Speaker 1: Football Fever with News Talks v's Voice of Football, Jason
Speaker 1: Paine and Money Chanson. Hello there, and welcome into a
Speaker 1: fresh episode of Football Fever in association with FIFA Plus
Speaker 1: stream New Zealand Football live and free on FIFA plus
Speaker 1: dot Com. Normally we do this on a Monday. We've
Speaker 1: had to push it back a few days because one
Speaker 1: he's been working every hour God sends to bring us
Speaker 1: the most up to date details and developments around this
Speaker 1: football fern saga, which I don't know whether it's showing
Speaker 1: signs of slowing down or not, but yeah, there's been
Speaker 1: plenty that you've been able to gather, both anonymously and
Speaker 1: otherwise in the last couple of weeks or so.
Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, it's been, as you say, pretty full on.
Speaker 2: But I think it's you know, and while it's clearly
Speaker 2: devastating for both the players what they've been through and
Speaker 2: also New Zealand Football as they try to find a solution,
Speaker 2: it has been nice to, I guess, uncover some of
Speaker 2: this because I feel like us as fans and the
Speaker 2: media have been not kept in the dark, way be
Speaker 2: kept in the dark for good reason, but it's nice
Speaker 2: to kind of get an understanding of some stuff that's
Speaker 2: been going on behind the scenes.
Speaker 1: So for those who haven't seen these stories, they appeared
Speaker 1: in the New Zealand Herald over the past week or so,
Speaker 1: you spoke with several Football Ferns players. They told you
Speaker 1: they expressed concerns to New Zealand Football over allegations of
Speaker 1: inappropriate behavior towards a player by outgoing coach Yetka clum Cove.
Speaker 1: That was the incident that resulted in the third party
Speaker 1: independent employment investigation earlier this year, after which Yetka Clumkove
Speaker 1: was cleared to return to work, but then skipped the
Speaker 1: Olympic games and then stood down earlier this month. So,
Speaker 1: in speaking with a number of these Football Ferns players,
Speaker 1: what were your main takeaways?
Speaker 2: My main takeaway firstly, and obviously I'm just hearing their side. Yes,
Speaker 2: I did get a statement from New Zealand Football. I
Speaker 2: haven't heard from them yet, but from what I've heard
Speaker 2: from the players, I did almost feel quite bad from
Speaker 2: how you know, us as football commentators have potentially critiqued
Speaker 2: them and their results over the last eighteen months, not
Speaker 2: knowing that off field they're fighting so many battles and
Speaker 2: the meetings I've had to sit through the letters I've
Speaker 2: had to write, and then they've had to go on
Speaker 2: the pitch and play, and yes, you know they've got
Speaker 2: to be held accountable for their results. Just not knowing
Speaker 2: anything like this has been going on, I do kind
Speaker 2: of see maybe you know, there's been a bit of
Speaker 2: a distraction going on.
Speaker 1: So how did they describe the football ferns environment.
Speaker 2: They said, it's been awkward, uncomfortable. Exhausting was another word
Speaker 2: to describe it. Players just you know, spending time at
Speaker 2: their clubs, having to deal with stuff and for the
Speaker 2: Football Ferns and trying to fight for their teammate who
Speaker 2: was the complainant in this particular situation. They tried to
Speaker 2: work with yet care and make things right, but at
Speaker 2: the end of the day they just yeah, I think
Speaker 2: felts let down and that they're not being heard and
Speaker 2: that they're constantly having to battle with their federation.
Speaker 1: So let down by New Zealand Football.
Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2: That just obviously, you know, you're probably more familiar with
Speaker 2: at Piney that the haraf Era, and you know a
Speaker 2: lot of them are having to do it all over again.
Speaker 2: And yes, you can't compare the two incidences, but it's
Speaker 2: just that constant thing of potentially New Zealand Football again
Speaker 2: haven't heard their side of this, but potentially backing the
Speaker 2: coach more than hearing out the players.
Speaker 1: All Right, I guess they are. They're all employees of
Speaker 1: New Zealand Football, so I guess New Zealand Football are
Speaker 1: duty bound to listen to both sides, to not take
Speaker 1: sides as it were. What sort of feeling did you
Speaker 1: get from the PLA about the response they got from
Speaker 1: New Zealand Football when they took these concerns to their federation.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it clearly took a long time. Obviously, this incident
Speaker 2: happened at the World Cup last year. I understand the
Speaker 2: complainant didn't raise anything until early this year and then
Speaker 2: was again after you know, this employment related matter investigation happened.
Speaker 2: She was then cleared from that to come back, and
Speaker 2: that's when this player was having to go into meetings
Speaker 2: and things like that, and just.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the players were like, hold.
