CSB - Nick Becker - Auckland FC CEO

Catching up with the CEO of the hottest football team in NZ. Talking about the hot start and the merchandise that is flying off the shelves. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Country Sport Breakfast with Brian Kelly on gold Sport.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Well it's time to talk soccer football now on the
show and the big talking point out of Auckland is
the start of the season by Auckland FC played five
one five, not a goal conceded, topping the table by
I think two points fifteen points on the table so far,
Nick Becker, CEO for Auckland FC. You wouldn't have dreamt
about that when the season started, Nick.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Not at all. Brian, thanks for having me this morning. No, no,
it's a fantastic start. Like if I'd been asked to
write down my dream start, I don't think I would
have got this carried away. So yeah, we're over the
monon obviously.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
What's the feeling like now in Auckland FC. I mean
from even from the shareholders, from the big boss as
well over in the States.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Oh yeah, look, Bill's really really really happy about helps obviously.
I mean he I speak to him, I said a
couple times a week, but I always call him before
the game and enormal texts or calls after game. But
the last few times he's just been ringing us straight
up final whistle after we to go find Steve Carriker
and put the phone on tell him how happy it is.

(01:05):
So yeah, he's he's really happy. And overall there's just
a great bars across the club, you know, like we've
got a fantastic ownership group. We've got a great set
up in the on the Admond side and in the
football department too, and everybody's just we're all pulling in
the in the same direction, which is half the battle sometimes.
And you know, you watch the guys out on the pitch,
they were all fighting for each other and right till

(01:28):
the to the end of the match too, So that
kind of old adage of together you're stronger is definitely
true for us at the moment.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
And when it's a grinners so they'll be there'll be grinning, won't.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
They absolutely, Yeah, yeah, yeah. The The great thing is
that the boys they've given themselves a challenge every every
week that they go out there. You know, they want
to make sure they get another clean sheet. You know,
like two B five games that do not have a
goal scorer against her was phenomenal and I was I
was talking to our captain. Heroki didn't play on the weekend,

(01:58):
had just as tight Hammies to be fine for this weekend.
But I said to him, you know, he's someone who's
played professional football across Europe. You know, there's been to
three World Cups. I said, Tom, have you ever had
in your sixteen seventeen years of professional football a start
like this? And he's like no, it's amazing, you know.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
So it's exciting on Saturday, not just for the team
but for the fans because I believe that Go Media
Man Smart Stadium is going to be a sellout for
the return derby match against the Phoenix.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yes, yeah, no, we've just today announced we're going to
start selling. We sold out every every actual seat in
the in the stadium and so now we've we've been
talking to the stadium operators and they're gonna let us
start selling some family tickets on the on the north
bank there, so on the grassy bank that's to theable
inflatable slide, you can actually take the family there. So

(02:47):
it's tickets and family tickets are four or an adult
and a child. So we were that into the stadium
for us as a real family zone. It's got the
fans zone down there and we would love to fill
that bank with you know that kind of families with
theirs and out there having an enjoyable time. It's going
to be a beautiful sunny day and it should be
a fantastic atmosphere in the stadium if you fill.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
That embankment and with all the seating full. Well, what
sort of numbers are we looking at?

Speaker 1 (03:10):
Roughly, I think it's going to be twenty six thousand,
two hundred and fifty three fine, which is, funnily enough,
it's actually just one more than the previous record set
by the largest regular season a league attendant at the
last derby down on Wington, which was twenty and fifty two.
So you know, quite a coincidence there. But we'll be
staked if that happens, and it must.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Be great for merchandise sales, for Jersey sales as well.
You've got any left?

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Luckily, we've got a delivery dropping on Thursday. We're getting
pretty close, like we're out of large men's Like there's
a whole bunch of stuff that's that's run out, but
we're getting to stock it on Thursday. So that's just
in time for the derby and also just in time
for Christmas. So we're really happy about that.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
It's probably a silly question to ask, but Ken new
Oakland FC go all the way in year one.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
We don't want to get to carry it away. You know,
we said it. I think I've said it on your
show before. It's like, we're here to We're here to win.
We want to win. We're really ambitious. You know, we've
got we've got sort of great owners that have backed U,
so we want to we want to show that. You know,
we're ambitious on the pitch too, on and off the pitch.
You know, we're not here to make up the numbers.
So can we go all the way? I'd like to

(04:20):
think we can go all the way this Saturday, and
then you know we've got to get used to the
travel back and forth to Australia. But I definitely want
to be there at the at the point to the end,
at the end of the season.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Fantastic, all the very very best for that rematch against
the Phoenix on Saturday, Nick, thanks for.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Joining us, mate, Thank you very much. Good to chat.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Nick Becker joining us Auckland FC CEO and that game
kicks off five o'clock on Saturday afternoon out of Mount
Smart Stadium. It's going to be amazing,