June 26, 2012

A freshly-inked memorandum of understanding signed by NZF, ASSFA, Auckland Football Federation (AFF) and Northern Football Federation (NFF) will see AFF and NFF supply match officials for secondary school games played under the auspices of ASSFA and College Sport Auckland. The agreement will also see Auckland secondary schools football disciplinary procures adhere to New Zealand Football’s regulations, guidelines and code of conduct.

New Zealand Football is responsible for all FIFA-sanctioned football in New Zealand, but secondary schools football has been run outside that process by the New Zealand Secondary Schools Football Association.

McKavanagh said the signing of the agreement bode well for wider cooperation and integration of schools football.

“Football is incredibly strong at the secondary school level and still growing so it makes sense that children playing for their school enjoy the same level of quality and consistency available at other levels of the game,” McKavanagh said.

“We hope the agreement with ASSFA can be emulated in other areas of the country and spark wider cooperation.

“The Whole of Football plan has seen some great success with the Football in Schools programme integrated into primary school physical education curriculum and the work being done on the Quality Club Mark will help strengthen links between senior clubs and secondary schools.”

ASSFA chairman Dave Bagwell said his organisation was “delighted at this significant step.”

“This is a vital and necessary step in maintaining the goodwill between the ASSFA and referees. The ASSFA is extremely grateful for the level of professionalism that fully qualified referee appointments have bought to secondary schools football in Auckland. For this high level service, there clearly needs to be a level of support that this agreement now provides.”