July 10, 2024 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave for Wednesday 10 July 2024 - Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker talks about the A-League side signing a five year deal with Go Media Mt Smart Stadium - will we have a repeat of the Football Kingz FC?
D'Arcy delivers an opinion piece on why we should celebrate the Lulu Sun for a long time to come.
Plus, NZ Herald Rugby Writer Liam Napier joins the panel to discuss the notable absences from the New Zealand Olympic football side.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at b
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Forcefix Howard by News Talk Set.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Be welcome into the Fixed podcast. I'm Arc water Grave.
Great to have you all on board. Coming up in
this edition of The Fix, We'll be joined by CEO
of Auckland Fcnick Becker. Worst kept secret, but it's finally
our go media. Mount Smart is going to be the
home of this new football club in the A League,
first game getting underway on the nineteenth of October. We'll
(00:43):
talk to Nick about the where's the wires, the house
and so on and so forth. I've got some opinion,
predictably around what has been the biggest and the bestest,
nost lovely sports story of the year so far, Lulu Sun.
I'll be joined in the chamber by Liam Napier. He's
been following the All Blacks round like a rash looking
ahead to well, we hope it's not going to be
(01:04):
the breaking of the curse for overseas teams when it
comes to victory at Eden Park that second Test match
coming in Auckland City over the weekend. That's our plan,
so let's get amongst in other news. So what happened
and sport today? Let's hear from the mouths of the horses,
not literally. Reuniting Susie Bates and Sophie Divine at the
(01:28):
top of the order isn't a long term option for
the White Ferns. New Zealand have gone two kneel down
in the five match T twenty series against England after
a twenty three run loss in rain struck Hove. Ferns
bowler lea to who's his baits and Divine only opened
the bowling because the match was reduced to nine overs
(01:49):
a side.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Sophie is probably our most powerful player, so it was
nice to see the smash sisters reunited at the top there,
and obviously wish you could have gone a little bit longer,
but when you're chasing ten's shortened game, you're always looking
to get your most powerful better out there who can
clear the boundaries.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Bollywhites football coach Darren Paisley has revealed how he secured
new Premier League player Alex Paulson the Paris games over aige.
Players like Chris Ward and Leby Cacace weren't released from
their clubs during the non FIFA international window.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
We've been talking to Alex for quite a while and
we've said to him all along he's going to be
the number one at the Olympics, and I think throughout
the process with Bournemouth and his agent have sort of
put it to Bournemouth that this is the plan for.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Him and England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth is dismissing any
sort of Eden Park hudu ahead of the second Test
against New Zealand on Saturday. The thirtieth anniversary of the
All Blacks last loss at the Auckland Venue, which came
via the try from the end of the World against France,
was marked a week ago.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Today there so it is an impressive record.
Speaker 6 (02:53):
It has not been the focus of our week. It's
the All Blacks record.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
To protect leading of Vix, We've got just the ticket.
It's Sports Fix News Talks Ivy.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
CEO of Auckland FC, Nick Becker, joins the program now
on the news that it's official, Go Media. Mount Smart
Stadium is the home of this new A League club.
Welcome in, Nick, great to have you on board. Terribly
kept secret. It's nice now it is out and official.
Speaker 7 (03:24):
Though, yes, absolutely, thanks thanks for having me, Darcy.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
Yes it is. It's a proud day for aukand FC.
Speaker 7 (03:30):
We can actually finally say we've officially got our home
at Go Media Stadium. It was like, obviously, as you mentioned,
one of the worst kept secrets in sport in New Zealand.
But now we can we can sort of talk about
it and officially sell our tickets that we've been selling,
our memberships that we've been selling there for about two
months now as well.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Why Mount Smart What particularly dragged you toward or beckoned
you from when it comes to that particular stadium.
Speaker 6 (03:56):
It's a good question. I think there's there's there's a
there's a.
Speaker 7 (03:58):
Whole range of things. In short, I think it's it's
much better in terms of its design for football. Erectang
of the stadium where twenty six thousand people all on
top of the pitch, there's sort of every seat's a
great view and you can create a really electric atmosphere there.
I mean, you're a Warriors fan, you would have been
(04:19):
out there and seen it many times and you know
how powerful it can be is to have that kind
of proud support behind the team. We really wanted to
create our own fortress, and we felt like that was
the right venue for it. On top of that, there's
also some great sort of opportunities to build out an
amazing fan experience at the stadiums.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
So you know, you've got.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
Lily World out there, which is a bar where our
hardcore supporters they've called themselves the Port and they're growing
in numbers every day, are going to meet their pre match.