Speaker 2: On a second, where we don't we don't actually have
Speaker 2: an understanding of what's been resolved here.
Speaker 3: We would like some more clarity.
Speaker 2: And that's when players went back to NZF and we're
Speaker 2: writing more and more letters, and again, as I mentioned,
Speaker 2: they weren't trying.
Speaker 3: They're not.
Speaker 2: They weren't trying to get rid of from my understanding,
Speaker 2: from the get go or even towards the end. They
Speaker 2: We're just wanting some clarity and trying to rebuild that
Speaker 2: trust that was potentially broken, not just with this incident
Speaker 2: but other incidents which I'm hoping to kind of uncover
Speaker 2: in the next few days.
Speaker 3: But yeah, just I think they didn't feel heard.
Speaker 1: It's just so unhelpful too, isn't it. Here, Well, we've
Speaker 1: been speaking for five minutes on a football podcast and
Speaker 1: we haven't mentioned football once.
Speaker 2: Exactly, and that's like, that's the thing that just baffles me.
Speaker 2: And I'm trying to compare it into different work environments
Speaker 2: and club football, and I'm like, you know, to know
Speaker 2: that this is happening at professional football, and that's why
Speaker 2: I go back to the results, like we've been, you know,
Speaker 2: crucifying the football fins for not scoring, and we're like,
Speaker 2: hold on a second, maybe we should take a back
Speaker 2: step here because maybe the reason they're not scoring, and
Speaker 2: no it's not the only reason, I'm sure, but they
Speaker 2: exhausted for having to be dealing with this off field.
Speaker 1: Yeah, unhelpful. Unhelpful. You also spoke to Football Ferns centurion
Speaker 1: Rosie White and wanted to play some of her comments
Speaker 1: to our podcast audience. So Rosie was in the New
Speaker 1: Zealand side under Andreas Hiraf, of course, who was removed
Speaker 1: in twenty eighteen under not identical circumstances, but certainly under
Speaker 1: under circumstances where there was a real disconnect between he
Speaker 1: and the playing group, and she spoke about how disrupt
Speaker 1: if it was playing in the Football Ferns squad or
Speaker 1: side with Andreas Haraf at the helm.
Speaker 4: You know, your job as a player is to buy
Speaker 4: into the coach's strategy and for the players to be
Speaker 4: aligned on the field, you have to have one claar
Speaker 4: mission and one player vision and that kind of comes
Speaker 4: from leadership from the coach. And when that's not clear,
Speaker 4: or if people aren't brought into that, or if there's
Speaker 4: been disruptions with that, then at one hundred percent effects
Speaker 4: your performance on the field. And I think my experiences
Speaker 4: with the Ferns, like the culture of the team has
Speaker 4: always been what has stood out to what has made
Speaker 4: it an enjoyable experience. And when you have poor leaders
Speaker 4: in charge. That kind of dismantles the culture that has
Speaker 4: been established, you know, and we always prided ourselves with
Speaker 4: punching above our weight. But I think when you don't
Speaker 4: have the foundations right and you don't have a positive
Speaker 4: leader in place, then you can't really do that, you
Speaker 4: can't really do your job as a player.
Speaker 1: Rosie White also talked about the need for support from
Speaker 1: New Zealand football.
Speaker 4: You would hope that you have a national body that
Speaker 4: takes leadership. I think obviously the player's input is essential
Speaker 4: to making better decisions because they are ultimately the people
Speaker 4: who are affected by those decisions. So I think involving
Speaker 4: players in coach selection and that sort of process is important.
Speaker 4: But I do think that there needs to be a
Speaker 4: level of professionalism that, you know, is setting players up
Speaker 4: to be successful on the field, and at the moment
Speaker 4: like that's not being done and the timing of these
Speaker 4: things is so unfortunate as while you're going into an
Speaker 4: Olympic games and without a coach. It's a pretty fundamental issue.
Speaker 4: So yeah, I mean, I do think that you obviously
Speaker 4: you need the players to be involved on level, but
Speaker 4: at some level there needs to be you need. You
Speaker 4: need to set the players up for success, and that's
Speaker 4: not being done to the women.
Speaker 1: And finally, you put it to Rosie White that there's
Speaker 1: a school of thought around that the player should just
Speaker 1: suck it up, put their heads down, work hard and
Speaker 1: get on with it. Here was her response to that.
