The financial statements list a number of purchases the club made from September 2018 on clothing, bibs, cones, technology, appliances and more. In that 24-month period, the club spent $27,982 on men’s premier team gear, and $13,839 on the women’s premier squad’s gear.
At least another $17,000 was spent on gear and resources for the “first team”, and although it doesn’t state what team, additional notes in the report suggest that it was for men’s premier.
The revelation comes after leading female players at the club vowed to walk out, citing months of dissatisfaction over the way the women’s teams are treated at Western Springs.
At the time, the women told the Herald their teams would often be the “last choice” for training and matches on the club’s No 1 artificial field. They said the senior men’s team, who didn’t qualify for the National League, finishing sixth in Auckland, would typically get the first choice to use the better facilities.
One player said: “We’re all over the place because our fields get torn up. We don’t get to play on field one if the men are on there — things like that really start to build up over the years.”
In December last year, Western Springs finished as National Women’s League runners-up. However, players told the Herald their involvement in the inaugural New Zealand competition was treated as more of a “hassle” for the club rather than an opportunity.
“It was like they were doing us a favour,” one player said.
One player told the Herald: “I felt shame going to that club — I will never wear the jersey again.”
The Herald has sought comments from Western Springs executive chairman Tony Jones and senior committee chairman Grant Ramsay, but neither have responded to questions about the financing.
Since the story first broke on 13 May, the club has refused to take Herald queries.
Ramsay said in an internal club statement via email: “Let me re-iterate the club’s strong commitment to its girls’ and women’s football program, and equal access for all our players.”
The Herald understands Western Springs received roughly $800,000 of public money to upgrade facilities ahead of the Fifa Women’s World Cup and is one of only two clubs in the Northern Region Football League not to have filed financial reports for 2021. The only other club, Hibiscus Coast AFC, have filed a “request for extension of time” due to a change in treasurer.
As a registered incorporated society, the club is required to file financial statements with the Companies Office each year, a month after its annual general meeting is held.
Incorporated societies are required by law to file their accounts within six months of the end of the period covered in the financial report.
In some circumstances, a society can request a deadline extension, which can be approved automatically and extended for at least two weeks on the first occasion.
Further requests within the same reporting period require a review by the Companies Office.
The Herald understands both players and the board have respective lawyers and will meet for mediation on May 30.
