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