Speaker 4: Y one hundred percent, and I, in my experience, the
Speaker 4: players are willing to do that. All of the players
Speaker 4: that I have played with in the Ferns are absolutely
Speaker 4: willing to get their heads down and do the work
Speaker 4: and have committed their lives to football. They're playing internationally
Speaker 4: for clubs around the world so that they can be
Speaker 4: the best players that they can be. But I don't
Speaker 4: think it's not a space where we just be quiet
Speaker 4: and do our jobs anymore. It's we have to demand
Speaker 4: better resources, better support because the future of the football
Speaker 4: fans is important as well. And a lot of these
Speaker 4: players have been in the team for a long time,
Speaker 4: ten years plus, and I don't know that they've in
Speaker 4: their careers seen a whole lot of positive change with
Speaker 4: New Zealand football. The rest of the world is making
Speaker 4: changes and we kind of need to keep up. So yeah,
Speaker 4: I think there is an element of yeah, the players
Speaker 4: will go out and do what they need to do
Speaker 4: on the page. But no, it's not just put your
Speaker 4: head down and do it. It's you know, that is
Speaker 4: part of unfortunately being a female athlete is responsibility to
Speaker 4: make to make the future better. And you see it
Speaker 4: at all levels. You know, like the US women's national
Speaker 4: team is doing the same fan cushing for pay equity,
Speaker 4: and they have arguably the most resources out of any organization.
Speaker 4: But still there's a responsibility to create more opportunities and
Speaker 4: create a better future for the next generation of players,
Speaker 4: and that kind of, unfortunately does fall on the shoulders
Speaker 4: of the players.
Speaker 1: That is Rosie White. There's some really interesting thoughts in
Speaker 1: her chat with you. So if we bring this to
Speaker 1: its natural conclusion for now anyway, what is the way forward? Now?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think what Rosie said was really important, and
Speaker 2: because it can come across like these players are potentially
Speaker 2: just just complaining and not getting on with it, but
Speaker 2: they are wanting to fight like other nations are around
Speaker 2: the world, and good on them, Hats off to them.
Speaker 2: I think New Zealand football need to listen and recognize
Speaker 2: that it's not just them complaining. They've got it wrong
Speaker 2: in the past. They've had that massive review done six
Speaker 2: years ago and here we are again, so something's got
Speaker 2: to change. And honestly, I think it's a level of
Speaker 2: respect from both parties. I think the players as well
Speaker 2: need to respect that New Zealand Football are in charge.
Speaker 2: And I think New Zealand Football need to hear out
Speaker 2: these players because you know, senior and junior. I think
Speaker 2: there has been this narrative that it's the senior players
Speaker 2: and maybe actually that the senior players are right in
Speaker 2: some respect. They've been in this environment for a long time.
Speaker 2: They've played at some of the top clubs, the best
Speaker 2: clubs around the world and the best leagues, so listen
Speaker 2: to them and clearly they want the best for the
Speaker 2: game and the best for the team, and yeah, both ways,
Speaker 2: there just needs to be respect.
Speaker 1: If we take it back to the field, I think
Speaker 1: we all want the football firms to be successful on
Speaker 1: the grass right, we all want that. And there are
Speaker 1: a group of players coming through now, younger players and
Speaker 1: some who are established in the team, but also another
Speaker 1: cohort coming through who can I believe be successful given
Speaker 1: the right framework, the right coaching, given the right support
Speaker 1: from New Zealand Football. And it would be such a tragedy,
Speaker 1: such a shame if another generation of football Ferns was
Speaker 1: denied that opportunity. But I think the next key landmark
Speaker 1: is the appointment of the new coach. We wait to
Speaker 1: see who that is and we'll keep an eye ins
Speaker 1: at Herald dot co. Dot In said, for more of
Speaker 1: your excellent work on this Bonnie.
Speaker 5: Football fever with Jason Vine and Bonnie Jensen.
Speaker 1: Can we talk to actual football? Would that be okay?
Speaker 3: Yeah, let's do that.
Speaker 1: Let's do that. A leagues news Auckland FC have almost
Speaker 1: completed their roster. They've signed thirty two year old Chilean
Speaker 1: central midfielder Louis Philippe Galagos, twenty five year old Belgian
Speaker 1: midfielder and under twenty one international Louis Vestrati and twenty
Speaker 1: six year old Uruguayan strike as yemo my, it's a
Speaker 1: real cosmopolitan mix. One more import to come and we're
Speaker 1: hearing he's an attacking midfielder from South America. An announcement
Speaker 1: expected next week. How do you like the look of
Speaker 1: the roster? What have we now three or four weeks
Speaker 1: out from the start of the season.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm excited. Haven't heard in thing like, I haven't
Speaker 2: heard of these players before. You generally don't when they're
Speaker 2: coming in fresh to the A League, or I don't anyway,
Speaker 2: you might piney.
