I'd be happier if this signing was complimented by the signing of a young CB like Aaryan Raj for example. Would be a fantastic mentor for the young lad given the career he's had.
When I say happier, I mean I really only care for the Kiwi signings for Auckland as well.
I thought Tommy was pretty solid for Macarthur, with the exception of his awful defending in enabling Mak to score in the elimination final. You'd maybe hope he is no better than third choice CB though.
He’s the same age as Kosta! They’re probably betting on a pre-season and a reduced number of games to get him in condition.
Plus he’s a well known AW name from 2010 for people to connect with in their first year and will bring experience. You’d have to hope though that Surman and Bindon are both ahead of him for the AWs first team though.
When did Tommy actually last live in NZ? I know he was an England youth rep like Rory, right?
I thought Tommy was pretty solid for Macarthur, with the exception of his awful defending in enabling Mak to score in the elimination final. You'd maybe hope he is no better than third choice CB though.
He’s the same age as Kosta! They’re probably betting on a pre-season and a reduced number of games to get him in condition.
Plus he’s a well known AW name from 2010 for people to connect with in their first year and will bring experience. You’d have to hope though that Surman and Bindon are both ahead of him for the AWs first team though.
When did Tommy actually last live in NZ? I know he was an England youth rep like Rory, right?
Googling tells me Smith was born in the UK, arrived in NZ in 1998 and left again in 2006. So about 18 years since was last living in Aotearoa.
Interesting. Home sickness? Or Shrewsbury not wanting him back? Sounds like he had a chance to crack league one.
But a strong season in the A league and he could potentially look at other European leagues too. Anyway, that’s a strong statement from AFC, signing a kiwi who’s already a pro and had a contract for a decent level.
You’ve got to remember Smith looked okay, but Mata is coming out of a season of playing a lot of minutes at a higher level than Smith. Smith has spent the last 3-4 years in and out of the line ups at two League Two clubs. Potentially very exciting.
I’ve no doubt you are right YH. You got the first 4 exactly on the money You must have a good sauce deep inside the Viaduct!
Will be fascinating to see how Mata goes in ALM. With some good service he could go well. He didn’t get a pre season at Shrewsbury, so I’m reserving judgement on his poor return there in L1.
Maybe it means similar big bodied Zawada hasn’t been signed
It’s starting to look like an AWs 2nd/3rd XI squad. Very different to the younger ex Academy Kiwi player mix the Nix have.
As the 2026 WC starts to loom onto the horizon, will be added spice to the derbies (esp season 2025/26), with some players likely directly competing for WC spots
I’ve no doubt you are right YH. You got the first 4 exactly on the money
You must have a good sauce deep inside the Viaduct.
Will be fascinating to see how Mata goes in ALM. With some good service he could go well. He didn’t get a pre season at Shrewsbury so I’m reserving judgement on his poor return there
Maybe it means similar big bodied Zawada hasn’t been signed
🤭🤐
There are some good people I talk to - Players, coaches, ex-players, and people just involved in the game all over. But I won't overstep my bounds and it's always a matter of respect.
I'll keep the young lads signings under wraps though. That's their moment to enjoy and share with friends and family.
Re AFC to date I guess it's similar to how the Nix in their first season had - Moss, Paston, Spoonley, Steven Old, Christie, Lochead, Bertos, Brown, Draper, Smeltz, Coveny & Kosta.
A solid existing Kiwi pro player base, with many coming back to NZ from overseas clubs, or via the defunct Knights. Only Spoonley, Draper & Kosta came from the domestic NZ scene.
Foley may not be as forgiving as Terry though, if the Black Knights finish last!
Edit - and since it seems like AFC have had some success getting Shrewsbury to agree to release Mata early, you'd suspect they are having similar discussions with Charlotte about Tuiloma.
Though Billy T is on $USD652,500 a year in the MLS (his salary well over doubled when he left Portland)! It may have to be a loan deal where Charlotte and AFC share his wages?? Marquee signing?? Or Auckland just wait until the end of 2025 MLS season when his contract with Charlotte finishes. https://www.osdbsports.com/mls/players/bill-tuiloma/contracts
Oli Sail another who may get an early release from Perth if it somehow worked for all parties.
Question for someone more educated on a league regs than me? Does the rule to have a certain number of players (3?) less then 20 years of age exist and if so what is the birthday date to make this work for next season?
Last question. Assuming these are going to be kiwis and they are currently playing in NZ, who are the 3 best candidates?
I’m excited to see how Mata stacks up in the A-League. He’s treated on a similar level to Waineo in the All Whites ranks and we all know that Waineo can perform at this level.
Question for someone more educated on a league regs than me? Does the rule to have a certain number of players (3?) less then 20 years of age exist and if so what is the birthday date to make this work for next season?
Last question. Assuming these are going to be kiwis and they are currently playing in NZ, who are the 3 best candidates?
Wow Max Mata would be a very interesting signing, if true! Mutual early termination required by Shrewsbury
I believe it's a loan deal by the way.
