The Northern Express Herald

Pack the park: Coach Bill Robertson’s special message as Napier City Rovers chase National League glory

Bill Robertson

Napier City Rovers coach Bill Robertson played more than 150 league games for the side and has been head coach for the past 11 seasons. He was player-coach of the team that won the 2019 Chatham Cup.

OPINION

Sunday sees Bluewater Stadium host its biggest match for several seasons as Napier City Rovers take on Auckland City.

We’re currently top of the table in the National League with two games to go and a win over Oceania’s regular representatives at Fifa’s Club World Cup would be a big step towards hopefully securing a spot in the National League final.

Bluewater Stadium is one of the best – if not the best – football venues in the country. And when it’s full, with a vocal crowd, it’s a ground with a great atmosphere.

We’ve noticed big crowds this season and we’d love nothing more than another massive crowd to get behind us and make some noise for our players.

Sunday at 1pm is a massive game for us.

It’s an incredible achievement for this football club to qualify for the National League, let alone be in the position we currently are.

We’re sitting at the top of the table, above the most elite clubs in New Zealand.

Bill Robertson is proud to coach Napier City Rovers and also proud of how his team have represented the club and the Hawke's Bay region in 2024. Photo / Neil Reid

Auckland City have been the benchmark in New Zealand for a long time.

They have huge resources at their disposal.

Napier City Rovers have a proud history too, but we are competing with significantly less.

We try not to use that as an excuse. We try to use it as a motivation; we’re the underdogs in all of this and we’ve kept winning games and put ourselves into the great position we find ourselves in.

We’ve been at it for almost 10 months now; training three nights a week since the 1st week in February and with a lot of travel to Wellington via minibuses every second weekend during the Central League.

We face some huge challenges off the pitch. And the commitment and energy shown by our players – who all work fulltime – is really significant.

Napier City Rovers assistant coach Shane McKenzie (left) and head coach Bill Robertson during the side's first training session on February 6. Photo / Neil Reid

We’ve won four National League titles before, and we have five Chatham Cup wins.

There were a few new players who joined us this year, and we spoke about our club’s legacy during the pre-season campaign.

Every time we’ve taken the field, we have set out to give a good account of ourselves, the club and the Hawke’s Bay region.

On Sunday, we’re opening the gates up for free to adults who bring a new unwrapped toy as part of a toy drive we are doing for Ronald McDonald House Wellington.

Napier City Rovers during a tactical session during the build-up to last weekend's Coastal Spirit match. Photo / Neil Reid

It is a cause that is special to many of our hearts.

One of our players, Fergus Neil, a long-time servant of the club, and his wife Julia were supported by Ronald McDonald House when their baby was born prematurely last year.

On Sunday, it’s a great opportunity for us to support a charity that helps so many Kiwi families.

Where we are placed now – and seeing the growing numbers of young fans coming to our games all year – hits home how important it is for this region that we continue to provide National League football and be an inspiration for young local players.

If we don’t qualify, then Hawke’s Bay will miss out on top-flight football and the region will lose a key pathway to elite football.