Speaker 1: But not at all. I think it's like when the
Speaker 1: majority of import players who come to the A League
Speaker 1: are unheard of down here, they really.
Speaker 3: Are, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2: Probably the same for someone like Ben Old going to France,
Speaker 2: everyone was probably like who is this kid? But hopefully
Speaker 2: that they change that and make a name for themselves.
Speaker 2: I'm sure they will. But it's not a bad looking team.
Speaker 2: I'm excited by the again amount of all whites. I
Speaker 2: think it's really positive for the all whites as well,
Speaker 2: and they've had a couple of a couple of interesting
Speaker 2: results and friendlies. That makes me a little bit nervous
Speaker 2: that that loss they had free one to Melbourne City,
Speaker 2: but early.
Speaker 1: Days, yeah, I don't know. You can take a lot
Speaker 1: from those, you know, often they're just giving everybody a run.
Speaker 1: Sometimes they roll out the first team in the first
Speaker 1: half and then give all of the reserves a run.
Speaker 1: That's what the Phoenix to get to them. In a
Speaker 1: moment in the game against Wellington Olympic, Auckland FC did
Speaker 1: beat Western United in a friendly match in the last
Speaker 1: couple of days, Johonti Bidoir and Logan Rogerson scoring the goals.
Speaker 1: I'm so interested to see how they line up and
Speaker 1: who plays where. It feels to me as though you
Speaker 1: look at a guy like Callan Elliott hasn't played for
Speaker 1: a long time. Is he going to actually get a
Speaker 1: game for Auckland FC from the start or get games
Speaker 1: because a Rocky Sarki is probably going to be the
Speaker 1: right back. They've got center backs the likes of Dan
Speaker 1: Hall and Ander Pinaker and Francis Devreese. By the sounds
Speaker 1: of things, it's just tearing it up down the left
Speaker 1: hand side. This Scott Galloway, who can play both sides.
Speaker 1: I want to see Kellan Elliott recapture the formu head
Speaker 1: at the Phoenix, But is he going to get a go?
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's what I'm interested as well. With the amount
Speaker 2: of all whites in this team and key we play
Speaker 2: as local players, it's the same I guess for the
Speaker 2: Phoenix and the same battle they have. Is there a
Speaker 2: responsibility to play these import players and these assie guys
Speaker 2: that have over or are they going to potentially have
Speaker 2: more bias on keeping it, you know, like, I don't
Speaker 2: know how that the coaches, again at both teams, are
Speaker 2: going to balance it. There always is a sense that
Speaker 2: you have to kind of play your imports. I felt
Speaker 2: that was the case with the woman last year, the
Speaker 2: Phoenix woman with Riley Foster.
Speaker 3: But yeah, I don't know if.
Speaker 1: You don't, I feel exactly the same way as most
Speaker 1: of the coaches do with that. If you imports aren't
Speaker 1: going to be first choice players, why are they there,
Speaker 1: you know, because otherwise they're just taking out the place
Speaker 1: of a good young Kiwi. If they're not going to
Speaker 1: be first choice or you know, at least competing for
Speaker 1: a first choice place. That doesn't mean to say that
Speaker 1: they should play ahead of a player who was in
Speaker 1: better form or is a better option. But I think
Speaker 1: the way you structure your squad is okay. You say, right,
Speaker 1: where are the places we really want to be strong,
Speaker 1: where we want to use our five imports, because it's
Speaker 1: rare around the world, really having an import cap that
Speaker 1: doesn't exist in a lot of leagues around the world.
Speaker 1: So when you're bringing guys like Sarkai and the guys
Speaker 1: we've mentioned galagosfette My and the new Columbian. I feel
Speaker 1: like in your best to live and they all play.
Speaker 3: Yeah, no exactly, it's it's tricky.
Speaker 2: But then you look like at someone like Nando and
Speaker 2: Tommy Smith, like, imagine having them as a center back pairing,
Speaker 2: Like what that would do for New Zealand. And I'm
Speaker 2: sure you know there's They're right on New Zealand Football's
Speaker 2: doorstep there at North Harbor Stadium. But then at the
Speaker 2: same time you've got that kid Dan Hall who is
Speaker 2: also going to be great for the team. So it
Speaker 2: is it is going to be really interesting. I'm excited
Speaker 2: to see the likes of Liam Gillian and Jesse Randall
Speaker 2: and players like that come out of their shell because
Speaker 2: I think they've been hanging out for an opportunity like this.
Speaker 1: I guess it also falls on Steve Coriker and his
Speaker 1: other's coaches to a lesser degree. What is their goal here?
