NZF Financial Crisis - January 24th 2008
Andrew Dewhurst

New Zealand Football has come under the spotlight this week for its precarious financial position. For those that have been under a rock, out of the country or sitting in the dark with the radio and TV off, here is the background:

Someone leaked official board documents to the media. The media saw the bottom line (NZF lost 834 thousand) and the options under consideration to ‘get out of the mess’ and went to work on their stories.

NZF say they can get back in the black, but then I guess they have to say that. Chairman John Morris explained how on the Total Football Show on Sunday night. He described the plan to effect a two million dollar turnaround in the game’s finances in the space of one year ‘optimistic’ but achievable.

That plan includes a proposed player levy of ten dollars a head for all players including those under ten, tightening the belt at head office in areas such as phone use, car, photocopy, stationery and other overheads and a continued search for sponsorship – one million dollars worth to be precise.

The proposed levy is an interesting prospect for clubs and Federations that have already put in place fees and advertised registrations - indeed some are already underway. Quite how any levy will be collected in 2008 if indeed NZF decides to go this way is anybody's guess but already I am hearing from concerned clubs and officials.

Whether or not the game can fight its way out of this financial hole is a moot point, but for the sake of all our future involvements in the game, we hope they can. At issue though, for the Federations, clubs, players, parents and stakeholders is how on earth did it come to this in the first place?

New Zealand Football has been here before, on too many occasions. The last time was in the late 1990’s when crisis meetings were held, a similar player levy was lodged and the administration was thrown out on its ear.

Five or six years of hard graft followed as the game went through some pain to eventually get back on an even keel. During that time coincidentally the national body successfully hosted a FIFA tournament and the All Whites qualified for two Confederations Cups – both as a result of defeating Australia.

What has followed has been what I have heard described (accurately) as a ‘big bang’ or expansionist approach. Spend money to make money, lift the profile of the game, employ more staff, increase the wage bill, take on more projects, play more internationals and the money will come. No, really, don’t worry, the money will come.

Well, we are still waiting for the Promised Land. Instead of a journey to World Cups and financial glory we find that the only ride New Zealand Football can promise is in the Ambulance that yet again is waiting at the bottom of the cliff.

The leaked documents simply confirmed we have tripped over the edge and are well and truly falling. NZF is to request the support of the Federations for the current administration to lead the way out of the situation at a meeting in late January. That might prove one request too many given the record of the past three years.