They are hell bent on getting the Black Knights name used though aren’t they? Foley mentioned it a couple of times in the presser. I don’t think the fans will get behind the name at all but Foley will keep throwing money at it to gain traction. Still an element of naïveté with them and football though. The presser also raves on about the football heritage (or similar) of the name…. Really? This is not a new code in this country, we have followed FC clubs forever as did our fathers and grandfathers they are not dealing with a new football market here
If they get beaten as badly as the last 09 team, they'll be the "Black and Blue Knights"
Wellington Phoenix petition to have Auckland included in ‘Greater Wellington’
The Wellington Phoenix are calling for the New Zealand Government to move the Wellington border more than 700 kilometres up State Highway 1 to ensure the club’s fans are looked after.
It took me a while to figure out what it was, and it may just be the lighting, but is the blue on the playing strip not the same blue used in the logo? Either I'm going crazy and i'm just looking too hard, or it is the lighting in the room, or hell maybe I'm right? 🤔😂
I'm pretty sure it's the lighting though.
Logo blue will be different - i assume the thread (I think it’s embroidered) will be as close as they could get to the brand colour. But it will probably look different in different light too cos of material/texture.
It took me a while to figure out what it was, and it may just be the lighting, but is the blue on the playing strip not the same blue used in the logo? Either I'm going crazy and i'm just looking too hard, or it is the lighting in the room, or hell maybe I'm right? 🤔😂
I'm pretty sure it's the lighting though.
Logo blue will be different - i assume the thread (I think it’s embroidered) will be as close as they could get to the brand colour. But it will probably look different in different light too cos of material/texture.
with a dark kit, it forces the Phoenix to wear their light strip away to Auckland meaning an game for the Nix to wear their own dark strip at home to keep their sponsors happy
Can’t stand that Mowbray woman. She seems to be exactly everything Bill ain’t.
She did a puff piece of PR about the terrible conditions they had to live in in their factory office- no air conditioning in summer, mosquitoes, squat toilet…Where we lived,” she says, “you would not live there.
Except for all their Chinese staff obviously. Unmentioned. And when they got rich they put in air con for all their workers? Who cares I’m rich was the basic thrust of the article.
And Nick Mowbray the brother seems to enjoy trolling online and has spent untold spiteful time trying to find out who said bad things about his company on Glassdoor.
When David Farrier was pointing out the obsessive hate for an overachieving refugee Golriz Gharaman after (and before ) her fall from grace, Nick decided to drop by to tell him he was seriously delusional.
These are not good people. They’re the worst of people with money. Something something helicopter something luxury boat me me me.
Can’t stand that Mowbray woman. She seems to be exactly everything Bill ain’t.
She did a puff piece of PR about the terrible conditions they had to live in in their factory office- no air conditioning in summer, mosquitoes, squat toilet…Where we lived,” she says, “you would not live there.
Except for all their Chinese staff obviously. Unmentioned. And when they got rich they put in air con for all their workers? Who cares I’m rich was the basic thrust of the article.
And Nick Mowbray the brother seems to enjoy trolling online and has spent untold spiteful time trying to find out who said bad things about his company on Glassdoor.
When David Farrier was pointing out the obsessive hate for an overachieving refugee Golriz Gharaman after (and before ) her fall from grace, Nick decided to drop by to tell him he was seriously delusional.
These are not good people. They’re the worst of people with money. Something something helicopter something luxury boat me me me.
Ive had dealings with both of them through my work. They are awful awful people.
Looks like The Chamberlain pub on Quay St (owner B Foley) will be Auckland downtown fanHQ if the presentation is anything to go by.
Fudge me, Foley owns that joint? I head there most weeks after work. Absolutely class if so, few beers with the colleagues before a train to Penrose for the Friday night games
Looks like The Chamberlain pub on Quay St (owner B Foley) will be Auckland downtown fanHQ if the presentation is anything to go by.
Fudge me, Foley owns that joint? I head there most weeks after work. Absolutely class if so, few beers with the colleagues before a train to Penrose for the Friday night games
I had a nice pub crawl starting at Britomart and going along the Western Line and ending up with Laksa at the station in Glen Eden just as the sun was setting on the Waitakeres. It was mint.
Can’t wait to do a different version of it when Mt Eden is open again.
Wellington Phoenix petition to have Auckland included in ‘Greater Wellington’
The Wellington Phoenix are calling for the New Zealand Government to move the Wellington border more than 700 kilometres up State Highway 1 to ensure the club’s fans are looked after.
