October 17, 2024 • 11 mins
Former All White Fred de Jong, talks about how successful the new Auckland FC club will be.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Holds it up for looking to shoot again, puts.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
One into the top corner and the Knights go what
not up? You can see the ecstasy on the spaces
of the.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Squad and after producing the program, that guy, when on
Earth did you find that?
Speaker 5 (00:33):
I had no idea? There was still coverage left from
that era? W did you dig it out of a
whole sime where you went mining?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Didn't you?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Stunning bit of coverage for the very few times the
Kings actually managed to play, So the Knights managed to
actually placey mixed it up Kings and Nights. So on
that subject of Kings at V nights, let's hope that
AKFC EFECA Auckland FC don't go down the same horrid
(01:02):
path and we're good enough to support two A League
teams here in New Zealand. Will the club work? Will
it have success? The games this weekend for Auckland FC,
it's almost been sold out. Let's talk about that. Let's
talk about what success means and what has to be
done as this team dips its toe into the A League.
(01:24):
Water Fred Deyong from all white Football Kings player joins us.
Now Fred welcome to the show, mate.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Cheers mate, lovely to chat again and looking forward to
a good A League season with two New Zealand teams
for the first time, which will be which would be
interesting to see how they go.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
Let's start. We need to start.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
AKFC have done everything they can to get fans on board,
to get the media on board, to show a good
positive face to step into the A League going we
are here, we mean business.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
What markets do they have to hit to prove that?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
What do they actually have to do to try and
get rid of us both the memories of the Knights
and the Kings and other failed expeditions of the A
League into Auckland.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, and I think they've done a really good job
in that with the club engagement with the local clubs
in the Auckland area. I think, you know, all the
all the media they've had has been positive.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
They've they've put on a very.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Collegial face to the organization which has been fantastic, which
has been really good. Bottom line, first hurdle, don't lose
the first game. I think that was where the Kings
and Knights fell over. I remember playing in that that
first Carlton game for the Kings, and you know, there's
a there's a whole bunch of excitement and around the
(02:50):
around Auckland for professional football in Auckland. And then we
blew it on the first on the first night, we
lost three in all and sort of it really put
a damner on that on that on that first first
week of the competition. And so I think, first and foremost,
don't lose the first game, and then after that, I
think it's put on an experience at Mount Smart Stadium,
(03:14):
and I think the Warriors do that very well.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I think you've got to make it an event.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
And I think the A League and Auckland FC are
blessed in that there's not a whole lot of football
or a whole lot of sport in Auckland around this
time of year, so they've got a pretty clear runway
to exploit and so if they engage really well results
go their way, then I think you could see this
grow and grow, which would be fantastic for football in
(03:39):
this part of the country.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
So you've got no rope back in the old days,
one bad loss and suddenly everyone walked. How much rope
has this team got how much good will? How long
before people go Okay, it's over. Now your honeymoon period's gone,
we want results. What do you think? They're pretty harsh
football fans here in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think week three.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I think though if things aren't going well, especially after
the match against the PHOENI I think then you might
find some things turn a little a little negative. But
when you look at this squad, the squad is strong.
Are they going to gel as a football team? That
remains to be seen. But they have you know, five imports,
(04:23):
which is five overseas imports, which is probably more than
most clubs in the A League. How good they are
yet to be seen, but you know, good pedigree. Got
a very very experienced captain in Hiroki sakay you know,
three World Cups for Japan, and so you know he's
he's a very very good player coming obviously coming near
(04:44):
the end of his career, but still you know, have
a player of that caliber and your side leading the
team is very good. Good signing, you know, and so
you know you go through the other the other imports
and you know there's Colombian, Uruguay and Chile and Belgium,
so you know, good footballing countries, and so I think
if they're at the at the if they're a the
(05:06):
quality of some of the imports we've seen that the
Phoenix have unearthed, then I think Auckland f C Are
in a really good spot.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Fred Deong joining the program. How much will money paper
over any cracks that may appear in this club? They've
got some big backers, some beg swinging, you know what
I'm going to say, a lot of coin?
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Does that alleviate anything to a degree?
