SMITH ADMITS TO FRIENDLY INTEREST

Smith (left) and Levein opted against trip Down Under.

Gordon Smith has admitted the Scottish Football Association did consider a Scotland friendly in New Zealand in May.

But he maintains there were never any direct discussions with the country's football federation on the issue.

Chief executive Smith this week demanded an explanation from New Zealand Football after they claimed the SFA had approached them to play a pre-World Cup friendly.

NZF chief executive Michael Glading accused the SFA of asking for around £250,000 to fly out to Wellington for a match against the All Whites.

He also said the Scots remained potential opponents in May on neutral territory in Austria ahead of this summer's World Cup in South Africa.

Those comments irked Smith, who has nevertheless confirmed a match against New Zealand might have happened had new Scotland boss Craig Levein not vetoed it.

"We had looked to see about maybe having a friendly in Australia," Smith said.

"If that was the case then there was a possibility we'd have taken a double-header while the players were in that part of the world.

"New Zealand was considered; we never had any discussions with them whatsoever.

"There's a certain delay that you have to have at the end of the season before you can play an international match because it's World Cup year.

"That's fine if your players are staying together and in order to play in the World Cup.

"But if you're not, your players are leaving it quite long after the season's finished.

"So Craig felt it was better we don't have a May friendly."

Smith is still waiting for an explanation for Glading's comments.

"We haven't heard anything more from New Zealand," he said.

"We were quite surprised by the comments because we never had any discussions with them at all. We put our side of it out there.

"So at this moment in time, I'd be quite interested to know what New Zealand's reaction is to our comments."

The SFA chief revealed he had begun "elementary discussions" with one or two national associations over a Scotland friendly in August.

Smith was speaking in Glasgow at a Street Soccer tournament, which aims to help disadvantaged groups to positively change their lives through sport.

He said: "Some of them have turned to crime, some of them have just turned to a bad lifestyle, some of them are homeless.

"They can enjoy the comradeship and friendship and companionship with other people.

"Also, it maybe puts them in a better physical condition as well so they can refocus their lives and hopefully improve their lives."