Funding of NZF Youth Sides

From THE HERALD

Age-group players must cough up to represent the country overseas, says NZ Football

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Fred De Jong. Photo / Richard Robinson

New Zealand's top young soccer players are being asked to pay to play at October's Fifa Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

And in future, all national age group players will be expected to pay.

The 35 players in the extended under-17 men's squad were told this week that they would be expected to contribute $2000 towards costs, New Zealand Football confirmed. A letter was sent to parents yesterday.

NZF high performance director Fred de Jong said he supported the "pay to play" edict even with his son Andre in the extended squad, which will soon be trimmed to 21.

"If Andre is selected, I'm fine with it as a parent," said de Jong.

"When you look at what they get in terms of top-class coaching and the overseas experience, it is not a huge demand. I think it is fair and reasonable."

In cases of hardship, the national body would look at it on a case-by-case basis, de Jong said.

"We are not going to say only rich kids can play for New Zealand."

Can we change the title of this thread to....

• budgeting 101 fail
  
• WTF?!
• or other appropriate suggestions....
  

NZ Football Fundraising Director calls for more cake stalls.

Sam Malcolmson's comment sums it up.

If andre is selected

Its like Fred was speaking as a CEO type making financial decisions.....

I like andres odds

I watched AdJ playing for AGS v MAGS last Saturday. Some nice flick ons and a shot well over the bar but not a lot else (unless he scored the AGS goal I missed seeing). Ben Mata for MAGS was also a disappointment. Josh harris looks tidy. But once again the player who stood out was Monty Panessar. Everything MAGS did on attack went through him. His mindset, i.e. determination to impose himself on the game, seemed on a different plane to every other player on the pitch.

Andre is a quality young player - made his debut for us a couple of weeks ago and played 90 and scored a goal in a tidy midfield display.

The following week he played 120 minutes against MAGS and scored Grammers only 2 goals and then came over and played the last 30 minutes for us against Birko.

I'm not saying he is one of the best players in NZ for this age group - i'm saying for him not to get picked the kid infront of him will have to be really special - and there might be that kind of talent out there i don't know.

Fair enough.

Yeah hes good im just ribbing the old man

Me too. I have no idea about the kids ability.

The english spin bowler?  Did you mean Monty Patterson?

The harsh reality of our countries dire economy.

I just read the article and I have to say that really, Fred is off his tree.

Since WC2010 we have acquired $24 million

$10m from ASB which is spread across 4 years

$14m from WC2010 of which $4m went to a football foundation

Some to the players, some to an international team fund.

His numbers say it cost $1m to fund all national teams each year (per 2 years, $250k per team for 8 teams)

Where the fuck is all this money going and again, they made 33% budget cuts across the board this year. Seriously, are the board using c-notes to light their cigars and tell each other they have done well? It's not going into ASBP, they are asking the kids to pay up, they are not making money as they keep drawing from the International team fund reserve to try and balance the books and they have had 33% budget cuts this year. I ask you, really, this is an absolute joke and I am surprised that no one is asking questions!

Maybe everyone could try reading NZF's 2012 annual report before we go any further?

At least then the discussion can begin from a position of partial ignorance rather than complete ignorance.

I'd love to see the salaries for some of the NZF staff

Just read it, still does not answer the questions.

Fred or McKavanagh. I think you'll find it's the latter.

Thanks for that, 64 f£%king pages later im still none the wiser really.

$2000 is not that hard to raise these days and it would be money well spent. I know its not the point and NZF need a good rodgering up the khyber for their inabilities but im just saying.

True ....Though that surely would have a part to play in any formulae ....

It's a mix of being too far away from the rest of the world and having no where near as much money as the rest of the world. That's basically it. Geography and economics.

I get your point Term and you ask some good questions of which the answers to some are obvious (and harsh reality) but also some that don't have answers.

I want to play devils advocate on this next part so it is designed that way.

Let's say Bazely has his eyes on the best 22 kids in the country. 11 of them can't afford that $2k for whatever reason and in some of those cases, would probably make the u20s and u23s (Ian Hogg is a good example). That's $6k for parents. Now Bazely has the option of putting out the best 22 or the best 11 and "the next 11 that can afford it". This then no longer becomes something prestigious because if Joe Smith has a kid that is just below the level required, but can afford the $2k, then his kid goes when the truth is, he is not good enough.

Does Bazely then say to kids before they come to trials 'can you afford $2k?' Let's say that Alex Rufer and his parents can't afford $2k because of family circumstances and he does not go, how does that work? I know NZF said they can look at cases of hardship but if they have a few cases of hardship, they can't say yes to everyone, and then, what makes them say yes to one kid and not another? Also if you are a parent who has paid and find out others have not, you are going to ask questions and want your cash back.

I do not like this because now, the white shirt becomes a matter of who can afford it, not who deserves it. Earning the right to wear the AW shirt has been a privilege and one earned (in 99% of cases), that can now be put up for debate. I get that times need to change, but make the senior team pay because as pro footballers, they can afford it. The kids can't.

I spent $7600 on two of my kids football last calender year

both are way too young for U-17 Reps

whilst this is considerably cheaper than say Tennis the fact is Junior Sport now pays Adult Wages. 

Good post JV and I can see that scenario happening.

It then isnt about being good enough, its about being wealthy enough. I am sure the parents will have spent plenty already with their sons at this level, clothing, training, attending tournaments, and then being asked to dip into their pockets again....

I agree with JV (for once). It's a shocking decision apparently fuelled by DeJong.

Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't find it completely awful. 

I'm a believer that representing your country is a reward for performance (and for those out of form, talent that is justified) not those that can afford it.

The next question I have is, is De Jong going to ask Winston, Tommy and the lads to cough up their $2k? If the AWs qualify for the next WC and get their promised share (was it 40% so nearly $5m?) how is that going to look to parents that have to cough up $2k that can't afford it when these pro guys on average, make more than the going average salary...

NZF is a government funded entity ??