Soccer: Kingz coach has seen all the tough times before

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Tommy Mason will happily throw his hat into the ring to coach the Football Kingz should they win a spot in the new-look Australian NSL.

But, he insists, coaching is his lot. He doesn't hanker after the top job.

"They need a high-profile person to take overall control, much like the British-style manager," said Mason, who inherited his coaching role with the Kingz when former boss Ken Dugdale and the club headed in different directions midway through the season.

Mason, 43, would prefer to be involved at the highest club level possible, rather than the national league.

Football has long been his life. Born in Fulham, close to the club of the same name, Mason had what he had hoped would be a decent professional life in England cut short almost before it started.

He was signed as an apprentice by Fulham as a 16-year-old and a full pro the following year. He made his first-team debut away to Bolton Wanderers in 1978, a 0-0 draw in front of 35,000 fans.

But he got so few games for the first team that he asked for a transfer and went to Brighton.

He signed a one-year contract with coach Alan Mullery on a Monday. On the Friday, Mullery was sacked, and under the new coach, Mason never made it past the reserves.

He went to the Seattle Sounders in the US, but broke his ankle in a trial game.

He headed back to England and eventually ended up in New Zealand playing at Tauranga City, Papatoetoe and North Shore.

Fast-tracked citizenship enabled Mason to play for the All Whites in 1986 and 1990.

He returned to Britain to live in 1988, playing for Farnborough Town, but he and his wife, Sue, brought their children, Lauren and Thomas, to New Zealand "for a look" in 1998.

They liked what they saw and the family returned in 2000.

At age 39, Mason played a handful of games for Metro. "My legs were giving up so I gave it away."

He had been involved in coaching for almost 10 years in England, and landed the Mt Wellington job, but, after "not a great season," he was appointed director of coaching at Waitakere and later juggled that with his job at the Old Fashioned Window Cleaning Company he and partner Jon Lee set up here, and then his role as Dugdale's right-hand man.

"The Kingz have been the biggest challenge for sure," Mason said. "We are down to the bare bones, but we are getting by."

Beyond this season, which is almost certain to end on the last day of this month, who knows?

Tommy Mason certainly doesn't.

Tommy Mason

Born: Fulham.

Date of birth: June 19, 1960.

Came to NZ (first time): 1982.

Clubs (in NZ): Tauranga City, Papatoetoe, North Shore, Metro.

Clubs, as coach (in NZ): Mt Wellington, Waitakere City, Football Kingz.

Honours: All Whites (6 matches) 1986, 1990.

Position: Left back.