Then they'll sort of march down together into that South
Stand and that's where they'll bring the color and the
noise and the flags and everything else that comes with
that kind of support that's very unique to football.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Is that what makes it different from the failed Kings experiment,
the fact that football now has got a lot more
traction here in and Intomack and MacOda.
Speaker 7 (05:09):
Yeah, without a doubt, I think, you know, the Kings
and then and then the nights that followed, I think
they were effectively playing in a different era for the sport.
Speaker 6 (05:17):
You know, you look at how much the sport's grown.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
There's there's forty thousand plus young boys and girls playing
the game across Aukland. There's one hundred thousand people actually
participating it in total, and you've got those seventy three
clubs and some of them are massive. You know, you've
got Western Springs with over three thousand kids, and then
there's another eleven twelve clubs which I've got one thousand,
fifteen hundred players.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
There too, So you've got.
Speaker 7 (05:41):
A huge concentration of young families have jumped on the
sport and it's off the back of the growth of
the game globally successive of the All Whites and the
Football Ferns, and also a really successful World Cup last
season and a great season I must say for well
into Phoenix last season as well. You know, we were
(06:02):
really a were super happy for them to go so
far into the into the A League last season, but
also seeing you know thirty three thirty five thousand down
at the Capton and Wellington for their semi final against
Victory was really really inspiring for us.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
So the class with the Warriors. It's not going to
happen at the start of the season. Will it happened
toward the end of the season. I'm sure that NRL
aren't exactly flexible when it comes to that, but is
that an issue moving into the future, Nick.
Speaker 7 (06:31):
Yeah, I don't think it's going to be an issue.
We've been talking about it from day one. The team
at the Warriors have been fantastic that they're really supporting
us coming in there as kind of co tenants at
the stadium, and there's only a couple of months where
it's a real issue. So you've kind of got the
March April period where we may have the occasional weekend
(06:54):
where both ourselves and the Warriors played, but that the
stadium is set up for it.
Speaker 6 (06:58):
Everybody's aware of that as a possibility. We're going to
try and avoid it obviously, is as much as we.
Speaker 7 (07:03):
Can, but if it does happen, we'll be prepared and
every everybody's happy with it.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
The length of time for the contract, I mean, you
talk about your home, it's five years and had built
Foley on the program before he was talking about building
your own downtown boutique stadium and tell us if you
haven't talk to the council, get good luck on that one.
Speaker 6 (07:24):
Where does this?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Where does this go?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
Though?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
You got five years at the end of that you
want to re sign as their stadium plans underway, and
I suppose beyond that, how does that work when it
comes to creating a fortress that is Auckland FC centric.
I having to move what kind of interruption does that
have when it comes to the future and the fortress
(07:48):
nature of the club?
Speaker 7 (07:49):
Nick sure, the five years I think is a good
chunk of time to really kind of establish ourselves as
not only the number one team in Auckland, but we
want to be the number one football club in the country.
But the period that we've got and whether we move
(08:09):
on after that, who knows the questions. I mean, I
don't know if you've ever built a house to Darcy,
but it takes it takes about five years to get
planning constantly load actually construction. So be super ambitious to
have our own stadium in five years time. It would
be something that personally is as anybody who runs a
sporting club or a football club knows, like having your
own stadium is the ultimate and the big dream and
(08:33):
the big ticket.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
But it's just not that simple.
Speaker 7 (08:35):
If there was a business plan and there was an
opportunity in front of us that completely made sense, yeah,
it would definitely explore it and would look into it.
And I think that's one of the things that we're
really fortunate about as a club is that we've actually
got the backing, we've got the resource behind us that
if the right opportunity and it has to make commercial
sense comes up, then then we'll definitely explore it some more.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
So it's still being investigated. This hasn't been stopped. The
desire is still to have, if possible, at a botique
stadium in the middle of Auckland somewhere.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
We're really ambitious.
Speaker 7 (09:08):
We don't want to just come in here and kind
of make up the numbers in any part of what
we do, right, so we're ambitious on what we want
to achieve on the perch, we're ambitious on the on
the kind of matchday experience that we want to build
for our fans. We're ambitious across every aspect of it,
and that includes we want to have a world class
training facility here.
Speaker 6 (09:26):
We've got a ready, we've got a great.
