October 18, 2024 • 8 mins
Auckland FC's inaugural A-League season kicks off today.
Their CEO Nick Becker joins Piney to discuss the journey of getting the team built as they prepare for their first-ever match in front of a sold-out Mt Smart stadium
“We had to go out and convince people that that we were the real deal. That we actually are a team, we had ambition, and we knew we had a plan to go. But once we got started convincing people that, they bought into it, and they came on board.”
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talk sed B and so.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Auckland f C, after nearly a year of planning, will
finally play their first professional football match this afternoon five
o'clock kickoff against Brisbane Raw at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium.
Joined here now by Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker. Nick,
great to see you. The day has finally arrived. How
are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Hey, thanks for having me. I am very pumped.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
A it's looking like a sell out. It's going to
be a great day, the sun shining. There's a couple
of good omens out there.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Absolutely right, we're at the start line. Are you where
you want.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It to be? Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
It's been, like you know, it's been a pretty sort
of hectic ten months. It's fair to say things have
gone very fast. But you know we've stuck to what
we said we were going to do and to have
all can respond in this way and sell out Go
Media is amazing.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
It's amazing. We're really happy.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
When you look back, I want to talk about some
of the challenges you face, but there must have been
some really cool milestones a lot along the way when
you thought hey, we're actually doing this. We're a football club.
What were some of those moments that you think back
on with particular fondness.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
I think I think the kind of the way that
we went about things, with the plan that we set
ourselves and the fact that we stuck to it. I
think the biggest challenge for us solely has been time.
But the big milestones that we had were I guess
you've got when we appointed Steve Steve Kurakib and obviously
Harry at Flynn's the football director and head coach.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
That was a big moment for us because we.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Knew then we had two great winners who are in
there and they were going to build a great football team.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
So that was super exciting.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Then you kind of start, as you know, things like
we get the stadium, we get the place to train,
It actually becomes real. It's becomes something that you can
actually touch and look at and walk around. So those
those were obviously massive things. You know, our first member
comes on board, you know, we sell our first ticket,
those things, I think, you know, we can all everyone
who's involved in the club now can say we were
there from day one, and that's the exciting part, right
(02:00):
all these things are first and they happen, and you know,
for me coming back to Auckland after living overseas for
twenty years and be able to start up a club
in my boyhood home so exciting.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
So along the way, I'm sure there were challenges as well.
What were some of the things that I don't want
to say kept you awake at night but furrowed your
brow occasionally. What were some of the bigger challenges you
talked about time? How did that manifest itself?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Well, I think time on a sense that we it
took us a long time to pull the squad together.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
We wanted to have it. We got some really quality
KeyWe players.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Right and that sort of you know, bringing back a
few all that's from overseas and that type of thing.
That took a bit of time for us. You know,
we had to go out and convince people that we
were the real deal, that we actually are a team
and we had ambition and we knew we had a
plan to go. But once we started convincing people that
they bought into it and they came on board.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
So that's sort of.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Like you know when you're when you knew you're an
unknown like, you know, we've never we've never lost a game, piny,
but we've never won a game, and so we're all
find out today what's going to happen there. But you
sort of so you have to take people on the
journey with you and you want them. You know, we're
really lucky in the fact that we're backed by amazing
is you know, Orcan's so ready for a football team now.
But to actually get sit in front of people and
(03:11):
tell them, you know, in terms of players commercial partners,
you've got to convince them that.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
This is the real deal and taking them on the journey.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Tell us about that commercial side of it, because it
is a tough commercial market, right You're out there battling
away with with other sporting franchises, other people who are
looking for marketing money from corporates. How did you go
about selling the vision to them and forging those commercial relationships.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
I think for us, we were really clear about what
our values were as a club. You know, we wanted
to embed ourselves in the community. We wanted to create
pathways for youth, pathways. We're really ambitious. We want to win.
We don't want to make up the numbers, and we
want to be here for all of Aucklands, so that
inclusivity side of things. And when you have values like
that and you sit down in front of a partner,
they get convinced that they want to be part of
that too. And I think the big breakthrough was when
(03:56):
we got Fonterra so and or milk came on front
of shirt. That was a big moment for us as
a club. It's great to have such a strong Kiwi
brand on the front of our home jersey. And then
that's sort of like it just all flowed after kind
of that the floodgates opened, I guess.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So we're now going to enter a time where the
team are going to play every week. How do you
insulate yourself against results because they can't win every week?
