Marked for Deklan Smith
From our football correspondent
Crisis
The terraces11 Oct 2027
Supporters who sing when it goes badly are supporters. Supporters who gather afterwards are a problem, and everybody inside the building knows which of the two this now is.
Squad11 Oct 2027
17 days out for Andrew Redmayne after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Central Coast Mariners will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Boardroom11 Oct 2027
Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at Central Coast Mariners is running low.
Match11 Oct 2027
Position 12, 13 points, and a fixture list with fewer games left in it than excuses. The arithmetic is not cruel yet, but it has stopped being kind.
Market11 Oct 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad11 Oct 2027
Henry Gray and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad11 Oct 2027
7 signings in three months. Every one of them may be an upgrade and the team can still be worse for a while, which is the part of a rebuild that never appears in the transfer-window verdicts.
Squad11 Oct 2027
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; Central Coast Mariners are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
The dugout11 Oct 2027
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Alfie McCalmont trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market23 Aug 2027
The interest is real enough to have reached print. WaiBOP United have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Squad23 Aug 2027
At 22 he is doing things this season that he could not do last season, and doing them every week. Form comes and goes; this has stayed long enough to be called something else.
Market23 Aug 2027
The offer from Team Wellington for Joe Kirwan was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Market23 Aug 2027
The shirt still fits. Alfie Rogers is back at WaiBOP United, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
Squad23 Aug 2027
At 27 the improving is meant to be over. It is not: 3 points better than the mark taken at the start of the year, which is the sort of thing that happens to players who take the boring parts of the job seriously.
Transfer targets23 Aug 2027
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
Squad23 Aug 2027
Alfie Rogers falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout23 Aug 2027
news_b_frozen_out_of_the_side
The dugout23 Aug 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Nathan Lee, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market9 Aug 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what WaiBOP United can pretend not to have heard.
Squad9 Aug 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Nathan Lee commits to WaiBOP United for another 4 years.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Deklan Smith in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at WaiBOP United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Words at WaiBOP United training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Bill Barbarouses is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Transfer targets9 Aug 2027
WaiBOP United have made the call to Auckland City. No fee, a share of the wages, and a spare shirt in the position where the squad has been thinnest all season.
The dugout9 Aug 2027
Stefan Sutton has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at WaiBOP United will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
The dugout9 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of Francis Boxall
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout9 Aug 2027
Nathan Lee knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at WaiBOP United, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market9 Aug 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. WaiBOP United know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market2 Aug 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Boardroom2 Aug 2027
Pressure builds in the WaiBOP United boardroom
The directors have stopped offering the manager public warmth. In football that is usually the stage before the short statement.
Market2 Aug 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Clayton Lockyer and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Deklan Smith was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout2 Aug 2027
Nathan Lee knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Nathan Lee trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Squad2 Aug 2027
He used to be one of the options. He is now one of the men the options are picked around, and the change happened quietly enough that only the dressing room noticed on the day.
The dugout2 Aug 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Tommy Boxall, and the manager let it.
Market2 Aug 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market19 Jul 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what WaiBOP United can pretend not to have heard.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Deklan Smith and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad19 Jul 2027
The medical room confirms 25 days on the sidelines for Alex McCowatt, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market12 Jul 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market12 Jul 2027
The offer from Auckland City for Clayton Lockyer was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Transfer targets12 Jul 2027
The deal with Auckland City is done in every sense but the one that puts him on the pitch. Nothing goes wrong at this stage, except on the occasions when it does.
Squad12 Jul 2027
Words at WaiBOP United training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Deklan Smith is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout12 Jul 2027
Stefan Sutton has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at WaiBOP United will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
The dugout12 Jul 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Stefan De Vries, and the manager let it.
The dugout12 Jul 2027
Deklan Smith knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Deklan Smith trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market12 Jul 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. WaiBOP United know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Match12 Jul 2027
Position 4, 16 points, and a run-in that decides whether next season has Thursday nights in it. Nobody is calling it a race yet, which is what people say during one.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market5 Jul 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad5 Jul 2027
20 days out for Jai McCowatt after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. WaiBOP United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Boardroom5 Jul 2027
Nobody upstairs has said anything, which is the loudest thing they could do. Results buy silence in this game; the account at WaiBOP United is running low.
Squad5 Jul 2027
At 27 the improving is meant to be over. It is not: 3 points better than the mark taken at the start of the year, which is the sort of thing that happens to players who take the boring parts of the job seriously.
Squad5 Jul 2027
Deklan Smith falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout5 Jul 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad5 Jul 2027
Joe Kirwan and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Transfer targets5 Jul 2027
WaiBOP United have made the call to Auckland City. No fee, a share of the wages, and a spare shirt in the position where the squad has been thinnest all season.
