Another article on ACFC and the increasingly dodgy looking Trillian Trust.. https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/sport/129964722/dissolved-football-entity-funded-by-trillian-trust-and-getting-wage-subsidies
Pretty dodgy - having filled out dozens of community grant applications for my club, I know that the organisation has to have its accounts filed with Incorporated Societies. Without that, you simply cannot get a grant - in theory, it would seem! I'm betting that IRD will investigate and order the recipients, or the officers of said organisation, to repay the money back to the Trust.
The question is, who are the trustees at Trillian, and what is their relationship to Auckland City/Central United? The trustees control how the funds are allocated, so there has to be a connection there that allows for checks and balances to be overlooked. Someone is matey-mates with someone, I reckon.
Slow Sunday and with the chat going around at the moment that Auckland and Canberra will likely be the A-League expansion teams for 2024-25 I was wondering what an ACFC A-League team might look like.
Of the current squad, Howieson, Tracey and Mitchell are good enough for the A-League I reckon. The likes of Manickum, Lobo, De Vries, den Heijer and Ilich maybe good enough to be squad players?
Surely any Auckland A-League team would be a new franchise rather than an extension of ACFC. Their entire business model as it stands is based on "shamateurism" / Trillian grants rather than going pro (if they joined the A-League they would no longer be able to play in OFC competitions)
Ivan Vuksich long ago ruled out Auckland City bidding for an ALM license. It would also only divide some parts of the Auckland football community, if it was a ACFC centric bid.
It will have to be a whole new franchise from scratch if a bid happens. Including all the Auckland clubs. Though from memory Auckland United (a sort of franchise in itself) have a multi million dollar guy (IT business?) as one of their sponsors. The sort of football tragic investor(s) you'd need to make any bid happen you'd think.
Slow Sunday and with the chat going around at the moment that Auckland and Canberra will likely be the A-League expansion teams for 2024-25 I was wondering what an ACFC A-League team might look like.
Of the current squad, Howieson, Tracey and Mitchell are good enough for the A-League I reckon. The likes of Manickum, Lobo, De Vries, den Heijer and Ilich maybe good enough to be squad players?
Howieson and Mitchell are certainly not good enough. Mitchell would get absolutely toasted.
Plenty of their domestic players are good enough. Would just need to recruit some good visa players then beef up with some more leftover squad Aussies from around the AL and Kiwis . Tade is probably the only foreigner there who would be worthy of a visa spot. Lobo, Lee, Gillion probably good enough U23 players to stay in the setup, though not sure about the rest of their younger guys.
Slow Sunday and with the chat going around at the moment that Auckland and Canberra will likely be the A-League expansion teams for 2024-25 I was wondering what an ACFC A-League team might look like.
Of the current squad, Howieson, Tracey and Mitchell are good enough for the A-League I reckon. The likes of Manickum, Lobo, De Vries, den Heijer and Ilich maybe good enough to be squad players?
Howieson and Mitchell are certainly not good enough. Mitchell would get absolutely toasted.
Howieson is absolutely good enough. One of the best players in one of the best domestic teams in NZ, excellent playmaker on his day, has played overseas too. Agree on Mitchell, actually don't think their defence is that good, lets teams back into games. Reid Drake, Ilich, Van Heijer, De Vries would also handle the step up reasonably I think. Would like to see Tracey and Brown compete for the GK position, if both not up to it bring an Aussie in.
Didn't Howieson trial at the Phoenix not long ago and went no where?
I always feel like a good yard stick for this conversation is that Tade, at 34, is still Auckland's stand out player. He'd have no hope in the A-league these days.
> Reid Drake, Ilich, Van Heijer, De Vries would also handle the step up reasonably I think
I totally disagree. I like Drake but he barely stands out in NZ. Ilich, the square ball king, would get totally found out against proper midfielders. De Vries perhaps 3 years ago but not these days.
Didn't Howieson trial at the Phoenix not long ago and went no where?
I always feel like a good yard stick for this conversation is that Tade, at 34, is still Auckland's stand out player. He'd have no hope in the A-league these days.
> Reid Drake, Ilich, Van Heijer, De Vries would also handle the step up reasonably I think
I totally disagree. I like Drake but he barely stands out in NZ. Ilich, the square ball king, would get totally found out against proper midfielders. De Vries perhaps 3 years ago but not these days.
I may be confusing Howieson with someone else but I seem to recall in the past couple years; - A player from ACFC was offended that they were offered a trial rather than being presented a contract without a trial - A player from ACFC trialled but didn't want to move to Wellington. From memory one of these was Howieson, but I may be completely wrong (it has been known to happen).
Didn't Howieson trial at the Phoenix not long ago and went no where?