Speaker 4 (05:30):
As the players and the team don't feel like they're
playing for survival based on the amount of crowd that
turned up, was this going to help them?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Absolutely? Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Look around the world every league in the world, the
teams with the biggest budgets are at the top of
the table. It doesn't matter which where you look. Budgets
equate to position on the table. So if the owners
are willing to spend the money, then you're in a
good spot.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
You know. And maybe not in year one, maybe not in.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Year two, but by year three I would have thought that,
you know, you'd have worked out a whole lot of
the issues that come up with starting a franchise from scratch.
You've bedded in, you've you know, the players feel comfortable
and they can just concentrate on, you know, playing football,
whereas like at the moment you've got five imports who
(06:19):
have moved their families or themselves into New Zealand have
to get settled in, you know, work their way around
the city, all those sorts of things. You get you've
got to get used to that sort of thing. But
but after why, you know, you start to think, okay,
now I can really concentrate on delivering and and money
always helps. And I think you know that that is
(06:40):
the biggest difference between Auckland f C and the Kings.
And the Knights they have the money, They've said they're
going to spend the money, and so if that is
the case, then I see no reason why they shouldn't
be successful. And pretty quickly as well.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
All sports teams talk about making home a fortress. How
important is it that they get their own ground sooner
rather than later. Look Mount Smart Go Media Stadium all
well and good, but the noise made by Foley early
in the pieces, I would like to build a stadium.
Now there's sorts of taking over Western Springs have got
the right colored strip to get over there, I tell you.
(07:16):
But how important for them to actually create a home
that is theirs, that isn't just temperant and how long?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, I mean when when Bill Foley said that, you
know early when he when the team was launched, I
mean that was music to the years, not just a
football people. I think of anyone who's been in a
really good stadium around the world would love to see
Auckland with a rectangular stadium that's not ruined by cricket,
that's you purpose built for a rectangular field. And you know,
(07:48):
we would hope that there would be you know, a
group of people, local government, central government, the different sports
that would use it. Everyone, I think, with every sporting
person would love to have that sort of stadium as
opposed to just pouring money down the sinkhole that is
Eden Park. But you know, we'll see, we'll see. I
(08:08):
mean that's a long term proposition. You know, you're talking
probably a decade. But as it stands now, I think
Mount Smart's the second best thing that they've got, So
you know, you've got to go with that. And for
the interim, that's where you have to be very good
and you have to get results at Mount Smartstein.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Bill follow told me he's a doer. He gets things done.
I was like, bro, you've never dealt with the Auckland
council before. I think he's at worked out Fred de
Yong joining us. When we look at the Breakers, they've
been a very successful team in a trans Tasman competition.
They have had great success as far as winning the competition.
They regularly fill their basketball court up. You'd suggest it's
(08:49):
because the NBL is a very well respected league in
global basketball. The A League, however, isn't up in that echelon.
How much do you think that will affect people going
to watch this?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I think if Auckland FC can turn on a show
and make it different, and I think this is where
Bill Foley and and uh not, not the franchise or
the sort of the global organization, the Black Knights organization
as a whole, that that runs Born Withouth, that runs
the Vegas Knights, that runs Hibbs and other laureons and France,
(09:28):
these organ all sit under the same umbrella. If the
learnings from that, especially the American market, if they can
be brought here to put on a real show, then
I think, you know, the the crowds, the support will
be very strong because it'll be different. Make it really different,
(09:50):
make it, make it something that people just want to
go along to and and and be entertained, because we're
not that good at that in New Zealand, you know.
I mean I go to a we film a lot
of rugby and stuff, and boy, the one thing you
really hate is all the music that gets piped through
(10:10):
the sound speaker, you know, the sound system at these stadiums,
and it's just like every time the ball goes out,
and it's like, get rid of that. Let the crowd
be the ones to make the noise, encourage people to
yell and scream.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Put a band in the stand.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
They do that a lot in Europe, you know, have
a few trumpets and and a trombone and that sort
of thing, and let them generate the songs for the
crowd to sing along to.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That sort of thing. So just be different.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
And I think if if they if they can capitalize
on that, then I think the crowds will continue to
come along.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
And of course win first and foremost.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Tell you what, Fred Deong, if anyone turns up with
a Voover zella, I'm never going to announce.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Don't even start with that. Mate. You have a great
weekend and enjoy yourself and thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
As always, thanks May.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
For more from sports talk, listen lived to News Talks
they'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Holds it up for looking to shoot again, puts.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
One into the top corner and the Knights go what
not up? You can see the ecstasy on the spaces
of the.
