You've got to be kidding

You've got to be kidding

Who the hell do Vuksich and Dawkins think they are kidding with their stupid select XI team mascarading as the winner of the O League.

I agree. I almost laughed out loud at the idea that a team thrown together just for the tournament would be more competitive than the NZFC champions, aside from all the other potential obstacles.

The really disturbing thing is that they'd almost prefer to have no shot at the CWC than let the Phoenix earn them some much needed spondooliks.

Agreed, what a spectacularly stupid and naive idea this NZFC "1st XI" is.

i LOL'ED when i read about it.

They have the potential to be even worse that Auck or Waitak.

Good point. Even if by miracle Herr Blatter allowed the stupid scheme, a team plucked from the NZFC, who haven't played with each other, with talent not good enough for the any other league, are supposed to gel enough to beat a well-coached, professional side.

Lovin Fred's article in the Dom today. Said it all - get the Nix into the club WC to stop the embarrassment, and get NZ into Asia. Seatter- are you listening?

And then we wonder why NZ football is in the dark ages. Half-baked, ridiculous ideas, myopic, self-deluding agendas, all coupled with bugger all money.

I would also like to think that the Phoenix would be prepared to cut a really good deal regarding the prize money and give a fair chunk of it back to NZF and the NZFC. The benefit for the Phoenix comes largely from a marketing/promotional angle - increasing their profile, attracting better players, new merchandising & sponsorship opportunities etc. They also need NZF, Oceania and to an extent the NZFC sides on board to make it happen so hopefully they will see the "greater good of the game" argument when it comes to dividing up any prize-money. That would go a long way towards getting everyone to work together on this.

with the exception of a couple of kooks form Auckland who have their own agendas, arriving at a fair and reasonable division of funds is pretty much the only thing standing in the way of this going ahead - as I understand it.

Apart from the obvious, I think the other franchises are all aware that the 'good of the game' in the land of the long white cloud must be the priority here.

re the question of an NZFC selection suggested in Auckland, that just makes no sense to me. if nothing else, the World CLUB Champs is for CLUBS, which an NZFC selection is clearly not - so can't believe FIFA would buy that.

Marius Lacatus2007-12-19 16:17:25

Why not have the winner of the O-League not the NZFC play the only professional team in the Oceania area THE WELLINGTON PHONIX and the winner goes to Japan to compete , All proceeds won are split between the winner of the o-league and the phonix (negotiation needed on amounts/percentages) , that should cover all the nix expenses in travelling to japan as well as keep all the island nations happy as they still have a chance of gaining some of the rewards so do NZFC teams .

It is also for TEAMS, which a composite side would not be.  I would far rather see a side who have trained and bleed and sweated together the whole season than a side slapped together with only a couple of O-league games to their name.

You just need to see the trouble that Ricki has had getting the Phoenix up to the level they are now to see that a composite side will not be good enough to compete against the best club teams in the world.

If the NZFC want to put forward their 1stXI for the world club champs let them play off against the Phoenix. The best team will go and no complaints from anyone.

that doesn't get past the problem that one of those two sides isn't a club

1st XI??? what a crock! Get a real team/club with decent structure into the comp, and then we can show the world what football looks like NZ style!

Ridiculous suggestion - a combined side removes any validity that of the actual franchise of whose banner they play under. The team that wins the NZFC deserves to represent the NZFC, not an all-star team. 

Fifa nearly did not allow the Kingz to take part in the old NSL because it might create a precedent for allowing professioonal clubs

And Swansea, Cardiff and Wrexham CANNOT play in any European competitions - although they once did. Just like the Phoenix.

fabricating football teams is an embarrassment. What you mention about the small island nations who have about two clubs is irrelevant. Akld City getting ring-ins for O-League was embarrassing enough. You dont see AC and Inter joining forces to go the club WC...

Wait until Auckland has an A-League team again 

just have O league winner qualify through asia then you can measure where you stand in world football, my pick would be that it would take two years for an NZFC side to take a point from one of the other national reps

Yes, Uefa  ruled that only clubs playing in the Welsh system could represent Wales in Europe. It seems a reasonable stance for a confederation.