Boardroom5 Jul 2027
WaiBOP United sign 6 boys into the academy
None of them will be seen by anybody outside the training ground for three years, most of them will never play a senior match, and one of them might change the club. That is the whole proposition, and it is why academies exist.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad21 Jun 2027
34 days out for Jai McCowatt after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. WaiBOP United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Market21 Jun 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad21 Jun 2027
Deklan Smith is a better footballer than he was
Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 22 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.
Market21 Jun 2027
The bid was some way short and WaiBOP United did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad21 Jun 2027
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Jai Waine and WaiBOP United agree another 2 years.
Squad21 Jun 2027
Bill Barbarouses has improved at 35, which nobody expected
Careers are supposed to plateau and then decline, and the players who ignore that are always the ones who were listening on the training ground. 3 points of it, over months, at an age where the direction normally only goes one way.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad31 May 2027
56 days out for Jai McCowatt after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. WaiBOP United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Squad31 May 2027
Form comes and goes; this has not gone. Francis Boxall is 23, and the version of him training now would not have got into the side he was in a year ago.
Squad31 May 2027
Deklan Smith falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Squad31 May 2027
Jai Just and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
The dugout31 May 2027
news_b_frozen_out_of_the_side
The dugout31 May 2027
The manager makes an example of Joe Kirwan
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad24 May 2027
63 days out for Jai McCowatt after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. WaiBOP United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Squad24 May 2027
At 22 he is doing things this season that he could not do last season, and doing them every week. Form comes and goes; this has stayed long enough to be called something else.
Squad24 May 2027
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Deklan Smith was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad24 May 2027
57 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
The dugout24 May 2027
Deklan Smith asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
The dugout24 May 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Tommy Boxall, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market26 Apr 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad26 Apr 2027
Deklan Smith and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad26 Apr 2027
Bill Barbarouses falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Loan watch26 Apr 2027
“I watch every WaiBOP United game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Melbourne Victory runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
The dugout26 Apr 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout26 Apr 2027
Monty De Vries knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at WaiBOP United, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad19 Apr 2027
The kind of year that ends with a name being read out in a hall. WaiBOP United had the benefit of it every week and now have the problem of everybody else knowing.
Market19 Apr 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad19 Apr 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at WaiBOP United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad19 Apr 2027
Deklan Smith falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Loan watch19 Apr 2027
Sam Just wants to come home
“I did not go to Team Wellington to sit and watch. I want to come back to WaiBOP United and fight for my place.” 10 appearances in 34 matches say the rest.
The dugout19 Apr 2027
Stefan Sutton gets picked when it counts
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Stefan Sutton is on it.
Market19 Apr 2027
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Stefan Sutton’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
Match19 Apr 2027
WaiBOP United have something to play for
Position 4 on 16 points, and the places that carry a European ticket are close enough to count. Seasons like this are decided by two results in April, and the club knows which two.
The dugout19 Apr 2027
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Cameron Tuiloma trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad12 Apr 2027
A fracture rules Alex McCowatt out for 16 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason WaiBOP United will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Squad12 Apr 2027
Deklan Smith and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad12 Apr 2027
Bill Barbarouses falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout12 Apr 2027
The manager makes an example of Francis Boxall
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout12 Apr 2027
Deklan Smith asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market12 Apr 2027
“We keep meeting, and we keep leaving the room with the same numbers we walked in with.” Another round of talks at WaiBOP United, another week without a signature from Jake Barbarouses.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad5 Apr 2027
A fracture rules Alex McCowatt out for 23 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason WaiBOP United will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Market5 Apr 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Clayton Lockyer and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Words at WaiBOP United training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Bill Barbarouses is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
Deklan Smith knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Deklan Smith trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
The dugout5 Apr 2027
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
Loan watch5 Apr 2027
10 appearances away from home and 4 goals to show for them. Every one of them makes next summer's conversation a little more expensive.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Tommy Boxall: “I am not a substitute”
“I have done everything asked of me in training and it has not changed a thing on a Saturday.” The most familiar complaint in football, and one WaiBOP United will have to answer with minutes or with a transfer.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market29 Mar 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad29 Mar 2027
25 days out for Marlon Krishna after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. WaiBOP United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Squad29 Mar 2027
Clayton Lockyer and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad29 Mar 2027
Deklan Smith falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout29 Mar 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Loan watch29 Mar 2027
“I did not go to Melbourne Victory to sit and watch. I want to come back to WaiBOP United and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 6 matches say the rest.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad8 Mar 2027
46 days out for Marlon Krishna after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. WaiBOP United will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Market8 Mar 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad8 Mar 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Deklan Smith and WaiBOP United agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad8 Mar 2027
Clayton Lockyer and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad8 Mar 2027
Deklan Smith falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout8 Mar 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Michael Garbett is on it.
