Napier City Rovers face almost 6000km of mini-van travel in their hunt for a spot in the National League. Last weekend, The Herald went on the road with them.
Video / Neil Reid
Napier City secured three crucial Central League points on the road before this weekend’s massive Chatham Cup quarter-final. Neil Reid travelled with the team.
The roadies included last Saturday’s 5-1 win over Island Bay United; with the three points secured for the win and the four-goal margin, the club rises to second place on the Central League ladder.
A top-three finish is needed to make it into the National League, where 10 teams will battle for the right to call themselves New Zealand’s top football club.
And the mood was upbeat when the players gathered before departing for Wellington at 5pm last Friday.
As he prepared to distribute meals provided by sponsors The Thirsty Whale before the side drove away from Bluewater Stadium, left wing Adam Hewson said he was “100 %” confident his team would return with three points.
“But last time we played these guys [in a match Napier City Rovers won 3-1], we went 1-nil down and they gave us a good game for the full 90 minutes,” Hewson said.
“We got there in the end. Every game, you’ve got to take the best team out there and do what you can.”
Napier City Rovers players Adam Hewson (left) and Liam Schofield playing Football Manager in the hours leading up to last Saturday's match in Wellington. Photo / Neil Reid
Contributing on the pitch wasn’t Hewson’s only key role for the road trip to Wellington, and both previous ones and those to come for the rest of 2024.
The 25-year-old has also got the responsibility of doing the food run; picking up about 20 supplied meals from The Thirsty Whale for players and management who are travelling after a full day’s work at their day jobs.
“I leave work around 4pm on a Friday, head back home, shower up, get changed and then head to The Thirsty Whale,” Hewson said.
“We get some good food for the trip. I ask the boys Thursday night after training what they want; normally there’s a chicken burger, beef burger and a pasta option.”
The road trips to the capital city are part and parcel of playing for Napier City Rovers’ first team.
Last season, eight of their Central League opponents were based in Wellington. The ninth was Whanganui Athletic — three and a half hours’ drive away.
Napier City Rovers midfielder Liam Schofield beats an Island Bay opponent to the ball. Photo / Neil Reid
There was one new face among the travelling group last week — recent recruit Jordan Annear.
The striker has played for a variety of non-league clubs in England, arriving in Hawke’s Bay with his wife Abbie earlier in the week.
Roadies are nothing new to him, playing for clubs that faced several hours on the road to and from games in England.
During a brief stop in the Central Hawke’s Bay town of Waipawa, Annear said having a chance to go on the road so soon with his new club would be a great way to get to know his teammates better.
“I’ve been chatting to a few of the boys at training, and it is really good to be in this environment travelling and asking a few more questions and getting to know the players,” he said.
“I’ve obviously been on a few bus trips after games, and they can be quite good. So, I’m looking forward to that as well.”
New Napier City Rovers recruit Jordan Annear goes high in the opposition penalty box during his debut appearance. Photo / Neil Reid
When asked about the shift to New Zealand, Annear said: “Myself and my wife just fancied a bit of a change.
“We thought if not now, then we’d never sort of have the opportunity. We chose New Zealand, we’ve got a couple of friends who already live in Napier. So, it was a no-brainer.”
It’s fair to say Annear got to know some of his teammates better by the time the two minivans pulled into their hotel in Napier shortly before 10pm.
That includes which duo of players love to play Minecraft.
As the players congregated around the central Wellington hotel’s lobby, Robertson handed out envelopes with room swipe cards in them.
Players and management share a room.
In a bid to increase inter-team bonding, who rooms with him who changes every trip.
Napier City Rovers players Adam Hewson (left), William Tonning, Harry Mason, Liam Schofield, Kyle Baxter, Cameron Emerson and Jim Hoyle listen to coach Bill Robertson's message. Photo / Neil Reid
Talking on game-day morning while watching some Tour de France action, midfielder Kieran Richards said the use of an online room randomiser ensured everyone got to know their sporting comrades.
“It is great from a bonding perspective,” he said.
“We change up the rooming arrangements with every trip, so I’m always rooming with someone different. It’s my first season here, so I’ve been able to get to know the guys really well.
“And as well as being stuck in a fan for about four hours, it’s great for building the bond.”
Things haven’t always been so sweet for the players.
Prior to the 2023 season, overnight stays weren’t part of the budget.
Players would leave as early as 6am on a bus for Wellington on game day; arriving near lunchtime to prepare for mid-afternoon kickoffs. Post match, they’d then face a six-hour bus ride home.
Veteran midfielder Liam Schofield — one of the remaining heroes of Napier City Rovers’ 2019 Chatham Cup victory — said players would never moan about the travel demands; that was part of playing for the special club.
Compared with some previous years’ roadies, having an overnight stay made veterans feel “spoilt”.
“When I first came here we used to travel down the morning of the game,” he said.
“So, we’re meeting at the clubrooms anything between 6am to 7am, a six-hour bus trip on the big coach, and then trying to get up for a game. It was tough ... but you still had a lot of joy from it.
Napier City Rovers players Max Chretien (left), Liam Schofield and Oscar Faulds walk off Wellington's Wakefield Park at halftime. Photo / Neil Reid
“But now, we’re spoilt staying Friday night. Travelling after work is tough, but to get down here on the morning of the game and being able to chill, relax and do your thing is a lot better.”
“And it’s proved in the results of the away games. We’ve been consistent in the performances away from home and we’ve picked up some good results.
Those results include last Saturday’s 5-1 win over Island Bay on the turf at Wakefield Park.
Sharpshooter Oscar Faulds — who was coming off a week’s trial with the Wellington Phoenix A-League squad — scored a hat-trick. Sam Lack and Schofield also scored sensational solo efforts.
Napier City Rovers players move in to congratulate Sam Lack (No 8) after his smashing solo effort. Photo / Neil Reid
It was in effect a six-point match. Win, and they would keep six points clear of fourth-placed Miramar and potentially move as high as second; which Robertson’s team were able to do.
A loss would have cut the lead to Miramar to just three points ahead of the side’s battle at Bluewater Stadium on Sunday, August 4.
“We kept the momentum going, with the goal to qualify for the National League,” Robertson said before the buses headed back to Napier post match.
“Miramar are right behind us, just nipping at our heels. So, it was a big win and a good performance.”
“The quarter-final is a huge thing for the club and the region, especially the footballing community,” he said.
“It’s been great to see some big crowds at Bluewater Stadium [this season]. We’ve been trying to make game day a spectacle for the people who come and support us.
“I’d love to see a really big crowd on Sunday. And it’s not just about Napier City Rovers members and supporters, but hopefully, the whole football community in Hawke’s Bay will come out and watch.”
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.