Speaker 7 (09:27):
One in terms of the North Harbor and what we've
got set up there now, but we'd like to have
something of our own in that sense, and then of
course if the opportunity and the sort of it all
made sense and a bit of land was available, we'd
definitely look at having our own home.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
It's what every team wants.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And on that. We'll let you get back on with
your day. I'm sure there's plenty to do before the
nineteenth of October. CEO of Auckland FC, Nick Becker, thanks
very much for your time.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
Cheers, Darcy speaks so leading a vex. We've got just
the ticket.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
It's Sports Vex News Talks is.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
E and the winner of the Sports Story of New
Zealand and twenty twenty four already is Lulu. Soon If
you just come down in the last shower and you
have no idea what I'm talking about. This young woman
born in Tiano deep into Ponamu, who represents Switzerland for
a while, changed her allegiancy and she now represents the
(10:24):
country of her birth. She's turned up at Wimbledon and
in a very short amount of time, just over a week,
completed eight games of tennis to get her up to
the dizzying heights of the quarterfinals. It was an astonishing
run for a very calm, cool and collected young woman
who sowed no sign whatsoever of the stress of being
(10:48):
right in the eye of the hurricane. When it comes
to world media, this is a Grand Slam event, This
is Wimbledon. Arguably, this is the biggest, the most important granddaddy,
grand Mummy of all Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and there
she stood completely unperturbed by the situation she found herself in.
(11:08):
She played wonderful tennis. She played some long and arduous games,
She showed a huge amount of mental strength, an enormous
amount of spine, and eventually the nature of eight games
at the highest level on grass was simply too much
for her. Lulusun bowed out last night, but she bowed
(11:29):
out an absolute champion. I believe in the minds of
all sports fans and all New Zealanders. It was an
astonishing run. And now though people know who she is
and what she's capable of. So what happens in the
fully fledged professional world ahead of the next major we
can only wait and see. But I think you'll all
agree with me that this has been the sports story
(11:52):
internationally for Akiwi in twenty twenty four. And the best thing, well,
the only good thing about the early ish exit. We
don't have to put up with any more sun puns. Lulusoon,
You're a champion in our eyes.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix, and it's a
warm welcome into the chamber to Liam Napier.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
He's the chief sports writer of the New Zealand Herald.
Hello there, Liam, I trust you well and looking forward
to the next hand full of minutes.
Speaker 8 (12:24):
Hey Dars, Yes, great to be here in the chamber
first time and it's a pleasure to that's great.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
I'm going we're going to lock you down, lock you in.
Let's see what information you can give us Paris Olympics.
Chris Wood a notable admission. We'll not really a mission
as a New Zealand name their football contingent because the
nature of it it is under twenty three, it's not
really football, but it is. How much of a lost
do you think this is going to be?
Speaker 8 (12:49):
Oh's a huge loss to Chris Wood, as I guess
you'd say, an iconic New Zealand footballer right now, one
of the one of our best going arounds. And like
you say, the parameters around the Paris Olympics. You can
only select three players that are over twenty three and
if you were going to select one, it would be
he's your strike weapon, he's your goalscorer. But because the
(13:12):
international window isn't accompanied by the Olympics, these clubs are
under no obligation to release them. They pay them a
lot of money and they don't want them injured, so
they're protecting their assets. But a big loss for news
on football not to have one of their best world
class weapons there.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Does it strike you as odd though, that they haven't
got an official fee for window? For what is even
though it's only under twenty three, one of the biggest
tournaments for the game. It's the Olympics. For crying out loudly.
Speaker 6 (13:46):
It is.
Speaker 8 (13:46):
And I guess this comes back to the argument about
whether team sports such as football and rugby seven's to
a degree, should be at the Olympics because they have
other pinnacle events, don't they.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
If we're talking no, they shouldn't be.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
They shouldn't be go and say it.
Speaker 6 (14:03):
It shouldn't be exactly.
Speaker 8 (14:05):
They have other pinnacle events. They have World Cups, they
have you know, other tournaments. Euros are currently going on,
so many other tournaments with prestige and history with the
Olympics for football is very much an afterthoughts. So that's
why FIFA haven't gone out of their way to create
an international window.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Yeah, and there are a couple of old buggers in there.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
Anyway.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
The Trio of oldies. Joe Bell separates seeing Michael box
Or has been picked as those overaged players. We can
live with that. It's not going to kill anyone. I
don't think Liam and Napier joining us in the chamber.
