Auckland FC - Once the Knights, Always the Knights

Wrote a big long piece about AFC and the vibe etc. 
TLDR: early blingers sucked, McFlynn! Corica lame. Becker, sure, but City Football group. Dumb marketing stunt, running on the field. 

Positives: Rogerson, Mata keen to see their level in NZ and OZ. The young kids, the getting out and about. Probably on balance Ali Williams! Elite sportsman, bit of a legend of a kind. Sakai is a great player, perhaps won’t appeal outside football circles? Not Premier League so hard to reel in the 80s/90s FA cup and MoTD watchers on TV1 who didn’t follow anything local. 

Does sound like they need to get Sakai, Hall and the rest of the defense together and go eat some yakitori with beer or some kava in some uncle’s garage…or a box of NZ lager at a house party somewhere…

They’re doing perfectly fine. I’m sorry Paulsen will get mauled and sent into obscurity in the derbies, but it’s just how it has to be. 

Getting excited? I’m never not excited for the Nix, and to have another kiwi team is guna be great. 

Damn, I was less positive about AFC last night. I’m Phoenix till I die! My Mum’s favourite colour is yellow. Anyone who’s a mate of Alex Brosque should start on a yellow card…or maybe 3…

claytonn

Nelfoos

YoungHeartHM

RR

Logan Rogerson and Liam Gillion continued their pre-season form by scoring the goals in Auckland FC's 2-2 draw with Central Coast Mariners, though this was the detail that leapt out to me: 58′ Rogerson off Appiah-Kubi

— Phillip Rollo (@ByPhillipRollo) August 21, 2024

Deeply un-serious.
Fascinatingly hilarious.

32 now, would he even still have his trademark speed, quickness & pace?

Who used to have the username appiah without the pace?... is that just appiah now?

Dale, still has it on his tag name on here.

Brief chat with Corica & Tommy Smith post the WSW game.

https://www.frontpagefootball.net/post/a-league-men-an-update-on-auckland-fc-s-inaugural-pre-season?fbclid=IwY2xjawE01bJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWqQdCNP3JGIBr1s7Kb2XUbqjVsWYew7VGyAR3sv4eTUBAwM2C6zqtWvYQ_aem_NmRcyt1AIE72YnsHpfzYfw

"We still have another five or six players to come in and four foreigners still to come. It's going to be a different team coming into the start of the season," Corica added.

Bling, bling!

I'm a nix fan primarily, but after the nix it will be Auckland because Auckland are a NZ team. The Nix are likely not going to win the league, I'm willing to eat my words, I hope I do. If Auckland stack their team with all their wealth and crush all the Aussie teams and win the league I'll be a happy camper.

Nommag

I'm a nix fan primarily, but after the nix it will be Auckland because Auckland are a NZ team. The Nix are likely not going to win the league, I'm willing to eat my words, I hope I do. If Auckland stack their team with all their wealth and crush all the Aussie teams and win the league I'll be a happy camper.

I won't. Maybe that's toxic, but it certainly is also a large dose of jealousy about their wealth (which lets be honest, is another fudgeing planet compared to the rest of the league minus city). The way they've conducted themselves early on in their existence doesn't exactly make them seem like the guys you want to root for either. I honestly think I'll prefer most of the other A-League clubs over them, which I didn't expect after they initially got the license but here we are, and I hope they lose every game 🤷‍♂️

I've been impressed with how they have gone about introducing themselves. Thr reach out to clubs has been excellent for example.

Their only misstep was the streaker, but even that from a marketing perspective was clever.

NIX fan 100% I will be buying a season pass to Auckland as a footy tragic.

They have intentionally been acting as they have to create a rivalry, they are not stupid. A derby gets fans through the gate and grows passion. I suspect the nix are onboard with it, it benefits both teams. 

Nommag

I'm a nix fan primarily, but after the nix it will be Auckland because Auckland are a NZ team. The Nix are likely not going to win the league, I'm willing to eat my words, I hope I do. If Auckland stack their team with all their wealth and crush all the Aussie teams and win the league I'll be a happy camper.

Why are the Nix likely not going to win the league?

If CCM can win the league in recent times so can the Nix. Sound owners, excellent Academy and world class training facilties. That’s enough to have you in the hunt

The engagement with our club has been good. We had De Vries come and speak and promote packages for the season etc. 