I always feel like a good yard stick for this conversation is that Tade, at 34, is still Auckland's stand out player. He'd have no hope in the A-league these days.
> Reid Drake, Ilich, Van Heijer, De Vries would also handle the step up reasonably I think
I totally disagree. I like Drake but he barely stands out in NZ. Ilich, the square ball king, would get totally found out against proper midfielders. De Vries perhaps 3 years ago but not these days.
I may be confusing Howieson with someone else but I seem to recall in the past couple years; - A player from ACFC was offended that they were offered a trial rather than being presented a contract without a trial - A player from ACFC trialled but didn't want to move to Wellington. From memory one of these was Howieson, but I may be completely wrong (it has been known to happen).
It's well known Howieson doesn't want to move to Welly. He's good enough for the ALM.
Was also some noise that Payne was sent a trial invite by email, which he found a bit of an insult. Some story like that. I think it was in that messy 2018 off season after Kalezić was sacked and pre Rudan being appointed. Payne was signed by Talay a year later.
I imagine a new Auckland ALM team, would sign a few domestic NZ players. But would get most of it's non Visa players from Kiwis overseas, Aussies overseas, players at other ALM clubs (incl maybe couple Nix players to add some spice), and the NPL.
Could see them targeting Wood, M Boxall (if not too old) and Tuiloma as big name Kiwi signings to kick things off. One of those as the initial captain. Tuiloma being an Auckland Samoan boy a smart PR move. The Boxalls are half Samoan as well, though Michael is already 34 - might be too old by the time an Auckland team ever happened, even prior Pragnell's hoped 2026 timeline.
If he doesn't want to move to pursue a pro career then he doesn't want to pursue a pro career, it won't be any different if there's an Auckland team.
Howieson? Not so sure about that. It's wanting to live in Auckland that seems the issue. He probably already trains 3-4 nights/days per week with 'amateur' ACFC. And basically almost year round given their involvement getting prepared for the CWC.
Might not be much more of a commitment playing for a pro Auckland ALM side. And lets say Howieson was on the AWs fringes, and Pragnell gets his wish of a new ALM team being launched in 2025/26. Of course CH would be tempted to sign if it increased his chances of going to a 2026 WC.
If he doesn't want to move to pursue a pro career then he doesn't want to pursue a pro career, it won't be any different if there's an Auckland team.
Howieson? Not so sure about that. It's wanting to live in Auckland that seems the issue. He probably already trains 3-4 nights/days per week with 'amateur' ACFC. And basically almost year round give their involvement getting prepared for the CWC.
Might not be much more of a commitment playing for a pro Auckland ALM side. And lets say Howieson was on the AWs fringes, and Pragnell gets his wish of a new ALM team being launched in 2025/26. Of course CH would be tempted to sign if it increased his chances of going to a 2026 WC.
He's a 28 year old amateur player, if he doesn't go into a pro environment ASAP there's no way he's making a world cup squad. Krishna showed us that even the best players in NZ can take a couple of years to step up to the A-League.
Slow Sunday and with the chat going around at the moment that Auckland and Canberra will likely be the A-League expansion teams for 2024-25 I was wondering what an ACFC A-League team might look like.
Of the current squad, Howieson, Tracey and Mitchell are good enough for the A-League I reckon. The likes of Manickum, Lobo, De Vries, den Heijer and Ilich maybe good enough to be squad players?
Interestingly enough a wealthy commercial property owner and Ivan Vuksich have set up a company called Auckland FC Ltd and have listed the classification as professional sport. Screen Shot 2023-02-26 at 2.28.03 PM.png138.1 KB
Slow Sunday and with the chat going around at the moment that Auckland and Canberra will likely be the A-League expansion teams for 2024-25 I was wondering what an ACFC A-League team might look like.
Of the current squad, Howieson, Tracey and Mitchell are good enough for the A-League I reckon. The likes of Manickum, Lobo, De Vries, den Heijer and Ilich maybe good enough to be squad players?
Interestingly enough a wealthy commercial property owner and Ivan Vuksich have set up a company called Auckland FC Ltd and have listed the classification as professional sport. Screen Shot 2023-02-26 at 2.28.03 PM.png138.1 KB
You're not the same Matty Franich that was listed further up the page on that list of signatories are ya?
Wow what an incredible take that is! suppose "Auckland City being taken over by the CCP" is much more exciting than the real story in which the guys wife moved to Auckland to study and he decided that as she has been following him around while he's played pro football, it was time he did the same for her!
Another article on ACFC and the increasingly dodgy looking Trillian Trust.. https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/sport/129964722/dissolved-football-entity-funded-by-trillian-trust-and-getting-wage-subsidies
Pretty dodgy - having filled out dozens of community grant applications for my club, I know that the organisation has to have its accounts filed with Incorporated Societies. Without that, you simply cannot get a grant - in theory, it would seem! I'm betting that IRD will investigate and order the recipients, or the officers of said organisation, to repay the money back to the Trust.