Mount Smart is that the right choice? Oh should give
it its official name right, not that they pay me
go media. Mount Smart the right choice for Auckland FC.
(14:48):
Terribly kept secret. It's out of the bag now five
years they're going to be down in Penrose.
Speaker 8 (14:53):
Look it's the only place, isn't it. And I guess
let's hope Walk and FC can you know, leverage somewhat
off the Warriors the ground swel of support. I think
Mount Smart is a bit tired and dated, isn't it.
But it does create a sense of atmosphe if you've
been there for any Warriors game recently in the All Blacks,
even last year when they played the spring Box, you
(15:14):
get close to the action. It's a purpose built football venue.
You're closer to the action than you are Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
But rectangular stadium, isn't it? And that's what they're always
harping on about. We need a rectangular stadium because it
brings energy to the crowd. You've been to the games,
you know what I'm talking about. That's so true, regardless
of it's a wee bit tatty or not here.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
That's right.
Speaker 8 (15:35):
But you and I both know that Auckland stadiums are shambles.
That was the only choice that Auckland FC had. They're
not going to play on in Albany, which is a
bit of a basket case North Harbour Stadium, They're not
going to play a Eden Park's too expensive. No one
wants to play there because of the price tag. So
where else are they going to play? I think they
are investigating long term to build their own stadium at
some venue in Auckland, but they've locked in Mount Smart
(15:58):
for the next five years and it really was their
only choice.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Your way, Bill felly On when the news came out
un necessarily that Auckland FC with a new A League
team and he said it was a get things guy
and wanted to build a stadium. It's like, now you
haven't dealt with Auckland Council. Good luck on that one.
So I think maybe he has made a phone call
and gone well, let's just wait and see. And talking
of Auckland venues, finally, so Russell Coots gets what he
(16:23):
wants and sale GP is coming to Auckland after a
bit of a ruckus see it will be here. There's
some caveats around it. I'm interested to see how they've
cleaned up where they're going to put the fans. This
is something that's stopped at last time.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
Liam, that's right.
Speaker 8 (16:42):
There was a false start and then they went to
christ Church and almost killed off some dolphins. There was
a massive controversy there, so cause a bit of you know,
a bit of a stir wherever they've gone sale GP.
But what I can tell you, Dass, there is a
lot of excitement out there about this event coming to Auckland.
I've got mates that are a lot wealthier than you
(17:02):
and I talking about booking boats and getting organized for
the event. So I really do hope that that, you know,
everybody comes together and gets it over the line. But
there are a lot of hoops that you have to
jump through with working council, a lot of you know,
brown paper bags maybe that have to be slipped.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
And a little bit of nature.
Speaker 8 (17:20):
How so, there's a bit of water that has to
fly under the boats. Yet before this event gets off,
the ground. But I do know there's a lot of
excitement out there, and I hope that they can bring
it to Tomackey Makoto.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Yeah, I know that Sir Russell Coots likes to get
things done. He likes to have his own way, and
i'd suggest after that, what, let's face it, it was
embarrassing when he was told he couldn't have it when
you point where he wanted it last time, and I'd
suggest he'd put whatever he could in place to make
sure that embarrassment in his hometown didn't happen again. There's
(17:54):
some power going there behind the scenes, isn't there?
Speaker 6 (17:56):
Liam? There is?
Speaker 8 (17:57):
And this is the city of sales, isn't it us?
So it's only fitting that that sailing comes home. We
haven't got the America's Cup that's been shipped off to
Basa for a hefty price tag.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
This is the next best thing.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Well next thing. You know, you might even get her
around the world. Stop evolvo stop Okay, now I'm being silly,
And with that we thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
Liam.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Enjoy your time back at home from following the all
Blacks around. I hope you enjoy hopefully another successful outing
on Eden Park for our all blacks that already met
thirty years since the try from the end of the World.
I know you write it up well and thanks for
joining us here on the Fix.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
This is Sports Fix, your daily dose of sports news,
cowing by News Talks EBB.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
There is wrapped up just like I bought one Sportsfix
for Wednesday, the tenth of July twenty twenty four. I'm
d Arcy water Graven. Thanks for downloading this. If you
want to subscribe, it'll come straight to your inbox. We
drop this podcast Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday. If it's
more sport you after, join myself and or Jason Pine
(19:04):
between at seven and eight for sports Talk on News
Talks EBB and over the weekend the Pine Man's Got
It All between twelve and three Saturday and Sunday. It
is called Weekend Sport. Look after yourself and we'll catch
you again here at the Sportsfix.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at b
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Forcefix Howard by News Talk Set.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Be welcome into the Fixed podcast. I'm Arc water Grave.
