Soccer: Tauranga will be at home, but in Napier

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Napier City Rovers will play in their away strip in next week's Chatham Cup final, despite playing at home.

New Zealand Soccer yesterday confirmed its decision to take the Bluebird-sponsored final to Napier's Park Island ground.

But it insisted that Tauranga City United, who were drawn as the home team when the game was to have been played at North Harbour Stadium, will still be regarded in that way, with Napier having to swap strips to avoid a colour clash.

NZS chief executive Bill MacGowan said the association had no choice but to take the game from Auckland to Napier on July 21.

"Our primary concern is to provide a facility and a playing surface that befits a televised game," he said.

"I sympathise entirely with Tauranga City and their supporters, but the alternative [to transferring the game] was to cancel, and clearly that was not an option."

The Tauranga City United supporters will have a block set aside for them at Park Island.

NZS and Napier City Rovers' principal sponsor will provide free buses for the Tauranga supporters, who will also have free admission.

But club spokesman Ron Boyle said those concessions would not make the challenge of going to Napier and pulling off a victory any easier.

"It takes the gloss off the cup. Now we have to just try to turn this around and get up for the match," he said.

"It's not a fair go, but we have to live with it."

Tauranga players will be walking into the lions' den as Napier are one of the best-supported sides in the National League.

The match was shifted from North Harbour Stadium because the ground was in such a poor state after the Oceania Nations Cup matches and wet Auckland weather.

Tauranga City United asked that Taupo's Owen Delany Park and Rotorua's International Stadium be looked at, but Soccer New Zealand believed both were unsuitable for a soccer match.

The Uncle Toby-sponsored women's Knockout Cup final between Ellerslie and Lynn Avon has been transferred to Bill McKinlay Park at midday, also on July 21.

In a bid to balance the ledger, Soccer New Zealand has offered to take the Tauranga players south the day before the game, provide meals and accommodation, transport for their supporters and 200 free match tickets.

Disappointed Tauranga City United soccer officials were today resigned about having to play the most important game in the club's history - the Chatham Cup final - at the ground of their opponents, Napier City Rovers.

The club, which is contesting its first Chatham Cup final, today ruled out the possibility of boycotting the match in protest at a Soccer New Zealand decision yesterday to play the final in Napier but said team members and management were "absolutely gutted" at the short-sightedness of the move.

Cup finals are traditionally always held at a neutral venue to avoid one side having an advantage over the other.

Tauranga will be walking into the lions den on July 21 as Napier are one of the best supported sides in the national league.

The match was originally scheduled to be played at North Harbour Stadium, but the venue was ruled out yesterday because the ground was in such a state of disrepair after the Oceania Cup matches.

Tauranga City United asked that Taupo's Owen Delany Park and Rotorua's International Stadium be looked at, but Soccer New Zealand believed both those grounds were unsuitable for a soccer match.

In a bid to balance the ledger, Soccer New Zealand has offered to take the Tauranga players south the day before the game, provide meals and accommodation, transport for their supporters and 200 free match tickets.

However, club spokesman Ron Boyle said today those concessions would not make the challenge of going to Napier and pulling off a victory any easier.

"It takes the gloss off the cup. Now we have to just try and turn this around and get up for the match," he said.

"It's a not a fair go, but we have to live with it."

- NZPA