... how do the good folk of Napier, New Plymouth, Tauranga feel about being overlooked for Gisborne, Stratford, Whakatane for mentioning on that map
For anyone who maybe can't view this without a Twitter account. Well done Domey. The banter starts already. Foley was at pains to mention Northland in his earlier statements (where I presume he has some assets).
Though not sure it should be Foley billions plural? Or is he a multi?
Wellington Phoenix petition to have Auckland included in ‘Greater Wellington’
The Wellington Phoenix are calling for the New Zealand Government to move the Wellington border more than 700 kilometres up State Highway 1 to ensure the club’s fans are looked after.
This change would see the boundary of Greater Wellington include the majority of the North Island, extending the new Wellington Super City to just north of Whangārei.
“It’s fair to say Auckland doesn’t have a great track record in professional football, unlike Wellington,” Phoenix general manager David Dome said.
“The Phoenix are unbeatable at Eden Park and it doesn’t make sense Saturday’s match will be our last home game at the venue.
“We have thousands of fans in Auckland and they don’t want to have to support the new expansion franchise.
“Bringing Tāmaki Makaurau into the Wellington Super City will ensure our loyal supporters can continue to cheer on the Nix.”
The Phoenix have proposed a new base for the new expansion team.
“We’ve made the difficult decision to give up the Far North in the spirit of good sportsmanship,” Dome said.
“The Kerikeri Sports Complex is a great ready-made option for the new franchise and the region would no doubt benefit from Bill Foley’s billions.
“And when the border is moved our fans in the Far North would only have to make a short trip down State Highway 1 to be in Wellington and support the Phoenix.”
With a name, badge and kit confirmed, Auckland’s next big announcements will be signings for its inaugural men’s squad, nine of which have been made so far.
Becker and Corica are yet to confirm any names publicly, though plenty have been bandied around in recent weeks.
Five signings were highlighted by Stuff last month - All Whites Francis de Vries, Cam Howieson and Michael Woud and age-group internationals Jesse Randall and Luis Toomey.
Two more All Whites - Joey Champness and Callan Elliot - are also believed to be on board, as well as Australian Jake Brimmer and Australian-Fijian defender Dan Hall, who both play for existing A-Leagues clubs.
With a name, badge and kit confirmed, Auckland’s next big announcements will be signings for its inaugural men’s squad, nine of which have been made so far.
Becker and Corica are yet to confirm any names publicly, though plenty have been bandied around in recent weeks.
Five signings were highlighted by Stuff last month - All Whites Francis de Vries, Cam Howieson and Michael Woud and age-group internationals Jesse Randall and Luis Toomey.
Two more All Whites - Joey Champness and Callan Elliot - are also believed to be on board, as well as Australian Jake Brimmer and Australian-Fijian defender Dan Hall, who both play for existing A-Leagues clubs.
IMG_6420.jpeg457.29 KBAdd an import CB, import ST, import CM for Toomey, and two import wingers and you’re cooking with gas.
Could argue that Champness is better than Howieson and that it should be two import CMs as well, suppose it depends what other locals they bring in (eg Rojas)
Can’t stand that Mowbray woman. She seems to be exactly everything Bill ain’t.
She did a puff piece of PR about the terrible conditions they had to live in in their factory office- no air conditioning in summer, mosquitoes, squat toilet…Where we lived,” she says, “you would not live there.
Except for all their Chinese staff obviously. Unmentioned. And when they got rich they put in air con for all their workers? Who cares I’m rich was the basic thrust of the article.
And Nick Mowbray the brother seems to enjoy trolling online and has spent untold spiteful time trying to find out who said bad things about his company on Glassdoor.
When David Farrier was pointing out the obsessive hate for an overachieving refugee Golriz Gharaman after (and before ) her fall from grace, Nick decided to drop by to tell him he was seriously delusional.
These are not good people. They’re the worst of people with money. Something something helicopter something luxury boat me me me.
Ive had dealings with both of them through my work. They are awful awful people.
Karma will get them in the end. That karma could be a Knights MK2 situation, if Foley pulls out down the road or karks it.
I thought the guys from ACFC might have been involved given their NZ football scene experience and constantly delivering winning teams in domestic and continental football.
with a dark kit, it forces the Phoenix to wear their light strip away to Auckland meaning an game for the Nix to wear their own dark strip at home to keep their sponsors happy
Wonder if the commercial agreements at the Nix changes, the games in Auckland was also at the Nix's sponsors behest.
