Soccer: Maligned Turner is a true sports visionary

By Murray Deaker

Chris Turner is more than just a dreamer.

Dreamers have plenty of ideas but lack the energy, enthusiasm and guts to turn their dreams into reality. Turner has displayed all these qualities in big amounts as pressure and criticism have been heaped on him from all directions.

Some of it has been deserved. Without question, the Football Kingz and their chairman have got a number of things wrong. Most of it has become personal, with constant derogatory references about Turner being the master of saying plenty but really nothing at all.

In the past week the attacks on Turner have been vitriolic, constant, incessant and spiteful. Frankly, I have been left with the impression that at least one powerful figure in the soccer media has made it his personal crusade to clean Turner out.

To a large extent this column is an attempt to redress the balance.

Without Chris Turner, New Zealand soccer would not have the Kingz and the game would still be wallowing in the mire of self-pity and whingeing that has strangled its development.

Those with their own territorial interests, determined to preserve their own power and patch, have felt threatened by the establishment of the Kingz.

Instead of asking whether the Kingz will benefit New Zealand soccer, too many have been concerned with worrying about what effect it will have on their local club or on them personally.

The game in this country has been hamstrung for years by a group determined to be big frogs in small ponds, who jealously control soccer on a small scale because that is all they are capable of doing. They thrive on rumour, innuendo and parish politics.

Fortunately there are positive signs that this group have had their day. Turner and the Kingz are just one of those signs. The new board of Soccer New Zealand, particularly chairman Kevin Stratful, is another.

When Turner and others such as Noel Barkley, John Batty and Ted Midlane looked at the state of New Zealand soccer five years ago, they were not prepared to become involved in the constant controversies, persistent bickering and parish politics that dominated the administration.

What concerned them were the large numbers of exceedingly talented primary school students who left the game for other pursuits when they got into their teens.

Who could blame them? There was no career path for them, no local heroes to cheer on, no vision and certainly no dream. 1982 and the All Whites' journey to the World Cup was before they were born.

Soccer kids were told how great 1982 was but they couldn't identify with it any more than they could with the stars of Manchester United, Liverpool or Celtic.

Turner's objective was to establish a career path for young New Zealanders, with the spin-off being a strong All Whites team. To achieve that he had to get the approval of Soccer Australia, of Soccer New Zealand, Fifa's permission and to make the organisation financially viable.

It is testimony to his perseverance that he has overcome the objections from Soccer Australia and one from Soccer New Zealand.

Fifa has agreed to support the venture for two seasons and the announcement that Sky will take over 80 per cent of the shareholding subject to due diligence and board approval would suggest the Kingz are well on their way to being established.

What an enormous risk to take. Turner points out that when the scheme was first proposed, only two others were prepared to put in $1000 with him to give the dream $3000 to start.

Will the Kingz become a permanent reality? It is too early to say and there are still too many battles to be fought. What can be said is that New Zealand soccer owes Chris Turner a real debt of gratitude whether the Kingz make it or not.

He has thrown considerable money, unbounded enthusiasm and extraordinary energy into turning a dream into a reality. In return he has had thrown at him abuse, insults and cynicism.

No wonder so many dreamers never do anything about living their dreams.

Thank heavens Chris Turner did. Without the Turners of this world there would be no progress.

* Murray Deaker is the host of Radio ZB's Sports Talk.