Soccer: Tale of unhappiness and turmoil

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Coaching and the Kingz have not been a happy mix.

After a settled start, when Wynton Rufer was at the helm for the inaugural 63 matches, things have been in turmoil.

* Mike Petersen was brought in from South Melbourne - as the NSL coach of the year - for the 2001-02 season, but spat the dummy after five matches and vanished.

* Shane Rufer, assistant to brother Wynton and then Petersen, took over for a couple of games before Kevin Fallon finished the last 18 games of that season.

* Dugdale was brought back from Norway at the start of last season - preferred ahead of Fallon - and coached the team for all 24 matches. He has been in charge for eight matches this season.

From a team who began their NSL days with one of the best disciplinary records, that, too, has fallen away.

Last season there were 42 yellow cards and four red.

Their league position has also slipped.

* They were eighth in their debut season, 1999-2000, and in 2000-01, which were top-half finishes.

* Then followed a slump to finish bottom in 2001-02.

* They rose slightly to finish 11th of 13 last season, although only one point off the bottom.

* Going into tomorrow night's game in Melbourne the Kingz are propping up the table, 15 points behind leaders Perth Glory and three behind the second- last Melbourne Knights.

Off the field the problems have been well documented.

* In their first season there were threats of player revolt over unpaid wages.

* In the same season Dino Mennillo walked out, Chileans Aaron Silva and David Moya were, for no apparent reason, sidelined, and founder/chief cook and battle-washer Chris Turner admitted "the club has problems."

They still have, obviously.

There must, again, be real concerns, especially at a time when general manager Peter Cox says they are in negotiations with New Zealand Soccer over their on-going participation in the Australian NSL.

Another day, sadly, at the Kingz office.