They might, sure, but how do you make sure that
sponsors aren't I guess put off by you know, if
you have a couple of losses in a row for example.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, sure, And I mean that's the sport, right and
that's going to happen at some point. I think if
you have if you have the foundations in place and
you sort of have a steady growth, you're not having
these massive spikes and big fools I think people can
you know, they sort of get on board for that.
The other part to it is what we're creating here,
certainly for all of our home games, is that extra
match to experience. So we're putting something on for the
(04:50):
It's an entertainment show as well as some ninety minutes of.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Fantastic football on the pitch.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
So people are going to come out here, they're going
to have fun. We've got a great family fun fan zone.
There's Lily World up here with a porter meeting beforehand
and having a good old party before they go down
and get the stats. The atmosphere will be electrics, so
people come along for that and hopefully we'll just see
the results coming off the back of that too.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
You sort of crossed over there into the into the
fan engagement as well. How have you gone about forging
links in the football community, which, as I'm sure you've
worked out, as you know, it's there are some passionate
people in clubland. Definitely, Yeah, you have you gone about
forging those community connections We've.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Done from from day one we said we want to
be part of the football community here in Auckland, and
I think it's easy to say that, but actions actually
louder than words, right.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
And so we've done a couple of things.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
We've we've had a membership rebate program with the clubs
where every membership of sold through the clubs they got
a rebate back onto that credits and revenue. Right, So
that's actually clubs need more money. We helped now in
that sense. I think every player that we took from
a local club, we've paid the FIFA training conversation back
(05:55):
to them and these little just a little moments, but
it adds up to a lot. You know, we've given
one hundred and seventy k back into Auckland clubs before
we've even kicked a ball, so that's really exciting. And
then we've got out there. It's boots on ground, you know,
it's going around, it's many people are there every weekend
during the weeks. You know, we're taking players out there.
My community team have done a fantastic job.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I'm super proud of them. So it's actually, you know,
it's just the hard work. You've got to get out
there and do it.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Absolutely. Can you tell us a bit about Bill Foley
as a as a club owner.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, Bill's great, he's super engaged. You know, obviously incredibly
successful man as a businessman, but rarely successful with all
of the sports teams. And so he's he's always there
at the end of the phone when I need him.
He's obviously coming to the game today, and you know,
I'll pick up and Ringmond just asking me a random question.
He's always answers and he's always got some really good
advice fromim. I mean what he's done both with the
(06:44):
Golden the Golden Knights in Vegas. You know, you look
at Bournemouth now, the results that's getting, that the whole
matchdat experience that's taken place there.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
He's a wealth of knowledge and I tap into it
all the time.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Fantastic And have you had things you didn't expect along
the way?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Good question?
Speaker 4 (07:01):
You know, well, I was, to be honest, absolutely stoked,
but also quite surprised that we got Hiroki so soon
as the Japanese international seventy one matches for Japan played
in the Bundesliga and the French Top League, three World Cups.
The guy's an absolute quality playering and the fact that
he wanted to come, he came on early, came out here,
(07:21):
wants to be part of something new, wants to you know,
play play in the A League but also live in Auckland.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah. I stoked about that.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Outstanding. So we're a few hours away from kickoff. How
will you spend your day.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
I've got a meeting with the boss in about an hour,
so we're going to go through everything that's happening there
and then I'm just going to try and take a
couple of moments is to enjoy it, you know, like
it's been a lot of hard work and you do
this what you do it for, So I want to
take a moment just to you know, sort of soak
it up and breathe it in.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, and so you should congratulations on getting us to
the start line of Auckland FC. Such an exciting time.