Great to have you all on board. Coming up in
this edition of The Fix, We'll be joined by CEO
of Auckland Fcnick Becker. Worst kept secret, but it's finally
our go media. Mount Smart is going to be the
home of this new football club in the A League,
first game getting underway on the nineteenth of October. We'll
(00:43):
talk to Nick about the where's the wires, the house
and so on and so forth. I've got some opinion,
predictably around what has been the biggest and the bestest,
nost lovely sports story of the year so far, Lulu Sun.
I'll be joined in the chamber by Liam Napier. He's
been following the All Blacks round like a rash looking
ahead to well, we hope it's not going to be
(01:04):
the breaking of the curse for overseas teams when it
comes to victory at Eden Park that second Test match
coming in Auckland City over the weekend. That's our plan,
so let's get amongst in other news. So what happened
and sport today? Let's hear from the mouths of the horses,
not literally. Reuniting Susie Bates and Sophie Divine at the
(01:28):
top of the order isn't a long term option for
the White Ferns. New Zealand have gone two kneel down
in the five match T twenty series against England after
a twenty three run loss in rain struck Hove. Ferns
bowler lea to who's his baits and Divine only opened
the bowling because the match was reduced to nine overs
(01:49):
a side.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Sophie is probably our most powerful player, so it was
nice to see the smash sisters reunited at the top there,
and obviously wish you could have gone a little bit longer,
but when you're chasing ten's shortened game, you're always looking
to get your most powerful better out there who can
clear the boundaries.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Bollywhites football coach Darren Paisley has revealed how he secured
new Premier League player Alex Paulson the Paris games over aige.
Players like Chris Ward and Leby Cacace weren't released from
their clubs during the non FIFA international window.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
We've been talking to Alex for quite a while and
we've said to him all along he's going to be
the number one at the Olympics, and I think throughout
the process with Bournemouth and his agent have sort of
put it to Bournemouth that this is the plan for.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Him and England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth is dismissing any
sort of Eden Park hudu ahead of the second Test
against New Zealand on Saturday. The thirtieth anniversary of the
All Blacks last loss at the Auckland Venue, which came
via the try from the end of the World against France,
was marked a week ago.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Today there so it is an impressive record.
Speaker 6 (02:53):
It has not been the focus of our week. It's
the All Blacks record.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
To protect leading of Vix, We've got just the ticket.
It's Sports Fix News Talks Ivy.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
CEO of Auckland FC, Nick Becker, joins the program now
on the news that it's official, Go Media. Mount Smart
Stadium is the home of this new A League club.
Welcome in, Nick, great to have you on board. Terribly
kept secret. It's nice now it is out and official.
Speaker 7 (03:24):
Though, yes, absolutely, thanks thanks for having me, Darcy.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
Yes it is. It's a proud day for aukand FC.
Speaker 7 (03:30):
We can actually finally say we've officially got our home
at Go Media Stadium. It was like, obviously, as you mentioned,
one of the worst kept secrets in sport in New Zealand.
But now we can we can sort of talk about
it and officially sell our tickets that we've been selling,
our memberships that we've been selling there for about two
months now as well.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Why Mount Smart What particularly dragged you toward or beckoned
you from when it comes to that particular stadium.
Speaker 6 (03:56):
It's a good question. I think there's there's there's a
there's a.
Speaker 7 (03:58):
Whole range of things. In short, I think it's it's
much better in terms of its design for football. Erectang
of the stadium where twenty six thousand people all on
top of the pitch, there's sort of every seat's a
great view and you can create a really electric atmosphere there.
I mean, you're a Warriors fan, you would have been
(04:19):
out there and seen it many times and you know
how powerful it can be is to have that kind
of proud support behind the team. We really wanted to
create our own fortress, and we felt like that was
the right venue for it. On top of that, there's
also some great sort of opportunities to build out an
amazing fan experience at the stadiums.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
So you know, you've got.
Speaker 7 (04:40):
Lily World out there, which is a bar where our
hardcore supporters they've called themselves the Port and they're growing
in numbers every day, are going to meet their pre match.
Then they'll sort of march down together into that South
Stand and that's where they'll bring the color and the
noise and the flags and everything else that comes with
that kind of support that's very unique to football.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Is that what makes it different from the failed Kings experiment,
the fact that football now has got a lot more
traction here in and Intomack and MacOda.
