A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Central Football Federation chief executive John McGifford refutes a claim that junior players are being “used as pawns” as a threat to senior players wanting to break away from federation-run competitions.
McGifford’s denial is in response to criticism of Central Football by Wanganui Marist president Russell Eades.
Eades said footballers were told by Central Football that if they played in a proposed social league in Whanganui they could not belong to a club that had junior players or travelling senior teams. If they did, teams in those clubs would be excluded from competitions.
“Either all a club or school’s teams are in Central Football competitions or none are,” Eades said.
“If social players want to do their own thing, kids and competitive players will be banned from playing in the local competitions that are run by the organisation that is supposedly responsible for running the game.
“This appears to cut across the basic human right of freedom of association, which encompasses both an individual’s right to join or leave groups voluntarily, and the right of the group to take collective action to pursue the interests of its members.
“In this situation, some members want to choose where they spend their money, as is their right.
“They also want to know where it is being spent and this right has been denied.
“The saddest thing really is using kids as pawns. What right have Central Football got to punish children for the actions of adults?”
McGifford said some of the claims Eades made, including some relating to benefits and costs associated with competing in Central Football leagues, were “void of facts”.
“This has been going on for some time, longer than I care to remember,” McGifford told The Gisborne Herald.
“His concerns about costs are his opinion and he is entitled to that, but as for using kids as pawns, that’s not true.
“Players of all ages have a free choice to play for whoever they want.
“If they play for teams not in the Central Federation they can’t expect to have the use of Central Football resources — access to development officers, coaching facilities, referees, NZ Football resources and the like.
“All those things cost money so if you’re not contributing, why should you have it?
“There are too many things to go into, but simple things — like referees, medals, trophies, the prize-giving in Whanganui last year, player-of-the-day certificates for all junior teams — all add up.
“Being affiliated to New Zealand Football covers everything from supporting a four-year-old kicking the ball for the first time right through to the All Whites going to the World Cup and events like the Under-20 World Cup, which came to New Zealand in 2015 and brought huge economic benefit to football and the country.”
McGifford confirmed that the cost of entering a team in Central Football men’s or women’s leagues in Whanganui, Gisborne, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu was $1668.
Eades said that in the Whanganui (social league) scenario, it was estimated that an amount of $150 to $200 a team would be more than enough to cover the cost of somebody putting together a draw, collecting scores each week and compiling a points table.
“There has been an offer put forward to pay a reduced amount to remain affiliated but Central Football will not accept anything that is not on their fee schedule,” Eades said.
“Central Football are not offering an option in the fee schedule that reflects the basic simplicity of a simple local social league competition, and teams are therefore being charged for a lot of ‘benefits’ that they simply do not need, or want.
“Most of these players will be 30, 40 or even in their 50s, and are past their competitive best.”
Eades said Wanganui Marist wrote to Central Football in December requesting a breakdown of costs but the federation refused to provide the information.
“A response was sent to all clubs that we will happily deal with the questions through Whanganui Football Incorporated, who are representative of all clubs in Whanganui,” McGifford said.
“Whanganui Football Inc looked at it, deemed they were satisfied with all Central Football had done and said they wouldn’t be pursuing it.
“I have no intention of dealing with Mr Eades as a rep of an individual club when there is a body to do that, and he knows that.”