The question is, who are the trustees at Trillian, and what is their relationship to Auckland City/Central United? The trustees control how the funds are allocated, so there has to be a connection there that allows for checks and balances to be overlooked. Someone is matey-mates with someone, I reckon.
Given the possibility of Vuksich/"Auckland FC" being associated with an Auckland A-League bid, I was re-checking this thread, and...
" I'm betting that IRD will investigate and order the recipients, or the officers of said organisation, to repay the money back to the Trust. "
This never happened. Which suggests either that Van Beynen's articles were a case of smoke without fire, or there's a web of corruption that goes really high.
Slow Sunday and with the chat going around at the moment that Auckland and Canberra will likely be the A-League expansion teams for 2024-25 I was wondering what an ACFC A-League team might look like.
Of the current squad, Howieson, Tracey and Mitchell are good enough for the A-League I reckon. The likes of Manickum, Lobo, De Vries, den Heijer and Ilich maybe good enough to be squad players?
Interestingly enough a wealthy commercial property owner and Ivan Vuksich have set up a company called Auckland FC Ltd and have listed the classification as professional sport. Screen Shot 2023-02-26 at 2.28.03 PM.png138.1 KB
Vuksich and Sipka confirmed to be in negotiations re: an AKL A-League bid, but balking at the $25 million licence fee: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/131498777/search-for-investors-in-new-auckland-aleagues-club-begins-with-entry-set-for-2024
Slow Sunday and with the chat going around at the moment that Auckland and Canberra will likely be the A-League expansion teams for 2024-25 I was wondering what an ACFC A-League team might look like.
Of the current squad, Howieson, Tracey and Mitchell are good enough for the A-League I reckon. The likes of Manickum, Lobo, De Vries, den Heijer and Ilich maybe good enough to be squad players?
Interestingly enough a wealthy commercial property owner and Ivan Vuksich have set up a company called Auckland FC Ltd and have listed the classification as professional sport. Screen Shot 2023-02-26 at 2.28.03 PM.png138.1 KB
I think AV must still be reading the YF forums, going on today's Stuff article!
That company was established in 2021, it may have something to do with the current bid, but I doubt it did when the company was set up.
Vuksich mentions Alex Sipka in that AV interview on stuff. Perhaps not formed with this exact purpose in mind but with the purpose of exploring possible options in the future - this being one of them.
Another article on ACFC and the increasingly dodgy looking Trillian Trust.. https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/sport/129964722/dissolved-football-entity-funded-by-trillian-trust-and-getting-wage-subsidies
Pretty dodgy - having filled out dozens of community grant applications for my club, I know that the organisation has to have its accounts filed with Incorporated Societies. Without that, you simply cannot get a grant - in theory, it would seem! I'm betting that IRD will investigate and order the recipients, or the officers of said organisation, to repay the money back to the Trust.
The question is, who are the trustees at Trillian, and what is their relationship to Auckland City/Central United? The trustees control how the funds are allocated, so there has to be a connection there that allows for checks and balances to be overlooked. Someone is matey-mates with someone, I reckon.
Given the possibility of Vuksich/"Auckland FC" being associated with an Auckland A-League bid, I was re-checking this thread, and...
" I'm betting that IRD will investigate and order the recipients, or the officers of said organisation, to repay the money back to the Trust. "
This never happened. Which suggests either that Van Beynen's articles were a case of smoke without fire, or there's a web of corruption that goes really high.
Doloras
Rusty Dunks
pickledmyself
Another article on ACFC and the increasingly dodgy looking Trillian Trust.. https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/sport/129964722/dissolved-football-entity-funded-by-trillian-trust-and-getting-wage-subsidies
Pretty dodgy - having filled out dozens of community grant applications for my club, I know that the organisation has to have its accounts filed with Incorporated Societies. Without that, you simply cannot get a grant - in theory, it would seem! I'm betting that IRD will investigate and order the recipients, or the officers of said organisation, to repay the money back to the Trust.
The question is, who are the trustees at Trillian, and what is their relationship to Auckland City/Central United? The trustees control how the funds are allocated, so there has to be a connection there that allows for checks and balances to be overlooked. Someone is matey-mates with someone, I reckon.
Given the possibility of Vuksich/"Auckland FC" being associated with an Auckland A-League bid, I was re-checking this thread, and...
" I'm betting that IRD will investigate and order the recipients, or the officers of said organisation, to repay the money back to the Trust. "
This never happened. Which suggests either that Van Beynen's articles were a case of smoke without fire, or there's a web of corruption that goes really high.