I know you know there are people heading to Mount
Smart from all four corners of the region. So Nick,
great to get the chance to chat to you in
a very busy day for you. I hope you do
enjoy it. I hope you get the time to soak
it up as well. And here's hoping Auckland f C
get off to a winning start on the grass as well.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Thanks Pine, appreciate it, No, thank.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
You, Nick, Nick Picker, there CEO of Auckland FC, leading
us off today.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talk sed B and so.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Auckland f C, after nearly a year of planning, will
finally play their first professional football match this afternoon five
o'clock kickoff against Brisbane Raw at Go Media Mount Smart Stadium.
Joined here now by Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker. Nick,
great to see you. The day has finally arrived. How
are you feeling?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Hey, thanks for having me. I am very pumped.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
A it's looking like a sell out. It's going to
be a great day, the sun shining. There's a couple
of good omens out there.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Absolutely right, we're at the start line. Are you where
you want.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It to be? Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (00:44):
It's been, like you know, it's been a pretty sort
of hectic ten months. It's fair to say things have
gone very fast. But you know we've stuck to what
we said we were going to do and to have
all can respond in this way and sell out Go
Media is amazing.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
It's amazing. We're really happy.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
When you look back, I want to talk about some
of the challenges you face, but there must have been
some really cool milestones a lot along the way when
you thought hey, we're actually doing this. We're a football club.
What were some of those moments that you think back
on with particular fondness.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
I think I think the kind of the way that
we went about things, with the plan that we set
ourselves and the fact that we stuck to it. I
think the biggest challenge for us solely has been time.
But the big milestones that we had were I guess
you've got when we appointed Steve Steve Kurakib and obviously
Harry at Flynn's the football director and head coach.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
That was a big moment for us because we.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Knew then we had two great winners who are in
there and they were going to build a great football team.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
So that was super exciting.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Then you kind of start, as you know, things like
we get the stadium, we get the place to train,
It actually becomes real. It's becomes something that you can
actually touch and look at and walk around. So those
those were obviously massive things. You know, our first member
comes on board, you know, we sell our first ticket,
those things, I think, you know, we can all everyone
who's involved in the club now can say we were
there from day one, and that's the exciting part, right
(02:00):
all these things are first and they happen, and you know,
for me coming back to Auckland after living overseas for
twenty years and be able to start up a club
in my boyhood home so exciting.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, amazing.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
So along the way, I'm sure there were challenges as well.
What were some of the things that I don't want
to say kept you awake at night but furrowed your
brow occasionally. What were some of the bigger challenges you
talked about time? How did that manifest itself?
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Well, I think time on a sense that we it
took us a long time to pull the squad together.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
We wanted to have it. We got some really quality
KeyWe players.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Right and that sort of you know, bringing back a
few all that's from overseas and that type of thing.
That took a bit of time for us. You know,
we had to go out and convince people that we
were the real deal, that we actually are a team
and we had ambition and we knew we had a
plan to go. But once we started convincing people that
they bought into it and they came on board.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
So that's sort of.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Like you know when you're when you knew you're an
unknown like, you know, we've never we've never lost a game, piny,
but we've never won a game, and so we're all
find out today what's going to happen there. But you
sort of so you have to take people on the
journey with you and you want them. You know, we're
really lucky in the fact that we're backed by amazing
is you know, Orcan's so ready for a football team now.
But to actually get sit in front of people and
(03:11):
tell them, you know, in terms of players commercial partners,
you've got to convince them that.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
This is the real deal and taking them on the journey.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Tell us about that commercial side of it, because it
is a tough commercial market, right You're out there battling
away with with other sporting franchises, other people who are
looking for marketing money from corporates. How did you go
about selling the vision to them and forging those commercial relationships.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
I think for us, we were really clear about what
our values were as a club. You know, we wanted
to embed ourselves in the community. We wanted to create
pathways for youth, pathways. We're really ambitious. We want to win.
We don't want to make up the numbers, and we
want to be here for all of Aucklands, so that
inclusivity side of things. And when you have values like
that and you sit down in front of a partner,
they get convinced that they want to be part of
that too. And I think the big breakthrough was when
(03:56):
we got Fonterra so and or milk came on front
of shirt. That was a big moment for us as
a club. It's great to have such a strong Kiwi
brand on the front of our home jersey. And then
that's sort of like it just all flowed after kind
of that the floodgates opened, I guess.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
So we're now going to enter a time where the
team are going to play every week. How do you
insulate yourself against results because they can't win every week?