None of the 9 (all but) confirmed signings excite me that much to be honest. Brimmer is a decent A-League player. The rumoured signing of Maclaren would have been huge 12 months ago, much less exciting now after the season he's been having.
I hope they pull some huge names out of that hat at some point. Would help football in NZ a lot, generate a lot of media attention that the Nix and NZF could also feed off.
None of the 9 (all but) confirmed signings excite me that much to be honest. Brimmer is a decent A-League player. The rumoured of signing of Maclaren would have been huge 12 months ago, much less exciting now after the season he's been having.
I hope they pull some huge names out of that hat at some point. Would help football in NZ a lot, generate a lot of media attention that the Nix and NZF could also feed off.
Mate, compared to any group of signings the Nix have managed over the years, it's an absolutely unbelievable group.
A 25 year old Johnny Warren winner coming off injury and the 29-year-old A-League record goalscorer, whose "down year" is 8 goals and 2 assists while in a system not designed for him at all? Both Aussies to boot, who we've historically had a nightmare attracting to NZ. Add to that the handful of All Whites, the cream of the crop of U23 National League talent in Randall and Toomey, and you really couldn't ask for more
Maybe underselling Brimmer & Maclaren a bit due to recency bias. But not that excited about any of the Kiwis. Elliot & Champness are exciting but inconsistent and the rest are completely unproven at A-League level.
Edit: Elliot for example, I thought the sky was the limit for him in Talay's first season, but then he spent a whole year (or more? Can't remember) not playing in Greece and then took a while to get back to his best with the Nix (though I still think he was better in Talay's first season), now has taken another whole year off. Might have greatly reduced his potential ceiling with the amount of playing time he has missed out in the crucial early years of his career. And we all know Champness' story. I think it is safe to say he'll never be the player he could have been had he been 100% focused on football.
Headlined the sports news but unfortunately ambushed by Ali Williams and his wife.
Just wish he had stayed in France - oh on second thoughts he had an incident there and probably was not allowed
Hey I mean at least Nix fans have a good reason to start a rivalry with the new team. Just fill the Auckland team with all these scummy leeches and it makes them easy to dislike
with a dark kit, it forces the Phoenix to wear their light strip away to Auckland meaning an game for the Nix to wear their own dark strip at home to keep their sponsors happy
It really is astonishing that nz has two clubs now. Thankfully the bad old days are long gone…of trolling other a-league fan forums and pretending to be an Aussie football fan supporting the nix’s a-league presence ^^
with a dark kit, it forces the Phoenix to wear their light strip away to Auckland meaning an game for the Nix to wear their own dark strip at home to keep their sponsors happy
None of the 9 (all but) confirmed signings excite me that much to be honest. Brimmer is a decent A-League player. The rumoured of signing of Maclaren would have been huge 12 months ago, much less exciting now after the season he's been having.
I hope they pull some huge names out of that hat at some point. Would help football in NZ a lot, generate a lot of media attention that the Nix and NZF could also feed off.
Mate, compared to any group of signings the Nix have managed over the years, it's an absolutely unbelievable group.
A 25 year old Johnny Warren winner coming off injury and the 29-year-old A-League record goalscorer, whose "down year" is 8 goals and 2 assists while in a system not designed for him at all? Both Aussies to boot, who we've historically had a nightmare attracting to NZ. Add to that the handful of All Whites, the cream of the crop of U23 National League talent in Randall and Toomey, and you really couldn't ask for more
Exactly. I mean who else are Auckland supposed to sign? Auckland haven't got an Academy yet. 7 out of the rumoured 9 so far are Kiwis. That's a big positive. NZ has currently what max of 40-50 male pro footballers good enough for the ALM or higher level? By the end of Piney's top 50 you are usually getting down to Myer Bevan, Moses Dyer, Elliott Collier etc.
Most of the current AWs up north want to stay there. That's a good thing for now. So done pretty well if those rumoured 7 are true. Brimmer & Maclaren are top drawer Aussie players. Certainly better than 95% of the Aussies the Nix have ever signed.
And likely the biggest difference will be in the quality of the visa signings Auckland make. Marquees & designated players outside the salary cap. No guarantee but expect some names bigger than Zawada, Ball, Kraev, Wootton & Salas.