Sounds like a win-win. If he comes to the A league and scores a few he’s got a league one contract already on the go. And Shrewsbury get their striker back home looking for his shooting boots at a higher level than Ireland.
We reckon we’ll see Tuiloma back in Auckland? That is a big contract and with his AW form there’s no guarantee he’d tear up in the A league, either
I think Tuiloma is good enough to do well in the ALM, if not tear it up. MLS is a higher standard and likely more cut throat.
He's be a great signature signing as far as aiming to attract some Polynesian heritage fans to games. He's Auckland through & through, and now getting bugger all playing time Stateside. His AWs stocks slipping.
But yes that is a big $NZ1M plus salary he's on, so it may just be too hard - and need to wait until the end of his 2025 MLS season.
That is quite a clever promo. I would imagine that people will rush in quickly to get what will be quite an iconic piece of kit. Not bad for sales either as 1950 people would probably buy more than one jersey with their name on it( do they have an away strip and is it in this deal)
I get the Tommy Smith signing. He probably won’t start but it’s a good idea to have an old head in the dressing room. Assembling a new club from scratch is extremely difficult. The hype and pressure will build enormously in the next six months. Smith has been around for a long time and he will help keep a few of the youngsters grounded.
Sorry, dumbass here, I have a couple of questions I'm sure someone will be able to answer.
1. What is the significance of 1950, is it something that occurred in Aucklands history? 2. How come their season tickets are already on sale before the draw comes out and before fans know how many games will even be played at Mt Smart.
Sorry, dumbass here, I have a couple of questions I'm sure someone will be able to answer.
1. What is the significance of 1950, is it something that occurred in Aucklands history? 2. How come their season tickets are already on sale before the draw comes out and before fans know how many games will even be played at Mt Smart.
1950 active volcanoes in the greater Auckland area.
The young socialists behind this, unlike many young socialists, are not jerks (lol) and are very aware of the irony of being Leftie fans of a billionaire's franchise. But isn't it the negative stereotype of Lefties that they refuse to have fun and stay away from anything normal people like? They're also supporters of Manukau United, so that's your coalface football right there.
I can't imagine there'll be conflict with other fans. The Port are studiously non-political (they actually booted T-AFC types from their Facebook page for even raising issues) and I imagine they'll be having too much fun in Bay 22 to notice the Palestine flags or Pay Equity For Women's Football banners in Bay 25. But one of the defining features of Nix fandom for me was that match at NHS where our old mate Balbi confronted Nix fans who were doing homophobic chants, which is where the whole Rainbow Fever thing came from. I think that was a *good* thing. (Balbi is of course a supporter of Dulwich Hamlet, a notoriously Leftie club!)
And as for "Football in NZ should have NZ flavour, not something contrived and imported from other parts": true, but that's a weird criticism, given that this group are very much supporters of Tino Rangatiratanga while overwhelmingly other A-League active supporters (let's face it, including us) take most of our traditions from British and European fandom.
I was not involved in starting this venture but it's fair to say that I'm sympathetic to it and I'll probably join them sometimes when the Nix aren't in town.
I find it interesting - I have no problem with people doing something they believe in, I did chuckle at the list of things they stood for when they said they support Manukau Utd. But yeah all the best to them.
Well, you know Hone Fowler drove aid trucks to Gaza, I assume
The young socialists behind this, unlike many young socialists, are not jerks (lol) and are very aware of the irony of being Leftie fans of a billionaire's franchise. But isn't it the negative stereotype of Lefties that they refuse to have fun and stay away from anything normal people like? They're also supporters of Manukau United, so that's your coalface football right there.
I can't imagine there'll be conflict with other fans. The Port are studiously non-political (they actually booted T-AFC types from their Facebook page for even raising issues) and I imagine they'll be having too much fun in Bay 22 to notice the Palestine flags or Pay Equity For Women's Football banners in Bay 25. But one of the defining features of Nix fandom for me was that match at NHS where our old mate Balbi confronted Nix fans who were doing homophobic chants, which is where the whole Rainbow Fever thing came from. I think that was a *good* thing. (Balbi is of course a supporter of Dulwich Hamlet, a notoriously Leftie club!)
And as for "Football in NZ should have NZ flavour, not something contrived and imported from other parts": true, but that's a weird criticism, given that this group are very much supporters of Tino Rangatiratanga while overwhelmingly other A-League active supporters (let's face it, including us) take most of our traditions from British and European fandom.
I was not involved in starting this venture but it's fair to say that I'm sympathetic to it and I'll probably join them sometimes when the Nix aren't in town.
I find it interesting - I have no problem with people doing something they believe in, I did chuckle at the list of things they stood for when they said they support Manukau Utd. But yeah all the best to them.
Well, you know Hone Fowler drove aid trucks to Gaza, I assume
Assume this is sarcasm but I never really know - but no nothing as deep as that, just add Manukau to a list of clubs who are tearing away at the fabric of grassroots football pretending we are playing semi-pro. In my opinion anyway.
