Soccer: Invitation in the post for league rejects

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Rejected Porirua-based national league hopefuls Ole Madrids are being invited to join the strong Team Wellington franchise in the new-look competition.

Team Wellington chairman Mike Wood has written to Western Suburbs, the club behind the Ole Madrids bid.

He expects Ole Madrids to get his letter today.

"We did not invite them to become part of Team Wellington originally because we were aware of the Ole Madrids bid," said Wood yesterday.

"But now they have been left out we felt it was a natural courtesy to invite them just as we have invited a couple of other clubs who were overlooked in our original application.

"Of the clubs we wrote to, 12 wanted to join us financially and another eight were happy to be part of what we are trying to achieve.

"We now feel it is an appropriate time to sit down with them and have a chat over a cup of coffee.

"We are hoping they will come on board but if they decide not to it will have no impact on any of their players who might be keen to try out for a place in Team Wellington."

The seven federation chairmen and a number of the successful clubs have spoken out against the legal action being taken by Ole Madrids in an effort to get New Zealand Soccer to reverse its decision and allow them into the new league.

"This is doing nobody any good and creates uncertainty," said Otago United director Marc Chidley. "We don't know what is going to happen."

Auckland City board director Paul Marshall also spoke out, saying: "For the good of the game - but unfortunately for Ole Madrids and East Auckland [who also missed out] - eight franchises is the way to go forward.

"I hope they take into consideration what's good for the game."

Ole Madrids chairman Mark Scott has long maintained that he does not regard his club's actions as "soiling the game" and claimed it was New Zealand Soccer that was dragging the sport through the mud.

All applicants signed a document saying they would agree with New Zealand Soccer's decision on the league's makeup but Scott, despite signing it, maintains it is "not worth the paper it was written on".

He said the simplest way to fix the problem was to make the league, which is scheduled for a mid-October start, a 10-team competition.

"We are mindful of the impact legal action can have," said Scott, "but at the end of the day we have to go."