Speaker 1: The goal isn't to really is to improve the national site, No,
Speaker 1: it's not really. It's yeah, sure, a professional club in
Speaker 1: New Zealand gives a pathway for New Zealand players. Certainly
Speaker 1: the import role helps that because you've got to have
Speaker 1: the majority of play as Kiwis or Ossies, you know,
Speaker 1: and Auckland FC. I love what they've done. If they
Speaker 1: they've hardly signed any Australians at all. Dan Hall, Scott
Speaker 1: Galloway and Jake Brimmer are the only three in twenty
Speaker 1: five that they've signed, including their scholarship players. They've said, look,
Speaker 1: Kiwi's come come aboard, come aboard, But it's not Steve
Speaker 1: Corik's job to improve the All Whites, you know. It's
Speaker 1: his job to try and win the A League. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Well, but then it's different for I guess the Phoenix
Speaker 2: now will move on to But they've got that new
Speaker 2: partnership signed with the NZF so maybe they're slightly different
Speaker 2: in terms of maybe they do I don't know. You
Speaker 2: might know more of the ins and outs of the partnership,
Speaker 2: but maybe they have more of a responsibility of producing
Speaker 2: players for the national team. I'm not sure it is
Speaker 2: a professional club at the end of the day. But yeah,
Speaker 2: it is a really tricky one. And like you say,
Speaker 2: I just hope they the best eleven.
Speaker 1: Yeah, just on that partnership. I think Auckland f C
Speaker 1: will eventually have a similar partnership. That's the feeling I get.
Speaker 1: It's just the fact that the Phoenix have their academy
Speaker 1: up and running already. Auckland f C don't. I mean,
Speaker 1: they're just new, aren't. They haven't a time they said
Speaker 1: it up, but I feel.
Speaker 3: Like it's overdue.
Speaker 1: I really like the partnership and the fact that also
Speaker 1: from being in Wellington as well, there's always been a
Speaker 1: tension between the Wellington clubs and the Phoenix in terms
Speaker 1: of the Phoenix say they want to get the best
Speaker 1: players into the academy. But what's happened for the most
Speaker 1: part is they've got the best Wellington players into the academy.
Speaker 1: Now that the net is being spread wider and they're
Speaker 1: going to have next year thirty six players come to
Speaker 1: Wellington and live in at the New Zealand Campus of
Speaker 1: Innovation and Sport there and train with the academy, so
Speaker 1: that is spreading the net a lot wider. I think
Speaker 1: Auckland FC will have a similar a similar relationship with
Speaker 1: New Zealand Football moving forward. Just on Liam Gillian, he
Speaker 1: was the goal scorer and a three to one loss
Speaker 1: that you mentioned to Melbourne City in Melbourne, So Auckland
Speaker 1: f C are on track. It feels like I also
Speaker 1: heard yesterday that their first game is selling Gangbusters. They reckon,
Speaker 1: they'll sell it out.
Speaker 3: Oh I'm so excited for that.
Speaker 2: My flatmat o' giver a shout out has just been
Speaker 2: messaging me saying what seat should I get unbooking a
Speaker 2: membership like, I'm so ready, and I think it's going
Speaker 2: to be such a vibe this summer.
Speaker 3: We know how.
Speaker 2: Many people get up for the Phoenix when the Phoenix
Speaker 2: come to Auckland. And I think that the big thing
Speaker 2: that everyone's talking about is Firstly, who are those Auckland
Speaker 2: Phoenix fans going to support? Are they going to be
Speaker 2: switching allegiance or are they sticking with the Phoenix or
Speaker 2: is it a matter of it's only when they come
Speaker 2: up against each other that they'll stick with the Phoenix.
Speaker 2: And secondly, do you think the Port fans are going
Speaker 2: to be taking their shirts off with ten minutes to
Speaker 2: go off their.
Speaker 1: Leading No, I don't think they will be. That's a
Speaker 1: Phoenix thing. Yeah, that's a Phoenix thing. Auckland got to
Speaker 1: find their own thing.
Speaker 2: Well, Auckland isn't too late, you know, Auckland.
Speaker 1: Hopefully they'll find something, you know, they'll find something that
Speaker 1: marks them out as them. I mean the shirts off.
Speaker 1: Things just started very organically. It was like it was
Speaker 1: a group of four or five guys who are over
Speaker 1: in Sydney watching one of the games in the first season,
Speaker 1: and when the Phoenix were leading, I don't even know
Speaker 1: if it was eighty minutes, maybe it was, they just
Speaker 1: whipped their shirts off, three or four guys. And now
Speaker 1: it's a club tradition. It's awesome and so let's hope
Speaker 1: Auckland find a similar thing. Just on the Phoenix. They
Speaker 1: won't be going to Auckland anymore, obviously because there's a
Speaker 1: club there now, but they've announced they'll play a game
Speaker 1: in christ Church this season, the Round sixteen match against
Speaker 1: the Mariners on January twenty fifth, and also play there
Speaker 1: in each of the two seasons after that. So it's
Speaker 1: a three year arrangement with Venues aut d'altahi in christ Church.