Tahiti champions have played in the French FA cup for maney years.

Akld City had did well in the O-League against the old NSL clubs, Thing is Akld City never improved its standeds. There are 2 spots for NZ teams to go through to the O-League So a NZFC club will atlest still go through to play in the O-League. If the Nixs won the O-League why should they compensate the NZFC?

There's only one spot. Waitak got the second sport because Vanuatu's champion pulled out.

All this aside. There was naive old me thinking that the one of FIFA's roles was advancing the game. How would excluding an entire confederation do that?
The  criteria of  "professional" clubs only makes me wonder if they know anything at all about the infrastructure of the  footballing nations of Oceania.  

Yes retard...what a good idea...NOT!

So what most of the Phoenix fans seem to be saying is put them in the O-league purely because they are a pro club?
not to have it based on any from of ability or qualification? most of you seem to think its all about the money?
its not, its also about developing NZFC clubs and players which will benefit Wellington in the long run because that is were they are going to get most of there NZ players from is it not?
There is more than one club in this country. 
its you daikiwi not me that has a blinkered view of the game if you think that one team should get a free shot at the cwc without doing anything to earn it this is a team that considers themselves to big for the NZFC and plays in Asia but wants all the benefits of the NZFC when it suits them. If they do get entry to CWC every year i the team will be full of aussies anyway who will all be keen to play in that tournament.  I bet Seatter sold the Phoenix idea to Serepisos by telling him he would get them into the CWC? If Wellington win the A-League then they could make a case to be included in the O-League.
But i do agree that the combined XI is not a great idea
happyted2007-12-19 23:08:48

Most of us have suggested having the Phoenix play the NZFC championship. As a Phoenix fan, I'd personally be disappointed to see us automatically qualify. While the Phoenix are the best chance NZ and Oceania in general has of having a competitive side beyond the OCL, it shouldn't be the ONLY chance. A playoff against the NZFC champion would make far more sense, followed by regular qualification. Preferably played in the home city of the NZFC club that wins - not that it'd be an issue this season anyway

PS happyted, you'd find more information and opinions in this thread:

http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3983

um, yes,

all the noises from fifa are

no pro team = no spot in WCC = no $$

lols at the all star XI, even calling it all star is a complete Joke, who would play? Danny Hay and Bazeley? i have an idea, lets make a team of "allstars" out of a Part-Time League, Players who wouldnt have played together, and then pout them against the Best CLUBS from their areas around the world, and see if they compete, what an Absolute Joke

Apart from the Politics, its a fairly common sense thing, Nix or we lose it. But Politics will block it, so bye bye CWC

Does'nt Tahiti have a pro league?
a lot of it funded by the french i guess,but does that mean that all pro tahitian teams should
qualify for O-League just because they are pro?
you can say all you want about Wellington playin NZFC champs but at least NZFC will of won there league and earned there place in O-League were as Wellington will of done nothing to warrant inclusion, leave the money aside for a while and think about merit and results isnt that what football is about anyway, the game? 

I do agree with you in that football should be about merit and results - even as someone from a sports management background and is realistic about the financial side. Thus, I feel the Phoenix need to prove their merit in inclusion by demonstrating that they are the best team in New Zealand. If FIFA and the NZF feel that they can achieve this by a playoff match or series against the NZFC champion, then so be it. As long as the NZFC champion has a chance of proving to be better (regardless of how unlikely this is) then so be it.

The Tahitian example is irrelevant - professionalism is not what earns a spot in the OCL. Major-league status is. Every club in the most recent OCL are members of the top level football league in their respective national football association - bar, perhaps, Auckland and Waitak. It can be argued that the A-League is also the top level league for football in New Zealand as well (I know you disagree with this one regarding your well known "Phoenix are an Asian team!" stance but I'm referring to argument, not fact). The biggest block is perhaps defining the status of the Phoenix. If your argument is considered fact by FIFA, the FFA and NZF, then the best solution is for the Phoenix to seek qualification for the Asian Champions League. However if the Phoenix are indeed legally an Oceanian team, as recent news suggests, then they have every right to seek inclusion into the OCL. It's up to FIFA and the OFC partners to determine what is the fairest way for them to do so.