Soccer: MacGowan set for Kingz board

By TERRY MADDAFORD

New Zealand Soccer chief executive Bill MacGowan is set to take a hands-on role with the Football Kingz while leading efforts to ensure their survival in the Australian League beyond next season.

The national body is asking for confirmation of the two seats on the Kingz board as agreed in the heads of agreement. If confirmed, MacGowan will join NZS chairman Kevin Stratful, the four Sky Television appointees and the two Kingz nominees on the board.

Kingz chairman Chris Turner refused to give any indication on when the make-up of the board will be made public, saying Sky wants to announce the names together.

"There are a number of issues that need to be resolved, including the appointment of the chief executive, the announcement of the board, the contracts for Wynton and Shane Rufer and the signing of players for next season," Turner said yesterday. "They will be made public as soon as possible.

"There is also the need to sort out the renewal of our licence with Fifa.

"We have interviewed some of the applicants for chief executive. We had about 20 applications and are working through those with Sky.

"We also hope to be able to confirm some player signings shortly. We are talking to Paul Urlovic and a number of others. We have agreed terms with Aaron Silva but are awaiting confirmation from his Chilean club that he is a free agent.

"We also want to re-sign Jeff Campbell and Noah Hickey."

Turner declined to comment on the likelihood of under-23 international Gerard Davis joining the Auckland-based franchise.

Of the pressing licence issue, MacGowan said he had spoken to Fifa president Sepp Blatter in Samoa during the Oceania Football Confederation congress.

"Sepp Blatter indicated he would view any application to grant an extension beyond the initial two years favourably," MacGowan said. "But the final decision will be made by the Fifa executive. It is our intention to take submissions to the Fifa congress in Zurich in August.

"We are keen to have a decision well before the start of the next season on October 15. We are working through this with Soccer Australia, the Football Kingz and Oceania, whose president, Charlie Dempsey, will play a key role in the submission process. My advice from Oceania is that there is an executive meeting in July but that will be solely to vote on the host for the 2006 World Cup."

Fifa originally granted the Kingz a two-season licence.