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SYDNEY - Sydney FC midfielder Jeremy Brockie might have walked out on the New Zealand Knights, but he still believes the ailing soccer club deserves to keep its place in the A-League.
According to New Zealander Brockie, 19, who quit the Knights to seek greener pastures in Australia, the answer to why the crowds aren't coming to watch the club is simple: a lack of local players.
"There is a future for the club, but there just aren't enough New Zealand players involved, that's the main problem," Brockie said yesterday.
"It's pretty simple, people want to support a New Zealand team with New Zealand players. That's what they want to watch.
"There are players in the New Zealand national league who could step up and perform and I think there can only be positives from choosing local players."
At Aussie Stadium tonight Brockie comes face to face with his old club for the second time, but at least on this occasion he won't face a verbal barrage from the stands.
"I copped it from everywhere," Brockie said of the round five match when the two teams met in Auckland, which Sydney won 1-0.
"In fact, the ones giving it to me the most were probably the little kids. They really served it up."
- AAP