Speaker 1: The third of those games could well be at the
Speaker 1: new stadium down there, which hopefully will be built by then.
Speaker 1: So yeah, so christ Church Phoenix fans have a reason
Speaker 1: to look forward to some football down there. Other bits
Speaker 1: and pieces, Isaac Hughes signed a contract extension. He's now
Speaker 1: locked into the team until the end of the twenty
Speaker 1: seven twenty eight season, which is that's the next four seasons,
Speaker 1: so whether he stays for that long, we wait and see.
Speaker 1: The Phoenix lost a friendly to Newcastle one nil last week.
Speaker 1: They then beat Wellington Olympic two nil on their community
Speaker 1: day here in Wellington on the Sunday just gone. Oscar
Speaker 1: van Hattam and Luke Superk scored the goals. I got
Speaker 1: the second half of that game to work or three.
Speaker 1: It kicked off at two. When I got down there,
Speaker 1: they completely changed the site.
Speaker 5: And I didn't get the chance to see you see
Speaker 5: the first team rolled out, but I did enjoy watching
Speaker 5: the reserves and I must say a couple of players
Speaker 5: caught my eye, Luke Brooke Smith and also Gabrielle Sloan Rodriguez,
Speaker 5: these two young Kiwi strikers.
Speaker 1: I just really liked the way they were putting themselves
Speaker 1: about and adding energy. I'm not saying that they'll be
Speaker 1: a part of the first eleven, first choice first eleven,
Speaker 1: but I just like the way that they went about things.
Speaker 2: And this is exactly what you know. The Phoenix have
Speaker 2: done so well over the last few years, has produced
Speaker 2: these young players and that's why again going back to
Speaker 2: that partnership. It's really promising, it's over due and the
Speaker 2: Phoenix clearly producing talent, so good on them.
Speaker 1: Yep. Letso Borkland also do the same, which I know
Speaker 1: that they will with the Phoenix Women. A couple of
Speaker 1: pieces of news. Annale Longo has signed on for another
Speaker 1: season with the Phoenix Women. I think that's a very
Speaker 1: good piece of business. USA attacker Mayam McCutcheon has also
Speaker 1: come on board. Unfortunately, though, Mickey Robertson won't be back.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I had a feeling Mickey wouldn't come back.
Speaker 2: She's a good friend of mine and I think just
Speaker 2: potentially needing a break from football. You know, it kind
Speaker 2: of gets get to that stage, especially when there's work
Speaker 2: commitments and these players are only playing part time. But yeah,
Speaker 2: she was such a great staff for this team, being
Speaker 2: there from the start, and it was another one of
Speaker 2: those just having an opportunity to play pro football in
Speaker 2: your hometown. So she'll be a big loss, but as
Speaker 2: you mentioned, Annale Longo, they needed that because they'd lost
Speaker 2: a few players.
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely they had, So Ye're good to have. Good
Speaker 1: to have Fleeback as they call her, Annally Longo. I'm
Speaker 1: just checking on how many players that is now for
Speaker 1: Welling to finish eighteen eighteen players confirmed. That includes McCutcheon
Speaker 1: and Annalie Longo confirmed in the last seven days. Also,
Speaker 1: so yeah, the Phoenix women's season will start in the
Speaker 1: first weekend of November. Looking forward to that and then
Speaker 1: of course Auckland FC come on board with their women's
Speaker 1: side next season. One final piece of news on the
Speaker 1: Aleaux confirmed this week that it will return to Skysport
Speaker 1: for the next three seasons, which is well, excellent news
Speaker 1: for me because I get to keep one of my
Speaker 1: little part time jobs. Looking forward to it. But I
Speaker 1: think also it's you know, because there was some there
Speaker 1: was some conjecture that maybe it wouldn't be available. I'm
Speaker 1: glad that the two parties ALP and Sky have come
Speaker 1: together and come up with an arrangement. So all games
Speaker 1: and there's gonna be a free, a free to wear
Speaker 1: game every weekend as well, most of the time featuring
Speaker 1: a New Zealand side. So that's good news to football fever.
Speaker 1: It's got a key he's playing overseas. What if we
Speaker 1: got as far as our women are concerned.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Mickey Voss's signed to Durham. I caught up with
Speaker 2: her about that last week and she was super excited.
