Soccer: From Kingz to league rulers for Wellington

All manner of adjectives were attached to the Kingz and Knights. Dreadful, woeful, disastrous, appalling, hopeless, pitiful. They were all given a regular airing.

But as the Wellington Phoenix continued their quest for an inaugural grand final spot last night, it's too easy to forget the part the Kingz and the Knights played in establishing professional football in this country.

Yes, they made mistakes - lots of mistakes - and, yes, their results were dreadful (use any word you like from the above) but they got professional football up and running and, if nothing else, ensured the Phoenix didn't make those same mistakes third time around.

The biggest difference is Wellington have an owner prepared to bankroll the team. Terry Serepisos admits he loses $1 million a year to finance the club but it's an amount he can afford.

When Chris Turner, John Batty, Noel Barkley and Noel Robinson set up the Kingz their model was based on earning revenue from sponsorship. Ultimately, it was flawed.

"We succeeded big time," Turner says in his typically exuberant way. "We got a professional team up and running in this country and we got to the end of our five-year licence, so that has to be a success. Where we weren't successful, it was because we were dreadful on the field.

"But there wouldn't have been a Phoenix if it wasn't for the Kingz and Knights. I take personal satisfaction from what is happening [at the Phoenix]."

The Kingz narrowly missed out on the playoffs in the first two years but fell away badly over the next three seasons, finishing last twice.

The club was bought by Brian Katzen and Anthony Lee in 2004, and the pair rebranded the team the New Zealand Knights for the newly-created A-League.

It didn't seem possible, but the Knights were worse than their predecessors, finishing last both seasons and winning only one game in their first year.

Harry Ngata was captain of the Kingz throughout their five-year existence, playing more than 100 games for the club. He thinks a professional club would have got off the ground in New Zealand irrespective of whether the Kingz and Knights had existed in much the same way the Warriors and Breakers were invited into their respective Australian competitions.

"There would have been a push for a New Zealand team at some stage," Ngata says, "but the Kingz and Knights played a major role in sowing the seed. It must be said the FFA [Football Federation Australia] showed incredible patience [to stick with a New Zealand side].

"There were some massive, massive teething problems and it was very frustrating for the players. Not being paid and travelling on the day of the game, it wasn't great. It was poorly run.

"But looking back, those first two years when we just missed out on the playoffs were the best two seasons of my football life. It was great to be part of."