The dugout8 Mar 2027
Monty De Vries knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Monty De Vries trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Loan watch8 Mar 2027
10 appearances away from home and 4 goals to show for them. Every one of them makes next summer's conversation a little more expensive.
The dugout8 Mar 2027
The manager plants his flag on Deklan Smith
“Judge me on him.” Managers do not say that kind of thing by accident — it moves the pressure from Deklan Smith’s shoulders onto his own, and both of them know it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market1 Mar 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad1 Mar 2027
Deklan Smith in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at WaiBOP United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad1 Mar 2027
Words at WaiBOP United training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Bill Barbarouses is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout1 Mar 2027
The manager makes an example of Michael Garbett
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad1 Mar 2027
A year in and the city has not opened up, the language has not come, and lunch is eaten alone more often than anybody at WaiBOP United would admit. It shows on Saturdays.
Squad1 Mar 2027
Noah Lewis is not saying it is over
“Ask me in the summer. I will know before anybody else does.” He is 36 with 3 appearances behind him, and WaiBOP United have to plan for both answers.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market22 Feb 2027
Marco Smith hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what WaiBOP United can pretend not to have heard.
Squad22 Feb 2027
Deklan Smith and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad22 Feb 2027
Bill Barbarouses falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout22 Feb 2027
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
The dugout22 Feb 2027
Deklan Smith knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Deklan Smith trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market22 Feb 2027
Every press conference now starts and ends the same way: with Stefan Sutton’s future. The manager has run out of new ways to say nothing.
From our football correspondent
Steady
The dugout15 Feb 2027
Tommy Boxall: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” WaiBOP United have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad15 Feb 2027
Clayton Lockyer was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad15 Feb 2027
Deklan Smith falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout15 Feb 2027
Clubs make promises constantly and the page usually only hears about them when they are broken. This one was honoured, and the dressing room noticed that faster than any supporter did.
The dugout15 Feb 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout15 Feb 2027
Deklan Smith knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at WaiBOP United, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market8 Feb 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Deklan Smith was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout8 Feb 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Clayton Lockyer, and the manager let it.
Squad8 Feb 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Noah Lewis and WaiBOP United agree another 1 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Jai Singh was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
The dugout8 Feb 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Michael Garbett is on it.
Squad8 Feb 2027
He trains hard, says the right things and goes home to an empty flat. Nobody at WaiBOP United has done anything wrong, which is exactly what makes it so difficult to fix.
Loan watch8 Feb 2027
10 appearances away from home and 4 goals to show for them. Every one of them makes next summer's conversation a little more expensive.
Market8 Feb 2027
WaiBOP United opened the door and nobody walked through it. So Clayton Lockyer stays — listed, trained, and available — while both sides mark the days to January on the same calendar.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market1 Feb 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
The dugout1 Feb 2027
Clayton Lockyer: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” WaiBOP United have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market1 Feb 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Boardroom1 Feb 2027
WaiBOP United close the window on a squad of their own making
0 in and 3 out, and no more changes for months. The manager has what he has, the supporters have their opinion of it, and the table will have the last word.
Market1 Feb 2027
Noah Kirwan has left for Team Wellington in a $37.0K deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.
Transfer targets1 Feb 2027
WaiBOP United asked and Auckland City said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Jai Waine was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout1 Feb 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Bill Barbarouses, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad11 Jan 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 15 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
Market11 Jan 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Player ratings11 Jan 2027
Two goals and a mark of 8.99 to go with them. Strikers are judged on afternoons like this one and remembered for far fewer of them than people imagine.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Deklan Smith was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match9 Jan 2027
Southern United left with the points after a 2‑3 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Words at WaiBOP United training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Bill Barbarouses is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout11 Jan 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Deklan Smith, and the manager let it.
Looking ahead11 Jan 2027
Top-of-the-table clash for WaiBOP United
Team Wellington next, and the two sides the division is watching meet each other. Whoever wins will be told nothing is decided in the same breath as being congratulated.
Player ratings11 Jan 2027
Successful dribbles: 18. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market4 Jan 2027
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad4 Jan 2027
There are footballers who have a good season and footballers a season is remembered for, and the second kind get their names read out in a hall in the summer. WaiBOP United will be quietly delighted and privately nervous.
