Foreign investment in sport is now being examined by government integrity agenciesSport Minister Richard Colbeck says the human rights records of investors and their associates is a concernThe A-League is now owned by the professional clubs, five of which are controlled by foreign entities
Sport Minister Richard Colbeck has flagged the work may ultimately lead to a formal public inquiry, as the government examines integrity risks and human rights records of investors.
A recent Four Corners investigation into the A-League showed that five of the 12 A-League men's clubs are foreign-owned or controlled and these links are a focus of the work, but Senator Colbeck has flagged an inquiry could cover all sport in Australia.
AU, City, and Roar were called out as owned by potentially dodgy foreigners. CCM are owned by Charlesworth, who's British and based in London. Nix are owned by Kiwis. Sydney are owned by Russians (as stated above)
maybe Nix being owned by local owners doesn't count as foreign ownership.
It’s an enquiry into Australian sports ownership.
If Nix are owned by some dodgy Saudis or whoever that’s a problem for NZ, not something the Aussies should waste their cash on looking at. All moot with Welnix in charge anyhow.
Auckland has had several chances already, and it will probably get another chance at some point in the future - based on the fact it's our most populous city, full of big business, and holds a lot of our countries wealth/well heeled individuals.
But I don't see another way that doesn't end up going pear shaped. Aucklanders are fickle beasts and only turn up in the good times. I mean, just look at Auckland Rugby... 👀
And then there's the geography of the city: QBE - North Eden Park - Central Mount Smart - South Trusts Arena - West Unless they're based around Eden Park then you're alienating most of the other parts of Auckland. Personally I hate Eden Park as anything other than the rugby ground it is. You're not going to sell it out for a football club, and then if/when times get tough, playing in front of 5-10k fans in a 50k capacity stadium, well, it just looks silly, and then factor in the financial loss. Everything just starts snowballing from there.
Could you make something work at Kiwitea? Possibly, but even then that would need a substantial upgrade. Auckland United - fantastic clubrooms, but it's no stadium. So then you go North/South or West, but then run the risk of alienating opposite sides of the city. These are just the geographical factors of the city for why a club would struggle to get off the ground. Because it's a nightmare in general.
Any prospective owners/consortiums would have to have extremely deep pockets and look over the long term to build a club in that city. Even then it would just be very hard work for any involved.
Here's an out there thought - Why not look out of the confines of Auckland? Go Christchurch Waikato/Hamilton for instance. Auckland does many things well, and has many things going in it's favour, but unfortunately it has a poor track record in maintaining professional football clubs.
Just my thoughts of course. Would love another opinion on this. Someone from Auckland perhaps?
Auckland has had several chances already, and it will probably get another chance at some point in the future - based on the fact it's our most populous city, full of big business, and holds a lot of our countries wealth/well heeled individuals.
But I don't see another way that doesn't end up going pear shaped. Aucklanders are fickle beasts and only turn up in the good times. I mean, just look at Auckland Rugby... 👀
And then there's the geography of the city: QBE - North Eden Park - Central Mount Smart - South Trusts Arena - West Unless they're based around Eden Park then you're alienating most of the other parts of Auckland. Personally I hate Eden Park as anything other than the rugby ground it is. You're not going to sell it out for a football club, and then if/when times get tough, playing in front of 5-10k fans in a 50k capacity stadium, well, it just looks silly, and then factor in the financial loss. Everything just starts snowballing from there.
Could you make something work at Kiwitea? Possibly, but even then that would need a substantial upgrade. Auckland United - fantastic clubrooms, but it's no stadium. So then you go North/South or West, but then run the risk of alienating opposite sides of the city. These are just the geographical factors of the city for why a club would struggle to get off the ground. Because it's a nightmare in general.
Any prospective owners/consortiums would have to have extremely deep pockets and look over the long term to build a club in that city. Even then it would just be very hard work for any involved.
Here's an out there thought - Why not look out of the confines of Auckland? Go Christchurch Waikato/Hamilton for instance. Auckland does many things well, and has many things going in it's favour, but unfortunately it has a poor track record in maintaining professional football clubs.
