KEY POINTS:
Absolutely positively Wellington has got nothing on Tim Brown. Believe me.
A week away from the Wellington Phoenix's opening match at Gosford in the A-League's pre-season cup, the Herald found their vice-captain bursting with enthusiasm.
When you've spent a large part of your reporting life listening to the
mainly reluctant mutterings of rugby types, it's a touch disorientating to be hit by such rapid-fire enthusiasm. The shorthand would have had no chance - this was tape recorder territory.
The 26-year-old All Whites midfielder has a lot to be enthusiastic about after leaving A-League club Newcastle to become a key part of this country's latest stab at a professional soccer side.
He is, after all, a Wellington lad, although Brown was actually born in England - his dad Jeff is English and his mum Pauline a Kiwi.
"I can't tell you how excited they are about the whole thing too," he says of his parents, who live in nearby Paraparaumu.
Brown did insert a few wise, cautionary notes about the Phoenix but I don't recall a sportsman fizzing quite like this during an interview.
Brown actually used to bemoan to his friend and schoolmate James Franklin, the Black Cap, that he was lucky being able to play professional sport in his hometown whereas a footballer had to go overseas.
But not any more.
We put a few questions to Tim Brown.
Let's start with a heavily loaded question. Is it true you're related to All Black Anton Oliver?
Yeah, yeah, although I've never met him. This can be like a personal ad, because I'd love to meet him one day. He's a bit of a different character ... I've a great deal of respect for the way he carries himself on and off the field. He's my mum's cousin's son. The family talks about him all the time. My grandfather cuts out all the newspaper clippings about him and sends them to a relative in Australia. My younger brother approached him at a concert once and had a chat. He said Anton was a good man.
We'll take a giant leap here. Backwards. Childhood soccer memories from Wellington?
I loved watching Match of the Day, all the English stuff. My hero is Roy Keane and I've tried to model my game on him. I grew up next to Karori Park. Waterside Karori played in the old Rothmans League, or something like that. And I watched Miramar Rangers in the old summer league. Names I remember? Just trying to think of one off the top of my head. Here's one. Stu Jacobs [now a Phoenix assistant coach]. He was very athletic, very fast, a defender, with no left foot. He was famous for never using his left foot. He is a great coach who has been very, very good to me during my career.
Did you ever remotely dream of playing professional football in your home town?
Never. It's surreal. I left Wellington at 17 or 18 to go through the American university system, then play as a pro in America and Australia. Vaughan Coveny has been playing overseas for 14 years and now has the chance to play in his home city. These are very exciting times. The professionalism of the club, the way the city has embraced it - I can't tell you how strongly I feel about that.
You're giving it a good try Tim. Hate to bring you down but (deep breath) Kingz, Knights. There - I've said the two k-words. Did you follow their progress or lack of?
It hurt me that the Auckland club were using the New Zealand moniker, that it hurt New Zealand's image. I don't want to comment on the past because I don't think it's relevant. I'll say this, that it's chalk and cheese. This is a quantum leap forward. We've got a lot of young New Zealand players here which is so important for the identity of the club. And the guys from overseas are really hungry for it. This place is so professional. We want to create an environment where people will support it through thick and thin, because there will be ups and downs.
How did you end up on board?
It was an amazing saga. You couldn't write the script. I had just re-signed for two years with Newcastle and I found out 10 minutes later that the Wellington team was all go. I'd waited four or five months hoping there would be a team in Wellington, knowing that I just had to be part of it. But Newcastle set a deadline of 5 o'clock on a Friday. I was literally sitting in the car in Wellington sweating with the Newcastle contract in my hand. I faxed it off, and [coach] Ricki [Herbert] rung 10 minutes later.
I take my word very highly and to step back from Newcastle took exceptional circumstances. I made the call directly to their coach and management. I don't feel good about doing it but to Newcastle's credit they helped me get out of it. I sent Newcastle letters recently thanking them.
Herbert has chosen Aussie Ross Aloisi as captain. What is his influence?
He has been good from a leadership point of view, the hunger and desire. There's no question in my mind that he wants to win things. His desire is incredible, Adelaide have been the most successful team in the first two years of the A-League and Ross was central to that.
Four Brazilians - are they full of tricks?
Actually, three of them aren't here yet. The team has been playing a little game pretending to spot them around town. We understand one is an uncompromising defender and the others very skilful, quick attacking players. Hopefully they can feed off each other. A big part of our success will depend on those guys and how they cope with the football and settle in. The one guy here, Daniel, is lovely and is making a big effort to speak English. His wife is pregnant with their first child back in Rio de Janeiro which makes you realise what some people are sacrificing to be here.
What are Ricki's key messages about building a new club?
It's very exciting to be there at the beginning but it also means you have no culture and Ricki is trying to establish that with the players. You do that by creating ownership within the team. Rather than him telling us what team rules are, he passes it over to the group through Ross and myself. You build by paying attention to all the little details. It's about building a winning mentality.
The prospects?
The bar has been raised - the A-League is rated as the 14th biggest in the world, I think. It's the third year, so we're a little bit behind the 8-ball. But we're lucky here - all the players really want to be here. I know how big this could be in Wellington.
