Issues over Rory Fallon flying 'cattle class'

New Zealand striker Rory Fallon's British soccer club, Plymouth, is protesting NZ Football's plans to send its star player "cattle class" across the Atlantic to play for the All Whites in the United States next week.

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert has named Fallon in his squad for a March 3 friendly with Mexico in Los Angeles, even though Fallon last month said he would prefer to help Plymouth fight against relegation.

The friendly at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena is one of a series of warm-ups for the 2010 World Cup, in which New Zealand will face Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay.

Argyle are powerless to prevent the 27-year-old from being called up, but are in talks with NZ Football over concerns about the travel booking, the Plymouth Herald reported today.

Head coach Paul Mariner said: "We have got a bit of an issue with New Zealand Football as far as his travel is concerned. They are trying to put him in economy."

Fallon will fly out after Argyle's away game against Sheffield United in the Championship on Saturday.

He will then arrive back in Britain the day before his side play Preston North End at Home Park on March 6, and the club wants Fallon to travel in as much comfort as possible.

Mariner said: "We are trying to get the best possible situation for our player".

Fallon hoped NZ Football would see the club's point of view.

"My gaffer (coach) doesn't want me coming back tired so I think NZ Football is trying to sort something out," he told TV3.

"A couple of the boys have said they're going in economy so that's quite tiring, going to LA and back in a week, it's not very good preparation for when they go back to football."

But Fallon, who scored the crucial goal in New Zealand's win over Bahrain which clinched their World Cup spot, insisted he was committed to playing the Mexico match.

"The commitment's always there, I'm a professional and it's always 100 percent. I loved being with the boys in New Zealand and it's like I never left," he said.

- NZPA