Speaker 4 (00:27):
Squad and after producing the program, that guy, when on
Earth did you find that?
Speaker 5 (00:33):
I had no idea? There was still coverage left from
that era? W did you dig it out of a
whole sime where you went mining?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Didn't you?
Speaker 4 (00:41):
Stunning bit of coverage for the very few times the
Kings actually managed to play, So the Knights managed to
actually placey mixed it up Kings and Nights. So on
that subject of Kings at V nights, let's hope that
AKFC EFECA Auckland FC don't go down the same horrid
(01:02):
path and we're good enough to support two A League
teams here in New Zealand. Will the club work? Will
it have success? The games this weekend for Auckland FC,
it's almost been sold out. Let's talk about that. Let's
talk about what success means and what has to be
done as this team dips its toe into the A League.
(01:24):
Water Fred Deyong from all white Football Kings player joins us.
Now Fred welcome to the show, mate.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Cheers mate, lovely to chat again and looking forward to
a good A League season with two New Zealand teams
for the first time, which will be which would be
interesting to see how they go.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
Let's start. We need to start.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
AKFC have done everything they can to get fans on board,
to get the media on board, to show a good
positive face to step into the A League going we
are here, we mean business.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
What markets do they have to hit to prove that?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
What do they actually have to do to try and
get rid of us both the memories of the Knights
and the Kings and other failed expeditions of the A
League into Auckland.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, and I think they've done a really good job
in that with the club engagement with the local clubs
in the Auckland area. I think, you know, all the
all the media they've had has been positive.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
They've they've put on a very.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Collegial face to the organization which has been fantastic, which
has been really good. Bottom line, first hurdle, don't lose
the first game. I think that was where the Kings
and Knights fell over. I remember playing in that that
first Carlton game for the Kings, and you know, there's
a there's a whole bunch of excitement and around the
(02:50):
around Auckland for professional football in Auckland. And then we
blew it on the first on the first night, we
lost three in all and sort of it really put
a damner on that on that on that first first
week of the competition. And so I think, first and foremost,
don't lose the first game, and then after that, I
think it's put on an experience at Mount Smart Stadium,
(03:14):
and I think the Warriors do that very well.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
I think you've got to make it an event.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
And I think the A League and Auckland FC are
blessed in that there's not a whole lot of football
or a whole lot of sport in Auckland around this
time of year, so they've got a pretty clear runway
to exploit and so if they engage really well results
go their way, then I think you could see this
grow and grow, which would be fantastic for football in
(03:39):
this part of the country.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
So you've got no rope back in the old days,
one bad loss and suddenly everyone walked. How much rope
has this team got how much good will? How long
before people go Okay, it's over. Now your honeymoon period's gone,
we want results. What do you think? They're pretty harsh
football fans here in Auckland.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
I think week three.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I think though if things aren't going well, especially after
the match against the PHOENI I think then you might
find some things turn a little a little negative. But
when you look at this squad, the squad is strong.
Are they going to gel as a football team? That
remains to be seen. But they have you know, five imports,
(04:23):
which is five overseas imports, which is probably more than
most clubs in the A League. How good they are
yet to be seen, but you know, good pedigree. Got
a very very experienced captain in Hiroki sakay you know,
three World Cups for Japan, and so you know he's
he's a very very good player coming obviously coming near
(04:44):
the end of his career, but still you know, have
a player of that caliber and your side leading the
team is very good. Good signing, you know, and so
you know you go through the other the other imports
and you know there's Colombian, Uruguay and Chile and Belgium,
so you know, good footballing countries, and so I think
if they're at the at the if they're a the
(05:06):
quality of some of the imports we've seen that the
Phoenix have unearthed, then I think Auckland f C Are
in a really good spot.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Fred Deong joining the program. How much will money paper
over any cracks that may appear in this club? They've
got some big backers, some beg swinging, you know what
I'm going to say, a lot of coin?
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Does that alleviate anything to a degree?
