Soccer: Jackson back in favour with the Kingz

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Two months ago, Chris Jackson was not considered good enough to play for the Football Kingz.

Yesterday, Jackson - who played the first two NSL seasons with the Auckland club - was back training with his old team-mates.

He will fly out with them tomorrow for Friday night's game against Sydney United.

Kingz chief executive and stand-in team manager Chris Turner confirmed yesterday that Jackson had returned on a "week-by-week" contract.

He has been brought in as cover and joins other former Kingz players Tim Stevens and Leigh Kenyon on short-term deals.

The Kingz are down on manpower. Injured captain Sean Douglas and midfielder Gerard Davis are again doubtful.

Also missing will be George Goutzioulis (serving the second game of a two-match suspension), Andy Vlahos (who copped a two-match ban after being sent off against Wollongong last Friday night), Che Bunce, who has yet to be sighted this season, and long-gone midfielder Con Boutsianis.

Jackson, the former All Whites skipper, will add much-needed midfield steel to a Kingz side again to be coached by Shane Rufer.

His brother, Wynton, returns after missing last week's game.

When the Boutsianis problem was revealed, Turner said: "There will be no place at the club for Aaran Lines and Chris Jackson."

Later, Turner added that even if Boutsianis did leave, Jackson and Lines would not be in the picture because they were "different types of players."

The Kingz have told clubs in Australia and New Zealand that Boutsianis is "available for sale."

The club will seek to recover, either from Boutsianis or any new club, outstanding fines and legal costs as well as a transfer fee.

Yesterday, Turner said the club would not sign any players on long-term contracts until a replacement for departed coach Mike Petersen had been appointed.

"We met today and are still working towards deciding what we need in terms of either a coach or football manager."

The club's board must decide whether it wants a short or long-term appointment.

Turner was giving nothing away, but it seems that the options, especially in the short term, may be limited. Shane Rufer or maybe Kevin Fallon emerge as options.

Officially, team manager Andy Theoklitos retains the role but is not involved in team affairs. "We have had two meetings with Andy and will meet him again this week," Turner said. "In the meantime, I will continue in the role [as team manager]."

At Soccer Australia's insistence, the Kingz' away game against the Melbourne Knights scheduled for November 21 has been put back to November 23.

A November 21 clash would have come just a day after Australia's World Cup qualifier against a yet-to-be-determined South American opponent.