Okay, admittedly I have no clue about Manukau's signing policies, but I'll accept for the sake of argument that they're engaging in the kind of shamateurism that we all associate with ACFC and, let's face it, many other clubs. The question is whether this would be a problem for a Left-wing support base, given that paying players for their time has always been a Leftie cause (see: foundation of rugby league, 1895).
And sorry, I can't parse your first comment because it's on a few layers of irony, but yeah, Hone Fowler drove aid trucks to Gaza in 2011, his dad Roger is a communist from way back, and Manukau United just has that kind of South Auckland proletarian vibe in general.
Okay, admittedly I have no clue about Manukau's signing policies, but I'll accept for the sake of argument that they're engaging in the kind of shamateurism that we all associate with ACFC and, let's face it, many other clubs. The question is whether this would be a problem for a Left-wing support base, given that paying players for their time has always been a Leftie cause (see: foundation of rugby league, 1895).
And sorry, I can't parse your first comment because it's on a few layers of irony, but yeah, Hone Fowler drove aid trucks to Gaza in 2011, his dad Roger is a communist from way back, and Manukau United just has that kind of South Auckland proletarian vibe in general.
to be clear my comment about Manukau Utd in general has nothing to do with Hone as a person, from what I hear he is a very community focused and amazing person - just to put the record straight.
Not bad signings to start a new club. I hope Mata goes well! We need another striker for the All whites.. Remember Smeltz came from the National League before tearing up the A-league.
Smith looked solid for MAC, he's still got a few years left in him.. look at Durrante.
Introducing TĀMAKI AFC - Aotearoa Football's Left-Wing Ultras
A-League football's newest professional club, Auckland FC, will feature a proudly Left-wing active support group.
The "Tamāki AFC" (standing for "anti-fascist crew") will be cheering on the "Black Knights" from Bay 25 at Rarotonga Mount Smart Stadium, alongside other active support groups.
Tāmaki AFC are inspired by overseas Left-wing "ultra" groups such as Celtic FC (Scotland)'s "Green Brigade", AEK Athens (Greece)'s "Original 21", Dulwich Hamlet (England)'s "Rabble", or the infamous ultras of FC St. Pauli (Germany).
The group is first and foremost an active support group, like Wellington Phoenix's Yellow Fever. But it is explicitly and openly decolonial, anticapitalist. and antifascist. It opposes all forms of homophobia and transphobia in football - and in football fandom - as well as the dominance of big money over grassroots club culture. It supports fair pay and conditions for all those working in football, from star players to stadium cleaners and everyone in between.
No matter what form of Left-wing politics you identify with - or none at all - all football fans who agree with the group's kaupapa and want to have a good time are welcome to join in:
1. WE ARE ACTIVE SUPPORT We support Auckland FC, Manukau United and possibly other football clubs in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland through chanting, singing, flags, banners/tifos, dancing, support outside the stadium, etc. We want to make sure our team(s) game have as big and fun an atmosphere as possible.
2. WE'RE FOR LANDBACK AND CONSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION We acknowledge that in both so-called New Zealand and Australia we are on stolen lands under illegitimate colonial governments. We do what we can to oppose and end colonisation all over the Pacific, and the world.
3. ANTI-FASCIST, ANTI-CAPITALIST AND PRO-SOLIDARITY Our guiding principle is that FOOTBALL IS FOR ALL. We oppose racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, in football fandom and in wider society. We stand in solidarity with the oppressed and victims of imperialism worldwide. We also offer no political support to the billionaire owners of Auckland FC nor the capitalist A-League model - we are here for the fans, the players and the community.
4. WE ARE INTERNATIONALISTS We seek to create ties of friendship with other leftist Ultras groups in the A-league and around the world, and seek to inspire the creation of leftist ultra groups where they don't exist in the A-league.
5. WE ARE FOR PEOPLE'S CLUBS AND LEAGUES We want a club accessible to fans, with affordable ticket prices, food and drink prices, free public transport to the ground and increasing fan ownership of all clubs in the A-league. We want all staff including contractors to be on at least a living wage, pay equity between women and men's teams, and for the club to choose sustainable practices. We want safe standing areas and club genuinely connected to our diverse communities and actively contributing to grassroots football.
6. WE ARE A UNITED FRONT OF THE BROAD LEFT We are a group for all those who support this kaupapa, regardless if they be anarcho-communists, Labour Party supporters, or anywhere in between. We stand and have fun alongside fellow fans whom we have serious political differences, and discuss those differences in a comradely manner after the game (if at all).
Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/904892314618830
What is the point of this? I don't get why they need to call out being anti facists. Are they implying that the current supporters group is or may be?
Either way, as long as they have fun, bring more fans who cares.
I'm honestly now sure why "DIYs" is an insult either. Is "do-it-yourself" not a good thing?
I just read that nonsense and remember why I would never live in Auckland. And why there will be such a rivalry between the two teams. It'll be like NZ vs Auckland (The JAFAs) come the derby games.
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