Much better than anything NZF has ever done. 

Personally I think they are going about things just  fine. 

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

RR

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

Reminds me of a clip from Copa 90, where a Madrid fan was forced to take off his jersey by a gang of Barcelona fans lol

Do we know the specifics of what happened?

RR

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

Someone please tell me it was the same guy. 😂

images (2).jpeg 46.39 KB

YoungHeartHM

RR

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

Someone please tell me it was the same guy. 😂

images (2).jpeg 46.39 KB

Does seem like another deliberately clever thing, to get noticed on the internet. 

I think AFC has a some dickheads policy, while the Nix has a no dickheads policy. It’s not the worst- think about your extended family. It’s probably a some dickheads endeavour, yeh? And Christmas, weddings, birthdays etc are still just fine.

I just prefer the Nix version.

martinb

YoungHeartHM

RR

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

Someone please tell me it was the same guy. 😂

images (2).jpeg 46.39 KB

Does seem like another deliberately clever thing, to get noticed on the internet. 

I think AFC has a some dickheads policy, while the Nix has a no dickheads policy. It’s not the worst- think about your extended family. It’s probably a some dickheads endeavour, yeh? And Christmas, weddings, birthdays etc are still just fine.

I just prefer the Nix version.

Having a dickhead as an investor (Williams) pretty much guarantees a looser take on a "no dickheads" policy

How many people get kicked out of Beervana every year? I mean it's an event where folks get pretty drunk. Stretch to speculate that Ali Williams somehow organised it. Just maybe at least once in the past, someone has been asked to leave wearing a Nix shirt.

Williams & Mowbray can be unlikeable, a AFC top wearing invader (streakers don't wear clothes in my book) at EP, and Paulsen going there on loan seem the sum total of Auckland's crimes too date. And yeah with the latter issue, as per a few others don't think Dome & the Nix marketing department are that upset. Will add a few to the gate at the ROF for Derby 1.

You want your Derbies to have a bit of spice. The clubs to have some off field differences, little spats even. 

Oh & I'd be curious to know the net wealth Rob Morrison verus Bill Foley. It may not be that wide after all, but that wouldn't suit the paupers verus bling narrative. And yes appreciate with Rob, it was more his brother Lloyd who was the football fan prepared to throw money into the Nix. Whereas with Foley it's clear he is a sports nut.

I've seen plenty if idiots in a NIX shirt after a game at Eden Park.

It is inevitable that there will be idiots on both sides of the derby.

MetalLegNZ

I've seen plenty if idiots in a NIX shirt after a game at Eden Park.

It is inevitable that there will be idiots on both sides of the derby.

I feel there’s a Team America speech somewhere waiting to help us distinguish these different categories…

McFlynn and Steve ‘But all the fouls were coming from Sydney FC’ Corica would be up there. Please someone find that clip! Joel Griffiths, redeemed with a microphone and on our side. After years of their BS.

I’m not sure if Ali Williams is the dhead category tbh. Not all the time.  

And most of us are idiots after a football game. That’s a given. A kind of petit morte of football. 

I just don’t think that any of their stunts did anything. Get a good team together, play some ball and the fans will come. Stop congratulating yourself on your disruptive marketing strategy or your ambush marketing techniques. It just feels like a massive jerk off thing to do. 

That’s fine! Rivalries need a villain. 

theprof

Nelfoos

theprof

Why is Paulsen out of his box defending with his feet? That's where his CB's should be.

And why is he trying to bring it down under pressure rather than getting clear?

Is he heading for a Sail-like secind season blow out? Over confidence?

if he has a crap season with AFC and suddenly Bournemouth lose interest and he continues with AFC and maybe his path to European leagues dries up. If Bmouth really thought his time was best served back in the A League personally I think a loan back to the Pheonix would have been the best option. The lad has basically gone no where with the move but north, not a step up but a step sideways. If we look at things through a lens of improving NZ football and giving our players the chance to excel, I see no merit in it

Noah4thenix

RR

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

Reminds me of a clip from Copa 90, where a Madrid fan was forced to take off his jersey by a gang of Barcelona fans lol

Do we know the specifics of what happened?

Its Beervana, someone probably just had too many.

I didn't expect a light hearted tweet like this to escalate so quickly. 