Just my thoughts of course. Would love another opinion on this. Someone from Auckland perhaps?
I'm not an Aucklander, but have had two 6 month stints living there last 3 years, visited plenty of times prior, and walked the 6 blocks to Eden Park, from my uncle's Mt Eden abode often. Love going to EP, and strolling around Sandringham pre match. Good energy going on.
YH to suggest that an A League team would consider basing itself anywhere but EP is sorry lunancy. Have you been there often? Surely the good to great crowds Nix have got an EP last few times, just puts any agrument to bed. If you are driving up there from New Plymouth or wherever, navigating through shark traffic, struggling to find a park nearby, and then just driving back to your home province, you will have a different experience to an Auckland local.
Western United may well have a good long term future, based in a Tarneit/Western Melbourne heartland, and achieve okay crowds. But at the moment their large Geelong AFL oval stadium is just all wrong, and the crowds a joke. A sure sign you have your stadium central to your popn base.
EP is central to the big sprawling city, has good public transport, a very close fun entertainment precinct (ask Dolaras by sounds of it), and the viewing experience there I personally find is good for football/rugby. Closer to action for me than the ROF, with more natural sideline feel. Complaints about EP are it's fit for purpose as cricket ground, whilst with the ROF/Cake Tin it's the bemoaning of why did they build it as an oval for 2 Black Caps cricket games a year.
If A League regular games were in range 8-15K you just open the ASB Stand, shutting off most of the stadium. That still seems to produce an okay crowd atmosphere, and looks alright on the telly. For the big games - Nix derby, alot of the novelty first season, any home finals you open up the whole joint.
Eden Park CEO is aggressively chasing events, and apparently offering favourable lease terms. Getting 4 summer music events approved despite the ex PM's objections a big win for them. I'm sure they would love to house an A League team. Plenty of space in the summer with NZ Cricket completely bypassing NZ's biggest city now. Though you might get the odd clash with one of those music events. Then you go to Mt Smart as no 2 option. Plus 1-2 times per season head to the Tron or Tauranga Domain for a New Years game maybe. Albany you avoid like the plague. Souless, distant wasteland of a joint.
Are Blues rugby fans, any more fickle than Canes fans? Don't really think so. But pre Covid Super Rugby crowds nationwide had been on a downhill slide. I reckon you would get very good first season crowds (12-25K range) for an Auckland A League side. Novelty value of some summer night sport entertainment, for a city that just continues to become more muticultural each year, many of those increasing immigrants being football fans. That's presuming the league stays mostly a summer comp.
Then you just need 1-2 marquee signings (1 maybe of Asian background), some smart marketing, engaging with local football clubs (esp the kids), a YF replica supporter group, better drummers, and yes winning as much as losing.
But the biggest obstacle to any of this happening, is someone to throw crazy cash at it all. Phoenix Football Club are so lucky to have a group of proud Wellingtonians in Welnix as their ownership group. So lucky.
But has been no one mentioned in Auckland in recent times, silly enough to do similar in the City of Cars. Warriors at last seem to have a sound true Auckland owners, who are also die hard league fans.
I once emailed Owen Glenn's office, asking if he would consider starting up an Auckland A League side. Did actually get a reply. Along lines of 'Mr Glenn, after his bad experience with NZ Warriors is unfortunately not interested........."! Though think he stills sponsors NZ Hockey heavily??
Isn't the Chairman of the Auckland United joint venture, an IT guru worth $40M plus or something?? Giltrap Motors (Auckland City) also bandied around once as maybe having the cash?? Pity Slava Meyn seems only interested in football in ChCh. Just think Garden City is too small, and too much of a rugby town to support an A League team. This from someone who lived in Canty til age 14. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/113678115/christchurch-united-eye-aleague-as-ultimate-goal
But without that deep pocketed, thick skinned ownership group with at least 1 football tragic likely onboard, hard to see Auckland making the bid line any time soon. If there was any group close to being interested, there would be rumours, and there have been none. Just seems sadly still in the too hard basket for NZ's biggest city. Rich (white) Aucklanders prefer to throw their money at yacht racing maybe.
