Football NZ get $10m from FIFA for qualifying for the World Cup finals. Their campaign costs $4m and $6m has been banked for football development in the future.
Now John Key has given them $300k for inter alia a media manager.
To arrange photos with John Key no doubt.
Think how many netballs could have been bought with $300k.
Is Michelle Boag recruiting the media manager?
Far better value and more exposure for NZ than the Hundreds of millions being thrown at RWC and Keys’s b**tard child ‘party central’
And how much was thrown at Team NZ in the America’s cup? $30 million? How many netballs would that have brought?
I have no issue with this whatsoever given that soccer/football has been around for years yet thanks to the generosity of a Wellington resident and the success of the Wellington Phoenix it is now finally being propelled into the limelight it deserves.
Getting into the World Cup is a huge deal. This is the soccer equivalent of the All Blacks actually WINNING a world cup. If the All Blacks actually won the World Cup I wouldn’t mind a few bonuses being thrown their way either.
I also ponder on the irony of this post given the hundreds of thousands of dollars that have been spent on the Rugby Union and the All Blacks over the years, especially in terms of our bid to host the RWC here & say, the number of rugby coaches awarded scholarships under the High Performance Coach Scholarship scheme.
NZ doesn’t need a higher rugby profile – we are well known for our rugby prowess (except in World Cups).
Football however, needs as much media coverage as the rugby media is prepared to sacrifice.
That $300k will be non doubt be better spent on anything football than the overrated, overpaid thuggery that is rugby.
And just think – but for that pesky election, that could have been *your* photo op!
Good grief! If it was rugby getting the money you would be asking how many soccer balls it would have paid for?! Get over it labour.
The money put toward major sporting events like this has benefits, including the related increase in youth sport participation (with huge positive results) and the advancement of NZ Tourism interests. (vitally important)
Labour in the past generally agreed with supporting major sporting endeavour, why the change? The position that some of the money is going towards appears to be aimed at maximising the gains of the two above benefits?
Sport in this country, especially at youth development levels has been poor in the past (and the fact that much of it is reliant on gambling is a shocking scenario which I wont go into too much here)
I hope there is a reason for this that does not include the thinking ‘National did it so its wrong’. They are already doing plenty of other, vastly more important, things wrong. I know you have been highlighting these also, but more can be done…….if just you oppose everything (or appear to be doing so) you can end up turning people off.
A personal opinion on this is fine, but I hope this does not suggest a policy shift by the Labour Party.
How much of the country’s money did Labour poor into the RWC. A minority sport that 99% of the world couldnt even care about. $300k for the football world cup is a bargain for a media manager that would help to promote the image of the country.
Another case of Trevor Mallard and Labour not knowing about the real world.
oh one more thing: Largest sporting event in the world! Whats that old quote? ah yes – More countries involved with FIFA than are members of the United Nations. Reasonable audience you think?
yeah, maybe Key is jumping on the bandwagon with this- although I think the money is well spent further helping to develop football in the country. It is always a bit galling/ embarrassing seeing politicians in “photo-op” mode.
Of course, Trevor knows about photo opportunities- it seems this one cost taxpayers some millions- all for a “sport” (America’s cup) that is the domain of the wealthy.
http://www.emiratesteamnz.com/sponsors–suppliers.aspx
http://amplify.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/am2.jpg
Andrew Football is and has long been our highest participation sport amongst young people. Translating those numbers to post secondary school participation has long been FNZ’s problem.
I must say this is ironic coming from a party that spent alot on Americas Cup and rugby world cup… at least both of those events were IN NZ.
rjs Americas Cup subject to tight economic analysis – and tax revenue (PAYE + GST) exceed the investment. Without government Team NZ finished.
Sorry Trev but until the people all get amnesia then a blog like this will always = epic fail
Dont you think 300 grand for the PM (and tourism minister) to advertise this country to a massive audience is worth it?
Tracey – I agree
Trevor – agree also. Americas Cup/Team NZ is not a fair comparison, but rugby….well, rugby schmugby! I went off it as soon as it went professional as the spirit & authenticity seem to leave the game; gone are the days when kids can race onto the field after the match at tap today’s equivalent of Michael Jones.Then there is the drinking/violent culture that seems to be synonymous with sport; ask women’s refuge how many calls they get when the All Blacks lose the World Cup.