RR

Noah4thenix

RR

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

Reminds me of a clip from Copa 90, where a Madrid fan was forced to take off his jersey by a gang of Barcelona fans lol

Do we know the specifics of what happened?

Its Beervana, someone probably just had too many.

I didn't expect a light hearted tweet like this to escalate so quickly. 

And when the man with the Trident came…

For me McFlynn and Corica are poster boys for the Aussie mainstream v NZ and I probably react like that because of things like this: 

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby-league/warriors/warriors-v-bulldogs-andrew-webster-voices-frustration-at-officiating-as-roger-tuivasa-sheck-has-season-ended-by-high-shot/OLE7JVYPWFEUPJBXHIQUNMHZYA/

I guess it’s American coin going into the Australasian game. They might as well get some of it. But I’m gunna struggle watching them front for a Kiwi team. 

Anyhoo….

martinb

RR

Noah4thenix

RR

It's kicking off early ...

Congratulations to the guy in the @fc_auckland shirt at #Beervana last night on becoming the first Knights 2.0 clown to get kicked out of the Cake Tin 🏟️

— Scott (@MadMaclegend) August 23, 2024

Reminds me of a clip from Copa 90, where a Madrid fan was forced to take off his jersey by a gang of Barcelona fans lol

Do we know the specifics of what happened?

Its Beervana, someone probably just had too many.

I didn't expect a light hearted tweet like this to escalate so quickly. 

And when the man with the Trident came…

For me McFlynn and Corica are poster boys for the Aussie mainstream v NZ and I probably react like that because of things like this: 

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby-league/warriors/warriors-v-bulldogs-andrew-webster-voices-frustration-at-officiating-as-roger-tuivasa-sheck-has-season-ended-by-high-shot/OLE7JVYPWFEUPJBXHIQUNMHZYA/

I guess it’s American coin going into the Australasian game. They might as well get some of it. But I’m gunna struggle watching them front for a Kiwi team. 

Anyhoo….

If they achieve what no other kiwi football team has done and win the Aussie comp outright, I don't give a flying fudge who's running the ship.

None of our kiwi coaches have done much with Ricki coming closest back in the day. The Kingz, The Knights, and The Nix all sound the same and have all won the exactly same number of competitions between them. None.

If that Aussie lot up in AKL do it, good on them.

I'm still trying to figure out Ali Williams real motives. is it self promotion or a genuine love for a football team in Auckland? That pitch invader got people talking for all the wrong reasons.

LG

I'm still trying to figure out Ali Williams real motives. is it self promotion or a genuine love for a football team in Auckland? That pitch invader got people talking for all the wrong reasons.

He cant have genuine love for the game! I refuse to believe he's not a boof head looking for a quick buck

You can’t hide in the field. I remember him as a player who threw himself whole heartedly into a game and was there to support his team mates. I remember him doing some dumb stuff, but not really being malicious or nasty or anything. I remember him standing out as an AB, which is surely high praise? 

Apparently he takes his kids to their games and runs the lines or something someone said? 

And boofhead quite possibly! But a quick buck from football? That’ll be impressive and if it is they’ll be the first to do it. 

martinb

You can’t hide in the field. I remember him as a player who threw himself whole heartedly into a game and was there to support his team mates. I remember him doing some dumb stuff, but not really being malicious or nasty or anything. I remember him standing out as an AB, which is surely high praise? 

Apparently he takes his kids to their games and runs the lines or something someone said? 

And boofhead quite possibly! But a quick buck from football? That’ll be impressive and if it is they’ll be the first to do it. 

Williams percentage of ownership is tiny right? Less than 5%, they'll be the first to sell when the shares go up.

theprof

martinb

You can’t hide in the field. I remember him as a player who threw himself whole heartedly into a game and was there to support his team mates. I remember him doing some dumb stuff, but not really being malicious or nasty or anything. I remember him standing out as an AB, which is surely high praise? 

Apparently he takes his kids to their games and runs the lines or something someone said? 

And boofhead quite possibly! But a quick buck from football? That’ll be impressive and if it is they’ll be the first to do it. 

Williams percentage of ownership is tiny right? Less than 5%, they'll be the first to sell when the shares go up.

 
Is it tradeable shares? I’ve had the impression that every ownership change has been tedious and involved the FFA and or APL. 