Speaker 7 (05:09):
Yeah, without a doubt, I think, you know, the Kings
and then and then the nights that followed, I think
they were effectively playing in a different era for the sport.
Speaker 6 (05:17):
You know, you look at how much the sport's grown.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
There's there's forty thousand plus young boys and girls playing
the game across Aukland. There's one hundred thousand people actually
participating it in total, and you've got those seventy three
clubs and some of them are massive. You know, you've
got Western Springs with over three thousand kids, and then
there's another eleven twelve clubs which I've got one thousand,
fifteen hundred players.
Speaker 6 (05:39):
There too, So you've got.
Speaker 7 (05:41):
A huge concentration of young families have jumped on the
sport and it's off the back of the growth of
the game globally successive of the All Whites and the
Football Ferns, and also a really successful World Cup last
season and a great season I must say for well
into Phoenix last season as well. You know, we were
(06:02):
really a were super happy for them to go so
far into the into the A League last season, but
also seeing you know thirty three thirty five thousand down
at the Capton and Wellington for their semi final against
Victory was really really inspiring for us.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
So the class with the Warriors. It's not going to
happen at the start of the season. Will it happened
toward the end of the season. I'm sure that NRL
aren't exactly flexible when it comes to that, but is
that an issue moving into the future, Nick.
Speaker 7 (06:31):
Yeah, I don't think it's going to be an issue.
We've been talking about it from day one. The team
at the Warriors have been fantastic that they're really supporting
us coming in there as kind of co tenants at
the stadium, and there's only a couple of months where
it's a real issue. So you've kind of got the
March April period where we may have the occasional weekend
(06:54):
where both ourselves and the Warriors played, but that the
stadium is set up for it.
Speaker 6 (06:58):
Everybody's aware of that as a possibility. We're going to
try and avoid it obviously, is as much as we.
Speaker 7 (07:03):
Can, but if it does happen, we'll be prepared and
every everybody's happy with it.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
The length of time for the contract, I mean, you
talk about your home, it's five years and had built
Foley on the program before he was talking about building
your own downtown boutique stadium and tell us if you
haven't talk to the council, get good luck on that one.
Speaker 6 (07:24):
Where does this?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Where does this go?
Speaker 6 (07:26):
Though?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
You got five years at the end of that you
want to re sign as their stadium plans underway, and
I suppose beyond that, how does that work when it
comes to creating a fortress that is Auckland FC centric.
I having to move what kind of interruption does that
have when it comes to the future and the fortress
(07:48):
nature of the club?
Speaker 7 (07:49):
Nick sure, the five years I think is a good
chunk of time to really kind of establish ourselves as
not only the number one team in Auckland, but we
want to be the number one football club in the country.
But the period that we've got and whether we move
(08:09):
on after that, who knows the questions. I mean, I
don't know if you've ever built a house to Darcy,
but it takes it takes about five years to get
planning constantly load actually construction. So be super ambitious to
have our own stadium in five years time. It would
be something that personally is as anybody who runs a
sporting club or a football club knows, like having your
own stadium is the ultimate and the big dream and
(08:33):
the big ticket.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
But it's just not that simple.
Speaker 7 (08:35):
If there was a business plan and there was an
opportunity in front of us that completely made sense, yeah,
it would definitely explore it and would look into it.
And I think that's one of the things that we're
really fortunate about as a club is that we've actually
got the backing, we've got the resource behind us that
if the right opportunity and it has to make commercial
sense comes up, then then we'll definitely explore it some more.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
So it's still being investigated. This hasn't been stopped. The
desire is still to have, if possible, at a botique
stadium in the middle of Auckland somewhere.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
We're really ambitious.
Speaker 7 (09:08):
We don't want to just come in here and kind
of make up the numbers in any part of what
we do, right, so we're ambitious on what we want
to achieve on the perch, we're ambitious on the on
the kind of matchday experience that we want to build
for our fans. We're ambitious across every aspect of it,
and that includes we want to have a world class
training facility here.
Speaker 6 (09:26):
We've got a ready, we've got a great.