They might, sure, but how do you make sure that
sponsors aren't I guess put off by you know, if
you have a couple of losses in a row for example.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Yeah, sure, And I mean that's the sport, right and
that's going to happen at some point. I think if
you have if you have the foundations in place and
you sort of have a steady growth, you're not having
these massive spikes and big fools I think people can
you know, they sort of get on board for that.
The other part to it is what we're creating here,
certainly for all of our home games, is that extra
match to experience. So we're putting something on for the
(04:50):
It's an entertainment show as well as some ninety minutes of.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Fantastic football on the pitch.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
So people are going to come out here, they're going
to have fun. We've got a great family fun fan zone.
There's Lily World up here with a porter meeting beforehand
and having a good old party before they go down
and get the stats. The atmosphere will be electrics, so
people come along for that and hopefully we'll just see
the results coming off the back of that too.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
You sort of crossed over there into the into the
fan engagement as well. How have you gone about forging
links in the football community, which, as I'm sure you've
worked out, as you know, it's there are some passionate
people in clubland. Definitely, Yeah, you have you gone about
forging those community connections We've.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Done from from day one we said we want to
be part of the football community here in Auckland, and
I think it's easy to say that, but actions actually
louder than words, right.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
And so we've done a couple of things.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
We've we've had a membership rebate program with the clubs
where every membership of sold through the clubs they got
a rebate back onto that credits and revenue. Right, So
that's actually clubs need more money. We helped now in
that sense. I think every player that we took from
a local club, we've paid the FIFA training conversation back
(05:55):
to them and these little just a little moments, but
it adds up to a lot. You know, we've given
one hundred and seventy k back into Auckland clubs before
we've even kicked a ball, so that's really exciting. And
then we've got out there. It's boots on ground, you know,
it's going around, it's many people are there every weekend
during the weeks. You know, we're taking players out there.
My community team have done a fantastic job.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I'm super proud of them. So it's actually, you know,
it's just the hard work. You've got to get out
there and do it.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Absolutely. Can you tell us a bit about Bill Foley
as a as a club owner.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, Bill's great, he's super engaged. You know, obviously incredibly
successful man as a businessman, but rarely successful with all
of the sports teams. And so he's he's always there
at the end of the phone when I need him.
He's obviously coming to the game today, and you know,
I'll pick up and Ringmond just asking me a random question.
He's always answers and he's always got some really good
advice fromim. I mean what he's done both with the
(06:44):
Golden the Golden Knights in Vegas. You know, you look
at Bournemouth now, the results that's getting, that the whole
matchdat experience that's taken place there.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
He's a wealth of knowledge and I tap into it
all the time.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Fantastic And have you had things you didn't expect along
the way?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Good question?
Speaker 4 (07:01):
You know, well, I was, to be honest, absolutely stoked,
but also quite surprised that we got Hiroki so soon
as the Japanese international seventy one matches for Japan played
in the Bundesliga and the French Top League, three World Cups.
The guy's an absolute quality playering and the fact that
he wanted to come, he came on early, came out here,
(07:21):
wants to be part of something new, wants to you know,
play play in the A League but also live in Auckland.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
Yeah. I stoked about that.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Outstanding. So we're a few hours away from kickoff. How
will you spend your day.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
I've got a meeting with the boss in about an hour,
so we're going to go through everything that's happening there
and then I'm just going to try and take a
couple of moments is to enjoy it, you know, like
it's been a lot of hard work and you do
this what you do it for, So I want to
take a moment just to you know, sort of soak
it up and breathe it in.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Yeah, and so you should congratulations on getting us to
the start line of Auckland FC. Such an exciting time.
I know you know there are people heading to Mount
Smart from all four corners of the region. So Nick,
great to get the chance to chat to you in
a very busy day for you. I hope you do
enjoy it. I hope you get the time to soak
it up as well. And here's hoping Auckland f C
get off to a winning start on the grass as well.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Thanks Pine, appreciate it, No, thank.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
You, Nick, Nick Picker, there CEO of Auckland FC, leading
us off today.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.