Football is a far better investment by far – like Tracey says, it is what children play the most, including our 4 year old who currently plays for Portugal…!
Rebecca I’m not sure if anything changed since I was Minister but in those days rugby and cricket got almost nothing whereas cycling and rowing got a fair bit. (obviously RWC excluded but this again was an economic development debate)
Trevor is finding himself on very shakey ground when he involves himself and the Labour Party in a battle between the football codes.Some funding of the Football World cup participation is justified if only that it puts right the damage done to NZ Football by both Labour and National Governments’ inconsistent sporting sanctions against Fiji. How come Fiji is admitted to NZ to play Sevens Rugby in Wellington but NZ Football is forced offshore to play a “home” world cup qualifier against the same country? There are some wider foreign policy issues here that need addressing.
Peter when was the Fiji game? Trevor
I can absolutely see the benefit of hosting events, however we now have to WIN the america’s cup to host it, and I just dont think it’s worth the outlay, compared, say, to RNZ or the like which we alreadyhave hosting rights to (just).
I have just read the media reports on this which state that the “Government’s funding will also help New Zealand Football identify talented 17- and 18-year-olds and train them in coaching and leadership skills. They will then help run a series of football festival days through clubs and schools to promote football to young Kiwis…..New Zealand Football will be able to use some of the funding to hire a temporary media manager to help the team cope with the massive worldwide media interest in the FIFA World Cup.”
So essentially this means that the extra funding will go towards buying footballs after all….
Don’t be a misery guts Trevor. It is hardly anything in the scheme of things and goodness knows NZ Football needs every cent. They should have won the Halberg by the way.
@ Everyone, come guys, its just a game for sissys and after saturday , cheats.
Before anyone spouts on about soccer being a huge event that will bring tourists, you all need to realise that we get a lot more exposure with cricket if you are going for numbers, and the cricket markets fit in well with our tourist demographic (well most of it)
We have to remember that John is very very good at getting good results from photo ops, smiling and waving. We need as a nation to use this.
Maybe a giant John key on the harbour bridge to welcome all the visitors for therugby world cup would be a good thing and we could spend 300 000 on that.
Or maybe we could have puit the $300,000 to teh commonwealth game bid,
Paul3 NZF need to show they can be trusted with the money. The administration of this sport has been in the pits for decades. Now they have $10m flowing in and they still need more.
A media officer in SA??? Give me strength. They can pay that out of their 10m.
Waterboy – soccer in SA wont bring us tourists
As for the football demographic, Europe, UK, North America, Asia, I would have thought these were places we look for tourists from?
Thanks for the chuckle Paul @ should have won the Halbergs. I will call that my abdominal workout.
This post precisely explains my point in Phil Twyford’s latest effort above. Politicians have their own favourites and spending decisions are made on these and nothing else. Key thinks $300K is good for Soccer, Mallard thinks it’s good for Netball. Meanwhile the $250 million per week keeps mounting up.
I find it hard to believe that Trevor would be against any money well deserved for a sport to raise its profile in the world (even a sissy sport). I thought the post was to short to tell, but I assume he was questioning the need for govt to pay for a media manager???
Or was there any request from NZ football, ie “what do you need to win a game at the world cup”, “Oh how bout a media manager?”
Glenn re-write without the offensive bits. Clare
If it is costing them 4m to pay for the costs of the cup, I would have thought that this would include a budget for PR – so maybe what trev is getting at is why give them a token 300k for something that should have been budgeted for anyway (unless you are doing it to look good – which Key is the master manipulator of), and if so, would not the money be better spent at grassroots level? (hence the quip about balls?)
Just a thought…
Your a joke Trevor
We all know you support just about any other sport other than soccer. You did nothing for the sport in your 9 years in government. It’s not been forgotten.
You handed out millions to yatchting years ago for the America’s cup. As the Soccer got not a penny when they desperateley needed it for the Confedrations cup in France and te sort ingeneral.
