History for Big Pete 65

Not many age group reps at all in any country kick on to the senior men's team  - maybe because there are greater numbers in male youth football and senior football - every country has way more male than female teams, hence it's harder to identify the best players at youth level and others come into the reckoning at senior level who weren't identified but were quietly advancing at their club - or sometimes not made available by their club (English Premier League clubs rarely release players to play age group football for England).

An example would be one of our greatest players, Mike McGarry, who never played for any NZ age group side but did play for Newcastle United u-18 in England with Paul Gascoigne. 

Of current All Whites, McGlinchey, Reid, Smith, James and Durante all played age group football for other countries and not NZ. Smeltz and Moss have lived most of their lives in Australia, though they did play youth football for NZ (before they had ever lived here). We're a small country and many of our national team have grown up overseas (same situation as Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland or Wales).

Although a couple of the Football Ferns - Ali Riley, Rebekah Stott, grew up overseas, all the rest grew up in NZ and so were easy to identify for NZ age group sides. Also, our women tend to be a bit older when they sign for overseas clubs or attend US universities. Bertos, Killen, Wood, Payne and Howieson were all very young teenagers when they went to England and signed for clubs. 

What the women's football authorities have been very successful in is getting our players into the very best women's leagues in the world - of the starting eleven against China this morning,  four play in Germany (best women's league in the world, equiv. of the EPL), two  in Sweden, one in England (for the impending champions Liverpool) and a couple at top US universities. Only two of the starting eleven play in NZ.

Comparatively we can't say many of the All Whites play in the best men's leagues in the world. The only one you could argue for would be Reid at West Ham. The A-League., English Championship, Finland etc. are way down the pecking order.

So, yes, we are producing quality female players and the age group reps are largely kicking on to the Football Ferns - but there are a number of factors whereby men's and women's football are very dissimilar.

Just look at the "Kiwi Players Overseas" thread on this website to see a number of young Kiwis signing for overseas clubs - just this week Birhanu Taye from Wellington at Sporting Braga in Portugal and Scott Basalaj at Partick, Scotland; in August, Bill Tuiloma at Marseilles. But progressing to senior football is going to be that much harder for them than for our young female players due to the greater competition for places.

Howieson, Payne, Wood and Rojas have all made the progression from NZ youth sides to the All Whites in recent years. And others like Tuiloma and Fenton are waiting in the wings. However, it's true there isn't much depth and we are bereft of decent fullbacks or midfielders. But do local clubs produce the good new players or national academies and rep sides? Not enough young lads are taking a career in football seriously still maybe. And our national league is pretty weak , what to speak of local leagues.

Not many age group reps at all in any country kick on to the senior men's team  - maybe because there are greater numbers in male youth football and senior football - every country has way more male than female teams, hence it's harder to identify the best players at youth level and others come into the reckoning at senior level who weren't identified but were quietly advancing at their club - or sometimes not made available by their club (English Premier League clubs rarely release players to play age group football for England).

An example would be one of our greatest players, Mike McGarry, who never played for any NZ age group side but did play for Newcastle United u-18 in England with Paul Gascoigne. 

Of current All Whites, McGlinchey, Reid, Smith, James and Durante all played age group football for other countries and not NZ. Smeltz and Moss have lived most of their lives in Australia, though they did play youth football for NZ (before they had ever lived here). We're a small country and many of our national team have grown up overseas (same situation as Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland or Wales).

Although a couple of the Football Ferns - Ali Riley, Rebekah Stott, grew up overseas, all the rest grew up in NZ and so were easy to identify for NZ age group sides. Also, our women tend to be a bit older when they sign for overseas clubs or attend US universities. Bertos, Killen, Wood, Payne and Howieson were all very young teenagers when they went to England and signed for clubs. 

What the women's football authorities have been very successful in is getting our players into the very best women's leagues in the world - of the starting eleven against China this morning,  four play in Germany (best women's league in the world, equiv. of the EPL), two  in Sweden, one in England (for the impending champions Liverpool) and a couple at top US universities. Only two of the starting eleven play in NZ.

Comparatively we can't say many of the All Whites play in the best men's leagues in the world. The only one you could argue for would be Reid at West Ham. The A-League., English Championship, Finland etc. are way down the pecking order.

So, yes, we are producing quality female players and the age group reps are largely kicking on to the Football Ferns - but there are a number of factors whereby men's and women's football are very dissimilar.

Just look at the "Kiwi Players Overseas" thread on this website to see a number of young Kiwis signing for overseas clubs - just this week Birhanu Taye from Wellington at Sporting Braga in Portugal and Scott Basalaj at Partick, Scotland; in August, Bill Tuiloma at Marseilles. Both spent time at Asia Pacific Football Academy in Christchurch and other NZ youth sides. But progressing to senior football is going to be that much harder for them than for our young female players due to the greater competition for places.

Howieson, Payne, Wood and Rojas have all made the progression from NZ youth sides to the All Whites in recent years. And others like Tuiloma and Fenton are waiting in the wings. However, it's true there isn't much depth and we are bereft of decent fullbacks or midfielders. But do local clubs produce the good new players or national academies and rep sides? Not enough young lads are taking a career in football seriously still maybe. And our national league is pretty weak , what to speak of local leagues.