maguire, two young Australians who have been trialling with the club, were released yesterday.

In having Miyazawa, Almendra, Dempsey and Haig on their books, the Kingz will need to tread warily as they are allowed no more than three overseas players on the pitch at any one time.

In their first season the Kingz had five Australians and four other overseas players on their roster. This season Vlahos is the sole Australian - down from seven last season. Australian and other Oceania-based players are not regarded as "imports" under NSL regulations.

In a warm-up game this week, the Kingz beat Waitakere City 2-0 and will play them again tomorrow week at Fred Taylor Park.

There are also plans to play another game this week - possibly against Metro.

Dugdale and assistant Stu Jacobs will then take the team to Wellington to play the Nigerian under-19s on September 4 before final pre-season games - possibly September 7 and 11 - against fellow NSL side Northern Spirit.

Those games will be played in either Dunedin, Christchurch or Wellington.

The Kingz first game of their fourth season is against Sydney United at Ericsson Stadium on September 22 - a rare Sunday afternoon home game.