When Western and Macarthur got chosen, there were 15 serious bids from all of Australia. Plenty of rich deep pocketed mining, real estate, shopping centre magnates all through Aussie. Much bigger, flashier economy than NZ. You also have a culture of State Govts and Councils not being afraid to throw tax/rate payers cash at type 'investments, esp if they also plan to build a nice new stadium and want a tenant.
Ipswich City were very very disappointed/bitter to be over looked for the new recently announced NRL expansion side. They plan to build a new stadium along Ipswich River. The Gong football community obviously want a team. Gold Coast will always be in the frame. Took them about 3 failures over 20 odd years, to finally have a somewhat stable NRL team there. Sunshine Coast Council I know are upgrading their stadium heading towards the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. South Melbourne would probably go okay, and they have a ready stadium at Albert Park. Will APL be as fixated on 'derbies', like Gallop was re expansion options? Will any new teams have to pay that ridiculouslyexpensive $10M license entry fee or whatever it was, that from memory was lumbered on Snakes & Bulls??
But an Auckland team would be great for NZ Football, and for the Nix. A true tribal rival, with travelling fans and all that at long last. Welnix are genuinely supportive of the idea, and rightly so.
I'd give Auckland a 3rd shot at it. Derby games and the Nix would only go there for Auckland's actual home matches. The Nix might spend their normal two games in Wellington. Has Auckland's football crowds grown up since the Knightz? I would like to think so. Would they consistently show up in numbers about 1,000, I would hope so.
With the A League determined to have lots of Derby games, this could be quite a passionate move. Give it a try. I'd like to see the A League at 20 teams but I don't think there's enough numbers to actively support it. so 16 would be good.
an Akld based team would be mint for NZ football, two professional teams, an actual Derby that both fanbases can get into. As Coochie and others have said, it's gonna require a group of very rich, very committed and football focused people to fund it. Getting the funds together to join the league is horrendous, then the marketing involved to engage the footballing fanbase. Eden Park has to be the home base, it has all the facilities you could need, no need to upgrade stands, lighting etc to meet league requirements. I think Expansion to 14 teams makes sense, it makes the league feel right, home and away games against everyone, none of this 3 games against 4 of 11 teams to make up 26 games. It's likely to be a canberra team (they have a women's team now) and probably one of the other close bids that McArthur beat.
Auckland has had several chances already, and it will probably get another chance at some point in the future - based on the fact it's our most populous city, full of big business, and holds a lot of our countries wealth/well heeled individuals.
But I don't see another way that doesn't end up going pear shaped. Aucklanders are fickle beasts and only turn up in the good times. I mean, just look at Auckland Rugby... 👀
And then there's the geography of the city: QBE - North Eden Park - Central Mount Smart - South Trusts Arena - West Unless they're based around Eden Park then you're alienating most of the other parts of Auckland. Personally I hate Eden Park as anything other than the rugby ground it is. You're not going to sell it out for a football club, and then if/when times get tough, playing in front of 5-10k fans in a 50k capacity stadium, well, it just looks silly, and then factor in the financial loss. Everything just starts snowballing from there.
Could you make something work at Kiwitea? Possibly, but even then that would need a substantial upgrade. Auckland United - fantastic clubrooms, but it's no stadium. So then you go North/South or West, but then run the risk of alienating opposite sides of the city. These are just the geographical factors of the city for why a club would struggle to get off the ground. Because it's a nightmare in general.
Any prospective owners/consortiums would have to have extremely deep pockets and look over the long term to build a club in that city. Even then it would just be very hard work for any involved.
Here's an out there thought - Why not look out of the confines of Auckland? Go Christchurch Waikato/Hamilton for instance. Auckland does many things well, and has many things going in it's favour, but unfortunately it has a poor track record in maintaining professional football clubs.
Just my thoughts of course. Would love another opinion on this. Someone from Auckland perhaps?
I'm not an Aucklander, but have had two 6 month stints living there last 3 years, visited plenty of times prior, and walked the 6 blocks to Eden Park, from my uncle's Mt Eden abode often. Love going to EP, and strolling around Sandringham pre match. Good energy going on.