Market4 Jan 2027
The offer from Team Wellington for Michael Garbett was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Transfer targets4 Jan 2027
Everything agreed with Auckland City, everything agreed with the player; a doctor is the only person left to persuade. The photograph is a day or two away.
Squad4 Jan 2027
Clayton Lockyer and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad4 Jan 2027
Deklan Smith falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market4 Jan 2027
“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Bill Barbarouses has his answer from WaiBOP United; what he does with it is the next window’s story.
Squad4 Jan 2027
Marco Smith slips down the pecking order
The demotion a club never announces and a dressing room always notices. Marco Smith is further from the side than he was, and the reason will not be given until he asks.
The dugout4 Jan 2027
Deklan Smith knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Deklan Smith trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match26 Dec 2026
0‑3 to Auckland City, and it was every bit as bad as the number suggests. There are defeats you argue about and defeats you apologise for; this was the second kind.
Squad28 Dec 2026
A one-man rearguard from Deklan Smith
There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad28 Dec 2026
Deklan Smith and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad28 Dec 2026
Bill Barbarouses falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout28 Dec 2026
Deklan Smith gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom28 Dec 2026
Nobody left the WaiBOP United dressing room in a hurry
The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.
The dugout28 Dec 2026
“I could talk about decisions and I could talk about luck. I will not. We lost.” The manager, 0‑3, and a press conference that lasted four minutes.
The dugout28 Dec 2026
Noah Lewis left out for the big one
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Noah Lewis will call it something else in private.
The dugout28 Dec 2026
Stefan Sutton gets picked when it counts
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Stefan Sutton is on it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match5 Dec 2026
3‑0, and the margin flattered nobody — it could have carried another goal or two without complaint. Afternoons like this are why people keep coming.
Squad7 Dec 2026
The match ball belongs to Stefan Sutton, whose 3 goals turned a difficult afternoon into a procession.
Player ratings7 Dec 2026
Marked 10.00 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Words at WaiBOP United training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Deklan Smith is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The terraces7 Dec 2026
At 16 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.
Match7 Dec 2026
Halfway: WaiBOP United sit in position 3
13 points at the turn. The first half of a season is a promise; the second is a bill, and the town is about to find out which of the two this one was.
The dugout7 Dec 2026
The manager makes an example of Noah Lewis
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings7 Dec 2026
Successful dribbles: 15. There was always a defender in front of him and there was never a defender in front of him for long.
Squad7 Dec 2026
A place in the month's best eleven for Deklan Smith
Four or five weekends of consistency, judged against everybody in the division doing his job. Deklan Smith has come out of that comparison in the side, and WaiBOP United have had the benefit of every one of those afternoons.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match28 Nov 2026
Beaten 1‑4 by Team Wellington, and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.
Market30 Nov 2026
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 6 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Deklan Smith and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad30 Nov 2026
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Tommy Boxall and WaiBOP United agree another 3 years.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Bill Barbarouses was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout30 Nov 2026
Dane Smith gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom30 Nov 2026
The music was off and the showers ran late. What was said in that dressing room stays there, but Saturday will publish the minutes.
The dugout30 Nov 2026
“The supporters are entitled to be angry. So am I. We will put it right.” 1‑4, a manager saying the necessary things, and a dressing room that heard a different version of them.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad9 Nov 2026
Deklan Smith in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at WaiBOP United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad9 Nov 2026
Bill Barbarouses falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Match7 Nov 2026
0‑2 to Auckland City, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad9 Nov 2026
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Sam Van Hattum commits to WaiBOP United for another 3 years.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
“I could talk about decisions and I could talk about luck. I will not. We lost.” The manager, 0‑2, and a press conference that lasted four minutes.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
Somebody else is better right now than Tommy Boxall
The team sheet says it in public every week until it changes. The only version of being dropped a footballer cannot argue with, and the one he takes hardest.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
Deklan Smith knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at WaiBOP United, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The dugout9 Nov 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Sam Van Hattum, and the manager let it.
Squad9 Nov 2026
A first senior shirt for Deklan Lewis
Every debut is a small story about the future: Deklan Lewis, 19 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad2 Nov 2026
Jai Just signs a new deal
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Jai Just commits to WaiBOP United for another 3 years.
Squad2 Nov 2026
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Deklan Smith was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Player ratings2 Nov 2026
Marked 9.01 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings2 Nov 2026
One of those days for Nathan Lee
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.63, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
The dugout2 Nov 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Deklan Smith, and the manager let it.
Match31 Oct 2026
Level with 94 minutes on the clock, after an afternoon WaiBOP United had all but put away. Waitakere United will call it a point earned; the home dressing room will call it two given away, and both of them are right.