Speaker 4 (05:30):
As the players and the team don't feel like they're
playing for survival based on the amount of crowd that
turned up, was this going to help them?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Absolutely? Absolutely?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Look around the world every league in the world, the
teams with the biggest budgets are at the top of
the table. It doesn't matter which where you look. Budgets
equate to position on the table. So if the owners
are willing to spend the money, then you're in a
good spot.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
You know. And maybe not in year one, maybe not in.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Year two, but by year three I would have thought that,
you know, you'd have worked out a whole lot of
the issues that come up with starting a franchise from scratch.
You've bedded in, you've you know, the players feel comfortable
and they can just concentrate on, you know, playing football,
whereas like at the moment you've got five imports who
(06:19):
have moved their families or themselves into New Zealand have
to get settled in, you know, work their way around
the city, all those sorts of things. You get you've
got to get used to that sort of thing. But
but after why, you know, you start to think, okay,
now I can really concentrate on delivering and and money
always helps. And I think you know that that is
(06:40):
the biggest difference between Auckland f C and the Kings.
And the Knights they have the money, They've said they're
going to spend the money, and so if that is
the case, then I see no reason why they shouldn't
be successful. And pretty quickly as well.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
All sports teams talk about making home a fortress. How
important is it that they get their own ground sooner
rather than later. Look Mount Smart Go Media Stadium all
well and good, but the noise made by Foley early
in the pieces, I would like to build a stadium.
Now there's sorts of taking over Western Springs have got
the right colored strip to get over there, I tell you.
(07:16):
But how important for them to actually create a home
that is theirs, that isn't just temperant and how long?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, I mean when when Bill Foley said that, you
know early when he when the team was launched, I
mean that was music to the years, not just a
football people. I think of anyone who's been in a
really good stadium around the world would love to see
Auckland with a rectangular stadium that's not ruined by cricket,
that's you purpose built for a rectangular field. And you know,
(07:48):
we would hope that there would be you know, a
group of people, local government, central government, the different sports
that would use it. Everyone, I think, with every sporting
person would love to have that sort of stadium as
opposed to just pouring money down the sinkhole that is
Eden Park. But you know, we'll see, we'll see. I
(08:08):
mean that's a long term proposition. You know, you're talking
probably a decade. But as it stands now, I think
Mount Smart's the second best thing that they've got, So
you know, you've got to go with that. And for
the interim, that's where you have to be very good
and you have to get results at Mount Smartstein.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Bill follow told me he's a doer. He gets things done.
I was like, bro, you've never dealt with the Auckland
council before. I think he's at worked out Fred de
Yong joining us. When we look at the Breakers, they've
been a very successful team in a trans Tasman competition.
They have had great success as far as winning the competition.
They regularly fill their basketball court up. You'd suggest it's
(08:49):
because the NBL is a very well respected league in
global basketball. The A League, however, isn't up in that echelon.
How much do you think that will affect people going
to watch this?
Speaker 3 (09:02):
I think if Auckland FC can turn on a show
and make it different, and I think this is where
Bill Foley and and uh not, not the franchise or
the sort of the global organization, the Black Knights organization
as a whole, that that runs Born Withouth, that runs
the Vegas Knights, that runs Hibbs and other laureons and France,
(09:28):
these organ all sit under the same umbrella. If the
learnings from that, especially the American market, if they can
be brought here to put on a real show, then
I think, you know, the the crowds, the support will
be very strong because it'll be different. Make it really different,
(09:50):
make it, make it something that people just want to
go along to and and and be entertained, because we're
not that good at that in New Zealand, you know.
I mean I go to a we film a lot
of rugby and stuff, and boy, the one thing you
really hate is all the music that gets piped through
(10:10):
the sound speaker, you know, the sound system at these stadiums,
and it's just like every time the ball goes out,
and it's like, get rid of that. Let the crowd
be the ones to make the noise, encourage people to
yell and scream.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Put a band in the stand.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
They do that a lot in Europe, you know, have
a few trumpets and and a trombone and that sort
of thing, and let them generate the songs for the
crowd to sing along to.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That sort of thing. So just be different.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
And I think if if they if they can capitalize
on that, then I think the crowds will continue to
come along.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
And of course win first and foremost.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
Tell you what, Fred Deong, if anyone turns up with
a Voover zella, I'm never going to announce.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
Don't even start with that. Mate. You have a great
weekend and enjoy yourself and thanks for your time.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
As always, thanks May.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
For more from sports talk, listen lived to News Talks
they'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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