You’ve dished out millions to rugby when they are the richest sport in the country. Probably a bit to do with your rubgy heritage. deleted abuse Trevor
And just for the record I played football for ten years Trevor
paul
NZ going to the world cup is possibly the best thing that can be promoted to grassroots Soccer. Another generation of talented young ones who see the potential for a career in Soccer, usually the reserve of good Rugby & Basketball players.
Yes burt lets do that – not a media managers role.
Trevor
So lets promote it to young Soccer players, without a media manager? Is that what you are saying?
Netballs?!? Please. The World Cup is sport’s ‘real deal’. If you don’t see this as being worth some loose change, then you have no business as ’sport minister’ in government, whether that be in the short/medium/long-term future.
Stick to boats my friend [shudder].
PS: Even a greeny gets it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J9GC7DFTVo
Trevor: NZ eventually played Fiji in Nov 08 after postponing original fixture because it was contrary to sanctions. The point of my post was to draw attention to the poorly thought through sanctions which ended up disadvantaging a minor, and at the time, low profile code while other codes, particularly rugby renained unscathed.A case of football becoming literally a political football because of poor foreign policy.
Trevor the “temporary media manager” is only getting a tiny portion of the $300k BOOST not bonus. How is this unfair? I really fail to see your justification for this post given your previous role in government…
Please stop talking about rasing participation numbers for youngsters. It IS and HAS BEEN for decades the HIGHEST youth participation sport in NZ. That’s right more NZ kids play soccer than rugby or netball or cricket.
There is NOTHING wrong with soccer’s ability to draw kids to the game. KEEPING them in the game is soccer’s problem and has been for along time. If there isn’t fighting going on in NZF or the Regional Sport Orgs (Soccer) it’s like they dont consider they are doing their job.
I will say this, it is a nonsense to say Trevor (SPARC etc) did nothing for football while Labour was in office.
If anything you could criticise Trevor (as Minister) through Sparc continuing to give them the gun (admin funding) to shoot themselves in the foot.
I seem to recall our Basketball team reaching 4th in a world champs and they didnt get $10m to help them…
How much annually has NZF received fromt heir share of the World Club Champs. This sport has access to some pretty good alternative (to taxpayer) funding compared to other sports.
As our largest under 14 participant sport they need to be assisted BUT let’s not get siilly and give gold bananas to the monkies. Let’s make sure they have their house properly in order, for today and the future or the money will be swallowed up, dispersed and we’ll have this conversation again in five years (only there will be no world cup to go to)
Its irrelevant to the debate, but you are all acting like they got there on merit. They snuck in through the backdoor. zzzzzzz wake me when they win a game.
netballs Trevor, netballs???? WTH. You know the comparison should have been ice hockey pucks. The numbers are sooooo much bigger and more impressive to quote.
And what happened to hip operations which were the “comparison du jour” up until elective surgery numbers started to climb? Or blocks of cheese? Are we not allowed to use those ones any more? Please keep us informed of the scripts Trev so that we don’t fall behind the strategy.
Completely off topic. Ban next time. Trevor
NZF do not need a media manager. They already have Jamie Scott working inside the office as a media man.
They need more qualified and capable coaches. That will drive football development more than anything else.
You begrudge soccer $300k. Get real. Learn to spread it around a lttle. Thats core to the Labour Party Values isn’t it.
Think about the money you spent on Team NZ for the America’s cup an your photo opportunity. What was it $10m or $30 million. To show case NZ to the world.
Your quote “Americas Cup subject to tight economic analysis – and tax revenue (PAYE + GST) exceed the investment. Without government Team NZ finished”
Well Team NZ finished alright. What happened, lost the trophy, got smashed FIVE to ZERO in the series, the high tech boat just about sank everything it went out, the $ spent on mast technology was outstanding, it broke in half in the first real gust of wind.
Yeh money well spent. Really showed us off to the world. The world hasn’t stopped laughing since and your name is all over it.
Oh c’mon Trev
What a misery guts, thinking that the money would be best spent on Netballs.
This would give more world exposure to New Zealand than The Rugby World Cup and Americas cup put together.
If its a media manager, who would probably promote New Zealand, then why not ?
Money well spent I say.
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