And even if that is the case, they have to have something’s going right before they could get the price up. Even then the up front fee seems likely to have been steep.

Or consortium members can be bought out? 

On the other hand of it is such a small investment, why not let it ride? It’s probably a lot of energy, effort and time to muck around with it.

Williams played football until he was 17, and apparently repped Auckland junior sides. Very late to the game of rugby at Kings College. He had a few rugby seasons in football mad Europe, and his parents (dad deceased) were/are English. Plus yeah his & Anna Mowbray's kids play football. He probably knows a bit about the round ball code.

I think Dan Carter's boys are football fans, and as a parent you obviously show an interest and watch the sports they play & follow.

You don't invest in an ALM club to make a quick buck, that's fanciful stuff.

Williams (Commercial property investing) and Mowbray (Zuru) are very very wealthy. Their small stake in AFC will be to them a different, fun thing to do I imagine. Why not when you are super rich, and a proud Aucklander. Why did assistant to the assistant coach Gareth Morgan invest in the Nix?

The Mowbrays are NZs wealthiest family, whatever value their percentage of an A-League side is worth would barely be worth picking up off the ground for them.

As much as I dislike their ethics, Zuru as a company and billionaires in general, I do believe that they're actually in it for the football and they're a valuable resource if you're willing to hold your nose.

Are you sure they're NZs wealthiest family? NBR has them at 3 billion and the Todd family (who are part of WelNix) at 4.3 billion. Both dwarfed by Graham Hart at 12 billion.


Edit: that was last years NBR, this year the Mowrays are worth 20 billion. Ironically they might be richer than Foley and that was astronomical growth compared to the previous rich list.

EXCLUSIVE: Auckland have made an offer for Chilean midfielder Felipe Gallegos who is currently contracted to Greek club OFI Crete F.C. 👀🇨🇱#aleague #auckland #oficrete pic.twitter.com/YhPM5bFbNI

— Nicholas Lennon (@NicholasLennon0) August 27, 2024

Take with a pinch of salt etc

RR

EXCLUSIVE: Auckland have made an offer for Chilean midfielder Felipe Gallegos who is currently contracted to Greek club OFI Crete F.C. 👀🇨🇱#aleague #auckland #oficrete pic.twitter.com/YhPM5bFbNI

— Nicholas Lennon (@NicholasLennon0) August 27, 2024

Take with a pinch of salt etc

Have put it to source, so we'll see.

Fits what they're after in terms of visas - apparently after 1 x CB, 2 x midfielders, and 1 x striker for the remaining visa spots. 

Two imports in defense - interesting.

In a way happy to hear that as I don’t really want to see an aging Smith in the first eleven.

Any other kiwis in the attacking third mooted?

An import CB, would mean the end of trialist Nikko Boxall hopes I'd say.

Corica did say after the Jets game he was fairly happy with the attack, less so with the defence. But they did then play 2 more games after that in Oz. Hopefully means Kiwis like Gillion, Randall, Rogerson & Mata are all going to be starters or getting good mins off the pine. Also Champness, who doesn't seem to have featured in pre season yet. Still getting match fit I guess, not playing for soooo long.

Midfield especially DMs does definitely stick out as an area to strengthen. 

Hard to think of any other Kiwis overseas they would target. Singh yes, but everything says he wants to stay in Europe. Pijnaker - but he's ex Ole, and that means Declan has told him don't bother with the ALM. 

Declan Wynne, Andre De Jong, Kyle Adams, Collier and Musa. All could probably do a job at ALM level, but not game changing type of players - and some maybe contracted into next year at their current clubs. A younger guy like Riley Bidois, might be interested especially with his brother already at the club.

YoungHeartHM

BREAKING: The FA and APL have made an agreement to remove the Caceres rule. Alex Paulsen’s move to Auckland can officially go ahead. Official announcement shortly ✍️✅#aleague #apl #auckland

— Nicholas Lennon (@NicholasLennon0) August 27, 2024

They'd never do it but I almost feel they need to honour the Caceres Clause for the 2 windows (or whatever it is exactly) for any sales made whilst it was active just to maintain the integrity of the league, but any going forward don't have to.

But maybe I'm being a bit salty

Edit: Obviously this really needed to go through otherwise it'd probably be pretty hard to get him a loan now at this late stage - and I want him to play, just thought it'd be better for his development in another league