Speaker 7 (09:27):
One in terms of the North Harbor and what we've
got set up there now, but we'd like to have
something of our own in that sense, and then of
course if the opportunity and the sort of it all
made sense and a bit of land was available, we'd
definitely look at having our own home.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
It's what every team wants.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
And on that. We'll let you get back on with
your day. I'm sure there's plenty to do before the
nineteenth of October. CEO of Auckland FC, Nick Becker, thanks
very much for your time.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
Cheers, Darcy speaks so leading a vex. We've got just
the ticket.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
It's Sports Vex News Talks is.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
E and the winner of the Sports Story of New
Zealand and twenty twenty four already is Lulu. Soon If
you just come down in the last shower and you
have no idea what I'm talking about. This young woman
born in Tiano deep into Ponamu, who represents Switzerland for
a while, changed her allegiancy and she now represents the
(10:24):
country of her birth. She's turned up at Wimbledon and
in a very short amount of time, just over a week,
completed eight games of tennis to get her up to
the dizzying heights of the quarterfinals. It was an astonishing
run for a very calm, cool and collected young woman
who sowed no sign whatsoever of the stress of being
(10:48):
right in the eye of the hurricane. When it comes
to world media, this is a Grand Slam event, This
is Wimbledon. Arguably, this is the biggest, the most important granddaddy,
grand Mummy of all Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and there
she stood completely unperturbed by the situation she found herself in.
(11:08):
She played wonderful tennis. She played some long and arduous games,
She showed a huge amount of mental strength, an enormous
amount of spine, and eventually the nature of eight games
at the highest level on grass was simply too much
for her. Lulusun bowed out last night, but she bowed
(11:29):
out an absolute champion. I believe in the minds of
all sports fans and all New Zealanders. It was an
astonishing run. And now though people know who she is
and what she's capable of. So what happens in the
fully fledged professional world ahead of the next major we
can only wait and see. But I think you'll all
agree with me that this has been the sports story
(11:52):
internationally for Akiwi in twenty twenty four. And the best thing, well,
the only good thing about the early ish exit. We
don't have to put up with any more sun puns. Lulusoon,
You're a champion in our eyes.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix, and it's a
warm welcome into the chamber to Liam Napier.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
He's the chief sports writer of the New Zealand Herald.
Hello there, Liam, I trust you well and looking forward
to the next hand full of minutes.
Speaker 8 (12:24):
Hey Dars, Yes, great to be here in the chamber
first time and it's a pleasure to that's great.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
I'm going we're going to lock you down, lock you in.
Let's see what information you can give us Paris Olympics.
Chris Wood a notable admission. We'll not really a mission
as a New Zealand name their football contingent because the
nature of it it is under twenty three, it's not
really football, but it is. How much of a lost
do you think this is going to be?
Speaker 8 (12:49):
Oh's a huge loss to Chris Wood, as I guess
you'd say, an iconic New Zealand footballer right now, one
of the one of our best going arounds. And like
you say, the parameters around the Paris Olympics. You can
only select three players that are over twenty three and
if you were going to select one, it would be
he's your strike weapon, he's your goalscorer. But because the
(13:12):
international window isn't accompanied by the Olympics, these clubs are
under no obligation to release them. They pay them a
lot of money and they don't want them injured, so
they're protecting their assets. But a big loss for news
on football not to have one of their best world
class weapons there.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Does it strike you as odd though, that they haven't
got an official fee for window? For what is even
though it's only under twenty three, one of the biggest
tournaments for the game. It's the Olympics. For crying out loudly.
Speaker 6 (13:46):
It is.
Speaker 8 (13:46):
And I guess this comes back to the argument about
whether team sports such as football and rugby seven's to
a degree, should be at the Olympics because they have
other pinnacle events, don't they.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
If we're talking no, they shouldn't be.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
They shouldn't be go and say it.
Speaker 6 (14:03):
It shouldn't be exactly.
Speaker 8 (14:05):
They have other pinnacle events. They have World Cups, they
have you know, other tournaments. Euros are currently going on,
so many other tournaments with prestige and history with the
Olympics for football is very much an afterthoughts. So that's
why FIFA haven't gone out of their way to create
an international window.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
Yeah, and there are a couple of old buggers in there.
Speaker 6 (14:26):
Anyway.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
The Trio of oldies. Joe Bell separates seeing Michael box
Or has been picked as those overaged players. We can
live with that. It's not going to kill anyone. I
don't think Liam and Napier joining us in the chamber.
Mount Smart is that the right choice? Oh should give
it its official name right, not that they pay me
go media. Mount Smart the right choice for Auckland FC.
(14:48):
Terribly kept secret. It's out of the bag now five
years they're going to be down in Penrose.