YH to suggest that an A League team would consider basing itself anywhere but EP is sorry lunancy. Have you been there often? Surely the good to great crowds Nix have got an EP last few times, just puts any agrument to bed. If you are driving up there from New Plymouth or wherever, navigating through shark traffic, struggling to find a park nearby, and then just driving back to your home province, you will have a different experience to an Auckland local.
Western United may well have a good long term future, based in a Tarneit/Western Melbourne heartland, and achieve okay crowds. But at the moment their large Geelong AFL oval stadium is just all wrong, and the crowds a joke. A sure sign you have your stadium central to your popn base.
EP is central to the big sprawling city, has good public transport, a very close fun entertainment precinct (ask Dolaras by sounds of it), and the viewing experience there I personally find is good for football/rugby. Closer to action for me than the ROF, with more natural sideline feel. Complaints about EP are it's fit for purpose as cricket ground, whilst with the ROF/Cake Tin it's the bemoaning of why did they build it as an oval for 2 Black Caps cricket games a year.
If A League regular games were in range 8-15K you just open the ASB Stand, shutting off most of the stadium. That still seems to produce an okay crowd atmosphere, and looks alright on the telly. For the big games - Nix derby, alot of the novelty first season, any home finals you open up the whole joint.
Eden Park CEO is aggressively chasing events, and apparently offering favourable lease terms. Getting 4 summer music events approved despite the ex PM's objections a big win for them. I'm sure they would love to house an A League team. Plenty of space in the summer with NZ Cricket completely bypassing NZ's biggest city now. Though you might get the odd clash with one of those music events. Then you go to Mt Smart as no 2 option. Plus 1-2 times per season head to the Tron or Tauranga Domain for a New Years game maybe. Albany you avoid like the plague. Souless, distant wasteland of a joint.
Are Blues rugby fans, any more fickle than Canes fans? Don't really think so. But pre Covid Super Rugby crowds nationwide had been on a downhill slide. I reckon you would get very good first season crowds (12-25K range) for an Auckland A League side. Novelty value of some summer night sport entertainment, for a city that just continues to become more muticultural each year, many of those increasing immigrants being football fans. That's presuming the league stays mostly a summer comp.
Then you just need 1-2 marquee signings (1 maybe of Asian background), some smart marketing, engaging with local football clubs (esp the kids), a YF replica supporter group, better drummers, and yes winning as much as losing.
But the biggest obstacle to any of this happening, is someone to throw crazy cash at it all. Phoenix Football Club are so lucky to have a group of proud Wellingtonians in Welnix as their ownership group. So lucky.
But has been no one mentioned in Auckland in recent times, silly enough to do similar in the City of Cars. Warriors at last seem to have a sound true Auckland owners, who are also die hard league fans.
I once emailed Owen Glenn's office, asking if he would consider starting up an Auckland A League side. Did actually get a reply. Along lines of 'Mr Glenn, after his bad experience with NZ Warriors is unfortunately not interested........."! Though think he stills sponsors NZ Hockey heavily??
Isn't the Chairman of the Auckland United joint venture, an IT guru worth $40M plus or something?? Giltrap Motors (Auckland City) also bandied around once as maybe having the cash?? Pity Slava Meyn seems only interested in football in ChCh. Just think Garden City is too small, and too much of a rugby town to support an A League team. This from someone who lived in Canty til age 14. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/113678115/christchurch-united-eye-aleague-as-ultimate-goal
But without that deep pocketed, thick skinned ownership group with at least 1 football tragic likely onboard, hard to see Auckland making the bid line any time soon. If there was any group close to being interested, there would be rumours, and there have been none. Just seems sadly still in the too hard basket for NZ's biggest city. Rich (white) Aucklanders prefer to throw their money at yacht racing maybe.
When Western and Macarthur got chosen, there were 15 serious bids from all of Australia. Plenty of rich deep pocketed mining, real estate, shopping centre magnates all through Aussie. Much bigger, flashier economy than NZ. You also have a culture of State Govts and Councils not being afraid to throw tax/rate payers cash at type 'investments, esp if they also plan to build a nice new stadium and want a tenant.
