Soccer: Supporter praises calibre of Knights

Charlton Athletic deputy chief executive Nigel Capelin (left), whose club will initially provide coaching assistance to the Knights, chats with Brian Katzen at North Harbour Stadium. Picture / Fotopress

New Zealand Knights' moneyman Brian Katzen likes what he sees.

From the towering image on the back of the stand at their North Harbour Stadium headquarters to the squad manager John Adshead has assembled, he is happy.

In Auckland for last night's official launch of the Hyundai A-League club, Katzen said the calibre of players Adshead had signed had surprised many.

"The guys at Swansea City can't believe how well we have done. They have been shocked by the players we have," said Katzen, who maintains a close association with the Welsh club.

"When I was here in February I did not envisage a squad of this calibre being assembled."

Fair enough, but why, he was asked, has he invested and continues to invest so heavily in a club on the other side of the world with no track record.

It is, he insists, no get-rich-quick scheme. "It is an investment which will take two years to show any real return. We are not looking to get rich quickly. But I have no nagging doubts about the commitment I have made.

" We see it as something exciting. Every game is like an international. We want to have fun. Eventually the team has to become self-funding. To do that, the most important thing is to do well on the park. There is a business plan, obviously."

One of the more pressing needs is to find a major sponsor. On that, Katzen appears relaxed.

"There are three or four companies bidding and with whom we are negotiating. We want between $300,000 and $600,000. The target has to be around $500,000. We also need smaller sponsors - up to 10 - to ensure a strong revenue stream.

"The first year is always tough. The key, however, is winning on the field. The whole spectrum goes from there.

"We are playing to win. I'm not doing this as a hobby. We have high expectations. In us, they [the Australians] don't."

Questioned on how long he is prepared to keep contributing to the club's coffers, Katzen said there was no timeline.

"We are not about performing poorly. We will be a round for years. Our intention is to build long term."

For his part, London-based Katzen hopes to see "his" team in action two or three times a season.

Katzen is accompanied on this visit by Nigel Capelin, deputy chief executive of the English premier club Charlton Athletic, with which the Knights have formed a partnership.

As was made clear at the time of the partnership announcement in May, Capelin does not foresee a rush of players in either direction - in the short term at least.

"Any exchange is more likely to be at an academy level," Capelin said. "But over, say, three or four years we are convinced players from New Zealand will come through.

"The deal is not just about players. We already have similar arrangements with clubs in the United States, Spain, South Africa, Finland and Ireland. We are also talking with a club in China."

The first help for the Knights from the London-based club will be in the form of coaching assistance in this first season.