Speaker 8 (14:53):
Look it's the only place, isn't it. And I guess
let's hope Walk and FC can you know, leverage somewhat
off the Warriors the ground swel of support. I think
Mount Smart is a bit tired and dated, isn't it.
But it does create a sense of atmosphe if you've
been there for any Warriors game recently in the All Blacks,
even last year when they played the spring Box, you
(15:14):
get close to the action. It's a purpose built football venue.
You're closer to the action than you are Eden Park.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
But rectangular stadium, isn't it? And that's what they're always
harping on about. We need a rectangular stadium because it
brings energy to the crowd. You've been to the games,
you know what I'm talking about. That's so true, regardless
of it's a wee bit tatty or not here.
Speaker 6 (15:34):
That's right.
Speaker 8 (15:35):
But you and I both know that Auckland stadiums are shambles.
That was the only choice that Auckland FC had. They're
not going to play on in Albany, which is a
bit of a basket case North Harbour Stadium, They're not
going to play a Eden Park's too expensive. No one
wants to play there because of the price tag. So
where else are they going to play? I think they
are investigating long term to build their own stadium at
some venue in Auckland, but they've locked in Mount Smart
(15:58):
for the next five years and it really was their
only choice.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
Your way, Bill felly On when the news came out
un necessarily that Auckland FC with a new A League
team and he said it was a get things guy
and wanted to build a stadium. It's like, now you
haven't dealt with Auckland Council. Good luck on that one.
So I think maybe he has made a phone call
and gone well, let's just wait and see. And talking
of Auckland venues, finally, so Russell Coots gets what he
(16:23):
wants and sale GP is coming to Auckland after a
bit of a ruckus see it will be here. There's
some caveats around it. I'm interested to see how they've
cleaned up where they're going to put the fans. This
is something that's stopped at last time.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
Liam, that's right.
Speaker 8 (16:42):
There was a false start and then they went to
christ Church and almost killed off some dolphins. There was
a massive controversy there, so cause a bit of you know,
a bit of a stir wherever they've gone sale GP.
But what I can tell you, Dass, there is a
lot of excitement out there about this event coming to Auckland.
I've got mates that are a lot wealthier than you
(17:02):
and I talking about booking boats and getting organized for
the event. So I really do hope that that, you know,
everybody comes together and gets it over the line. But
there are a lot of hoops that you have to
jump through with working council, a lot of you know,
brown paper bags maybe that have to be slipped.
Speaker 3 (17:18):
And a little bit of nature.
Speaker 8 (17:20):
How so, there's a bit of water that has to
fly under the boats. Yet before this event gets off,
the ground. But I do know there's a lot of
excitement out there, and I hope that they can bring
it to Tomackey Makoto.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Yeah, I know that Sir Russell Coots likes to get
things done. He likes to have his own way, and
i'd suggest after that, what, let's face it, it was
embarrassing when he was told he couldn't have it when
you point where he wanted it last time, and I'd
suggest he'd put whatever he could in place to make
sure that embarrassment in his hometown didn't happen again. There's
(17:54):
some power going there behind the scenes, isn't there?
Speaker 6 (17:56):
Liam? There is?
Speaker 8 (17:57):
And this is the city of sales, isn't it us?
So it's only fitting that that sailing comes home. We
haven't got the America's Cup that's been shipped off to
Basa for a hefty price tag.
Speaker 6 (18:08):
This is the next best thing.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Well next thing. You know, you might even get her
around the world. Stop evolvo stop Okay, now I'm being silly,
And with that we thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
Liam.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Enjoy your time back at home from following the all
Blacks around. I hope you enjoy hopefully another successful outing
on Eden Park for our all blacks that already met
thirty years since the try from the end of the World.
I know you write it up well and thanks for
joining us here on the Fix.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
This is Sports Fix, your daily dose of sports news,
cowing by News Talks EBB.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
There is wrapped up just like I bought one Sportsfix
for Wednesday, the tenth of July twenty twenty four. I'm
d Arcy water Graven. Thanks for downloading this. If you
want to subscribe, it'll come straight to your inbox. We
drop this podcast Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday. If it's
more sport you after, join myself and or Jason Pine
(19:04):
between at seven and eight for sports Talk on News
Talks EBB and over the weekend the Pine Man's Got
It All between twelve and three Saturday and Sunday. It
is called Weekend Sport. Look after yourself and we'll catch
you again here at the Sportsfix.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
For more from News Talk st B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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