$450,000 lift for national football leagues

New Zealand Football is set to invest $450,000 in its national leagues over the next three years after cries from clubs that the domestic game has been under-resourced.

National league club chiefs met NZF officials in Auckland last month to seek clarity around the national body's commitment to their flagship domestic competition.

A summary of discussion points obtained by The Press revealed the eight franchises – Auckland City, Waitakere United, Waikato FC, Hawke's Bay United, Youngheart Manawatu, Team Wellington, Canterbury United and Otago United – had cumulatively invested $15m to $20m into the New Zealand Football Championships over the last six years.

They "feel strongly that their investments ... [have] not had the recognition that they feel is warranted".

They sought clarity over what commitment New Zealand Football had towards the league's future and where it sees the competition in terms of player pathways.

The clubs wanted NZF to reinvest any financial surpluses in the national league and consider lowering entry fees in future years.

They pointed out that $5m had been brought back into the game locally from prize money won at the World Club Cup finals by Auckland City and Waitakere. All eight clubs receive a dividend.

According to a budget presented to the meeting, NZF expects the national men's and youth leagues to cost $763,560 in 2010-11, $853,680 in 2011-12 and $877,680 the following year. They have forecast profits of $15,440, $35,320 and $21,320. The clubs will collectively contribute $520,000 each year for the next three seasons with NZF supplying $450,000 over the three-year term.

National league clubs will now pay $67,000 each per season for a two-round competition – compared with $60,000 for a three-round

There will be no World Club Cup revenue in 2010-11, with Oceania represented by the Oceania League winner from Papua New Guinea. But NZF is forecasting for $100,000 in each of the next two seasons.

Sponsorship and gaming trust revenue is expected to bring in a total of $330,000 over the next three years.

Air travel is the biggest expenditure item with $1.2m earmarked to fly the teams around the country during the next three seasons.

The clubs wanted NZF to "severely reprimand" All Whites assistant-coach Brian Turner for slating the quality of the league and they say All Whites coach – currently Wellington Phoenix boss Ricki Herbert – should be "compelled to attend a minimum number of national league matches each season".

Turner told the Sunday Star-Times in May that domestic football in New Zealand was "stagnant", that the gap between club and international football had become "a chasm" and there were deep problems in the local game caused by self-interest from its clubs.

He said it was "practically impossible" for Herbert to select national league players for his World Cup squad because it took 12 months to get them up to international standard.

Herbert, however, did name national league players Andy Barron, James Bannatyne and the uncapped Aaron Clapham, although only Barron played in South Africa in a cameo role lasting one minute. Auckland City captain Ivan Vicelich played all three games but he had only just returned to New Zealand after a long professional career in the Dutch first division.

Turner launched his salvo after New Zealand's top club side, Waitakere United, lost to PNG's Hekari United in the O-League final – a result which cost the New Zealand game $500,000.

His comments were widely resented in national league ranks. But the clubs themselves do have some concerns over aspects of the game.

Franchise chairmen felt "foul language from players and coaches was becoming a very big issue" and appealed to NZF and referees to "deal with it". They favoured doubling the fines for dissent and pledged to help work with the game's authorities "to lessen this problem".

The group questioned the need for every referee to be assessed at every match and felt it was affecting the quality of referee performance.

They appealed to the Referees Appointment Panel to make more regional appointments, saying it was a waste of money to send Auckland-based officials to Dunedin "at a time when [we are] looking to keep the league more financially sustainable".

There was unhappiness at the quality of refereeing and a feeling yellow and red cards were too readily handed out, with referees "not acting within the best interests of spectator entertainment".

- © Fairfax NZ News