Speaker 2: She's obviously joining Hannah Blake. She she told me that
Speaker 2: they get along very well, so super excited. And they
Speaker 2: lost their game at the weekend, but Hannah Blake started
Speaker 2: and Mickey was on the bench, so I'm sure she'll
Speaker 2: feature feature pretty soon. Ava Collins scored her first goal
Speaker 2: for her new Danish club, Colding, and I believe that
Speaker 2: was against a Daisy Cleverly and Claudia Bunges old club team,
Speaker 2: so it would have been nice to see them match up.
Speaker 2: Grace was Niski has made her return to the field.
Speaker 2: I'm excited for that. She's playing in the US Super
Speaker 2: League for Lexington after she ruptured her ACL.
Speaker 1: Last year, so pleased to see her back out there.
Speaker 2: I know it's so exciting for the Ferns as well
Speaker 2: because she's such a good player.
Speaker 1: Yep.
Speaker 2: And Devin Jackson has moved from Camber to Newcastle Jets
Speaker 2: and so far loving it.
Speaker 1: I understand where is Jackie Hand.
Speaker 2: Still have not heard from Jackie Hand, still waiting for
Speaker 2: her to reply to my message about her new club.
Speaker 3: So yeah, slightly concerned.
Speaker 1: All right, We'll bring the question up again next week
Speaker 1: on the podcast until we have an answer. We're Jackie Handers,
Speaker 1: just on the men playing around the place. Chris Wood
Speaker 1: another goal this Premier League season is third of the season,
Speaker 1: seventy second overall. It was a penalty for Forest against
Speaker 1: Brighton and a too wall draw. He's deadly from the
Speaker 1: penalty spot. Thirty three penalties he's taken, he's scored. That's
Speaker 1: ninety one percent.
Speaker 3: Pretty good.
Speaker 1: Leby Cacacci had ninety minutes for Empli when they had
Speaker 1: a win against to Reno and the Copper Italia during
Speaker 1: the week. Eli just got his first minutes for his
Speaker 1: new Austrian club, Andre DeJong on the score sheet again
Speaker 1: for a South African club Stalenbosch in a three zero
Speaker 1: win over Cape Town City. Michael Boxel just continues to
Speaker 1: keep going. He signed a new contract with Minnesota United
Speaker 1: for next year, with an option for the year after.
Speaker 1: Next year will be his tenth season with the team.
Speaker 1: He's now thirty six years old Michael Boxall but looks
Speaker 1: about twenty four. The guy keeps himself in incredible shape
Speaker 1: and I kind of feel like it would be a
Speaker 1: great Swan song for him. To go to the twenty
Speaker 1: twenty six World Cup with New Zealand's which you have
Speaker 1: to think that he's a good chance of doing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, surely, and he you know, that's almost home for
Speaker 2: him being over there in America. He would be someone
Speaker 2: with experience playing in those stadiums. So yeah, as you say,
Speaker 2: he's still pretty looking, pretty fit, so.
Speaker 1: Very fit, very fit, and obviously Minnesota love him. He
Speaker 1: plays pretty much every week as well. To look at
Speaker 1: the lineups for Minnesota United and he plays every single game.
Speaker 1: I mean that's just triumph of keeping your body in shape, nutrition, fitness, form,
Speaker 1: not getting injured, all those things. So you're good to
Speaker 1: have box he re signed with Minnesota United. And just
Speaker 1: a bit of news on New Zealand age group goalkeeper
Speaker 1: Henry Gray. He has signed a new contract with Ipswich Town.
Speaker 1: I see Ipswich played Southampton over the weekend. Southampton's goalkeeper
Speaker 1: is Aaron Ramsdale, one of England's goalkeepers, and I see
Speaker 1: Henry Gray swap shirts with him. So even though he
Speaker 1: wasn't in the match days quad he must have sidled
Speaker 1: up to Aaron Ramsdale afterwards and said, hey, make going
Speaker 1: to have your shirt and Aaron Ramsdale said, yeah, of
Speaker 1: course you can. So those are some of the kiwis
Speaker 1: playing around the world at the moment.
Speaker 5: Football Fever with Jason Vine and Bonnie Jensen.
Speaker 1: Just want to finish with olgahead to the Means and
Speaker 1: women's national leagues underway this weekend. Ten teams in each
Speaker 1: a full round robin and then the top two play
Speaker 1: a grand final, and each of the men's and the
Speaker 1: women's all games live and free on FIFA Plus. Auckland United,
Speaker 1: defending women's champions, they travel to Wellington to take on
Speaker 1: Waterside Carrory on Saturday. Well Aukland, you're not how to
Speaker 1: be favorites to go back to back.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was just thinking this. I want to see
Speaker 2: a change up at the top, Piney. I want to see,
Speaker 2: you know, not the likes of Auckland United, Western Springs
Speaker 2: and the women's the same on the men's Wellington Olympic
Speaker 2: and Auckland City. Let's change it up. Let's get some
Speaker 2: of these other teams going. I quite like water Side Crory.
