Yellow Fever Press Release · Yellow Fever Nga Wana Kowhai · Supporters of the Wellington Phoenix

Government Must Pay Up and Apologise for Visa Fiasco Own Goal

As the All Whites prepare to play Vanuatu in their crucial World Cup qualifier in Wellington and following yesterday's revelations about the Fijian netball President being permitted into the country despite her direct links to the military, Yellow Fever has called upon the New Zealand Government to immediately reimburse New Zealand Football the hundreds of thousands of dollars lost as a result of the Government's flawed Fijian visa policy

It is also asking the Government to apologise to New Zealand football fans for having senselessly denied them the opportunity to see the All Whites in action and jeopardised future Fifa tournaments in New Zealand.

"Yellow Fever are first of all Phoenix fans, but we are also very much football fans and supporters of the All Whites. Many of our nearly 4000 members are staggered by the Fijian visa fiasco, and we believe somebody needs to speak out on their behalf," said Yellow Fever Spokesperson, Jonathan Norman.

Yellow Fever has rebranded as White Noise, supporters of the All Whites in the build up to tonight's World Cup qualifier against Vanuatu in Wellington.

Last month FIFA called off New Zealand 's World Cup qualifier vs Fiji in Auckland because the NZ Government had refused entry for the Fijian goalkeeper, Simone Tamanisau. That has cost New Zealand fans a rare chance to watch their team at home in a world cup qualifier, cost New Zealand Football hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs and lost revenue, led to the abandonment of New Zealand 's bid to host the Olympic qualifiers for Oceania and may yet jeopardise New Zealand 's chances of hosting the next FIFA U17 Women's World Cup. As absurd as the decision was to deny the goalkeeper entry when his links to the military were so remote (his unmarried partner's father), we were led to believe this was a no exceptions policy that had to be enforced. This week we learned that the Fijian netball president, whose husband is a military reservist and whose son is on active duty, was recently welcomed into the country.

"NZ football has been scythed down from behind in the name of a flawed visa sanctions policy that lacks any credibility and has more holes in it than Vanuatu's defence will tonight."

It's a massive own goal and its going to hurt football. At the very least, the Government owes New Zealand Football hundreds of thousands of dollars and it owes football fans a big apology," said Norman

Normo's coming home