Squad2 Nov 2026
Player of the month: Nathan Lee
Four weeks in which nobody in the division did his job better. The award goes on a shelf and the player goes back into the side, which is the order WaiBOP United prefer.
Match31 Oct 2026
It finished 2‑2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Squad2 Nov 2026
Deklan Smith makes the team of the month
Four or five weekends of consistency, measured against everybody else in the division. A quieter compliment than an award and a more reliable one.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market12 Oct 2026
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Form comes and goes; this has not gone. Jai Just is 21, and the version of him training now would not have got into the side he was in a year ago.
Squad12 Oct 2026
A late step up for Jai Waine
At 29 the improving is meant to be over. It is not: 4 points better than the mark taken at the start of the year, which is the sort of thing that happens to players who take the boring parts of the job seriously.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Clayton Lockyer and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Deklan Smith was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout12 Oct 2026
Francis Boxall asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market5 Oct 2026
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad5 Oct 2026
Form comes and goes; this has not gone. Deklan Smith is 21, and the version of him training now would not have got into the side he was in a year ago.
Squad5 Oct 2026
Deklan Smith and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad5 Oct 2026
At 34 the improving is meant to be over. It is not: 3 points better than the mark taken at the start of the year, which is the sort of thing that happens to players who take the boring parts of the job seriously.
Squad5 Oct 2026
Bill Barbarouses falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
Market5 Oct 2026
“We keep meeting, and we keep leaving the room with the same numbers we walked in with.” Another round of talks at WaiBOP United, another week without a signature from Noah Lewis.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market28 Sep 2026
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Form comes and goes; this has not gone. Deklan Lewis is 18, and the version of him training now would not have got into the side he was in a year ago.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Deklan Smith and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad28 Sep 2026
At 30 the improving is meant to be over, and it is not: 3 points better than a year ago. It happens to the ones who take the boring parts seriously.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Words at WaiBOP United training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Jai Waine is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
Loan watch28 Sep 2026
“I watch every WaiBOP United game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Team Wellington runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market21 Sep 2026
Noah Kirwan hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what WaiBOP United can pretend not to have heard.
Squad21 Sep 2026
At 16 he is doing things this season that he could not do last season, and doing them every week. Form comes and goes; this has stayed long enough to be called something else.
Squad21 Sep 2026
Noah Kirwan in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at WaiBOP United this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market14 Sep 2026
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad14 Sep 2026
Form comes and goes; this has not gone. Jai Just is 21, and the version of him training now would not have got into the side he was in a year ago.
Squad14 Sep 2026
Late improvement for Jai Waine
At 29 the improving is meant to be over, and it is not: 3 points better than a year ago. It happens to the ones who take the boring parts seriously.
Squad14 Sep 2026
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Deklan Smith was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout14 Sep 2026
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at WaiBOP United, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market14 Sep 2026
The window shut and Deklan Smith is still in the building
WaiBOP United spent a month trying to move him and nobody rang back. He trains with a squad that has told him where he stands, and both sides start counting down to the next one.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market7 Sep 2026
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at WaiBOP United, and it is not being withdrawn.
Boardroom7 Sep 2026
Window shuts: 6 in, 2 out at WaiBOP United
The deadline has passed and the squad is the squad. 6 arrived, 2 left, and everything else printed about this club last month was a rumour that stayed one.
Transfer targets7 Sep 2026
Hawke's Bay United wanted more than $1.0K and the board would not go there. Walked away, for now, which in a transfer window means until somebody blinks.
Transfer targets7 Sep 2026
The approach was made and the answer came back in a sentence. There is no number on the table because there was no number that would have been enough.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Bill Barbarouses was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout7 Sep 2026
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Bill Barbarouses trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Cameron Waine slips down the pecking order
The demotion a club never announces and a dressing room always notices. Cameron Waine is further from the side than he was, and the reason will not be given until he asks.
The dugout7 Sep 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Is this Noah Lewis’s last season?
“I will know when it is time. I am not there yet.” Noah Lewis is 35, with 0 appearances behind him, and WaiBOP United will have to plan for whichever answer comes.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market3 Aug 2026
Deklan Smith hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what WaiBOP United can pretend not to have heard.
Squad3 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Bill Barbarouses and WaiBOP United agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Noah Kirwan and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Market3 Aug 2026
Add another name to the list: Southern United have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Sam Just. The answer from WaiBOP United has not changed — yet.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Deklan Smith was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Transfer targets3 Aug 2026
A loan enquiry to Perth Glory: cover, or a look at somebody the club cannot afford to buy yet. Either way the answer will come back inside the week.