Speaker 2: No a few players that play there, but we'll see
Speaker 2: what happens.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I think any any competition needs variety,
Speaker 1: right And yeah, you look at okay, well you look
Speaker 1: at that. It's the woman. She mentioned, the me and she.
Speaker 1: It's been dominated by Auckland City and Wellington Olympic for
Speaker 1: quite some time. I heard a little sneaky rumor that
Speaker 1: Coastal Spirit might be quite good. One of the christ
Speaker 1: Church teams there there, Cashmere Tech, who are always there
Speaker 1: there again. But Wellington Olympic opened their title defense away
Speaker 1: at Coastal Spirit this weekend. So yeah, I'm here and
Speaker 1: there all right. I think Burkell are quite good. You
Speaker 1: look around and your I'm not sure that anybody else
Speaker 1: from the central region, the likes of Western Suburbs, Nape
Speaker 1: City Rovers, the Phoenix Reserves are going to be good
Speaker 1: enough to get into the top two. It feels like
Speaker 1: it could be Wellington Olympic in Auckland City again. But yeah,
Speaker 1: variety's always nice, right.
Speaker 3: Is this the I was just looking?
Speaker 2: Is this the team that we're the season that we
Speaker 2: get to see the new Auckland FC Academy, or maybe
Speaker 2: that's next that's not the season, not the season, okay,
Speaker 2: next season. Yeah, I was gonna ask Phoenix Reserves any good.
Speaker 1: Oh, I think they're okay, but they didn't they have
Speaker 1: automatic entry into the National League regardless of where they
Speaker 1: finish in Central League, and they finished fifth in Central League,
Speaker 1: so it's the top three plus the Phoenix reserves. Miramar
Speaker 1: finished higher than them and got eleven more points than
Speaker 1: the Phoenix Reserves. But the rules of the competition are
Speaker 1: that the Phoenix Reserves play in the National League. So yeah,
Speaker 1: it's been the it's been a source of discussion for sure,
Speaker 1: but yeah, but that's understanding. I don't think I don't
Speaker 1: think they'll be challenging near the top as far as
Speaker 1: the Women's National League is concerned. You mentioned a few
Speaker 1: of the Auckland teams, Wellington United. They've been good in Wellington
Speaker 1: for a long time. Could they possibly be a bit
Speaker 1: of a smoky.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think Wellington United are probably the best shot
Speaker 2: coming here from the Capitol. Again, there's just so much
Speaker 2: more depth up in Auckland, with the likes of Eastern
Speaker 2: Suburbs who won the first ever competition.
Speaker 3: My club obviously shout out. So yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 1: Right, fair enough, look forward to those games. We'll keep
Speaker 1: you across them each week. Any major talking points on
Speaker 1: the Football Fever podcast. Just before we go, just wanted
Speaker 1: to pay tribute to Sam Malcolmson, who sadly passed away
Speaker 1: in the last week to ten days, a real football man,
Speaker 1: part of the nineteen eighty two or Whites that went
Speaker 1: to the World Cup for the very first time in
Speaker 1: New Zealand senior men's side at the World Cup. He
Speaker 1: was born in Scotland and played in the first game
Speaker 1: against Scotland, which I was a very special moment for
Speaker 1: Sam Malcolmson. Once he finished playing, he loved nothing more
Speaker 1: than just chatting about the beautiful game. He didn't always
Speaker 1: agree with you, and that was fine. He loved a discussion.
Speaker 1: Many's the time after a Phoenix game I would get
Speaker 1: a get a text from Sam with his thoughts on
Speaker 1: the game. But he was always passionate, always articulate, and
Speaker 1: always had the game at the center of any discussion
Speaker 1: that he had. So yeah, another one from the class
Speaker 1: of eighty two gone, Grant Turner, Duncan Cole, Steve Sumner
Speaker 1: and now Sam Malcolmson passing away as well. It is
Speaker 1: quite the five A side side that they are building
Speaker 1: up there. I hope you rest well, Sam. Our thoughts
Speaker 1: with the friends and farnale of Sam Malcolmson. That is
Speaker 1: the end of football fever for this unique Thursday edition.
Speaker 1: You think we can get into it again next Monday, Bonnie,
Speaker 1: what do you think?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I Reckon Piney why not?
Speaker 1: Why not? Indeed, we'll see you then, Football for football
Speaker 1: Fever