Ipswich City were very very disappointed/bitter to be over looked for the new recently announced NRL expansion side. They plan to build a new stadium along Ipswich River. The Gong football community obviously want a team. Gold Coast will always be in the frame. Took them about 3 failures over 20 odd years, to finally have a somewhat stable NRL team there. Sunshine Coast Council I know are upgrading their stadium heading towards the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. South Melbourne would probably go okay, and they have a ready stadium at Albert Park. Will APL be as fixated on 'derbies', like Gallop was re expansion options? Will any new teams have to pay that ridiculouslyexpensive $10M license entry fee or whatever it was, that from memory was lumbered on Snakes & Bulls??
But an Auckland team would be great for NZ Football, and for the Nix. A true tribal rival, with travelling fans and all that at long last. Welnix are genuinely supportive of the idea, and rightly so.
See this is the type of post I knew I was going to get! Good on ya. 😊
I also didn't touch on how good it would be for New Zealand Football to have a second professional football club, but yes, it would indeed be fantastic, wherever a new club may eventually be based, imagine another NZ side churning out more Singh's, Cacace's and Waineo's like the Nix have recently, it'd be brilliant!
Umm well where to start. I lived in Auckland for about 20 years (4-24). Lived, worked, studied centrally during that time, and have been to Eden Park plenty of times, for a mixture of cricket and rugby games. I don't know what it is, but something just doesn't do it for me (maybe it just boils down to my dislike/general apathy towards Auckland overall 🤷♂️) which probably doesn't help my bias. Centrality would help a fledgling Auckland clubs cause, but you need the right people on board from the get go to at least be moving the club in the right direction. When I say people as well, I'm meaning top down, right through to supporters, but an owner who 'Knows Auckland' or 'Lives and breathes Auckland' would be a great asset to building a club from the ground up too.
Alas, I think to get it off the ground, someone's going to have to part with $30-50 million just as a start up, easily...
Visa players, surely have to go all out and fill them all with quality players - European/Eastern European, right through Asia - I'm thinking Iraqi, South Korean, Chinese. Do that right and you'd be setting up the club the right way. Even if it is a bit of a slog to getting it going initially.
I don't think Auckland will be in the near future, Canberra + 1 (South Melbourne for mine) maybe down the line Auckland will come back into the picture, but for now I think it falls in the too hard basket.
I was trying to find that article about Christchurch too, I still think that would be interesting. Slightly different population demographic (British/European expats). Obviously smaller than Auckland, but I'd give that one more of a chance of getting off the ground. I dunno, all very long term thinking of course. I just hope whoever gets the chance next in NZ, that they do it right.
Auckland has had several chances already, and it will probably get another chance at some point in the future - based on the fact it's our most populous city, full of big business, and holds a lot of our countries wealth/well heeled individuals.
But I don't see another way that doesn't end up going pear shaped. Aucklanders are fickle beasts and only turn up in the good times. I mean, just look at Auckland Rugby... 👀
And then there's the geography of the city: QBE - North Eden Park - Central Mount Smart - South Trusts Arena - West Unless they're based around Eden Park then you're alienating most of the other parts of Auckland. Personally I hate Eden Park as anything other than the rugby ground it is. You're not going to sell it out for a football club, and then if/when times get tough, playing in front of 5-10k fans in a 50k capacity stadium, well, it just looks silly, and then factor in the financial loss. Everything just starts snowballing from there.
Could you make something work at Kiwitea? Possibly, but even then that would need a substantial upgrade. Auckland United - fantastic clubrooms, but it's no stadium. So then you go North/South or West, but then run the risk of alienating opposite sides of the city. These are just the geographical factors of the city for why a club would struggle to get off the ground. Because it's a nightmare in general.
Any prospective owners/consortiums would have to have extremely deep pockets and look over the long term to build a club in that city. Even then it would just be very hard work for any involved.
Here's an out there thought - Why not look out of the confines of Auckland? Go Christchurch Waikato/Hamilton for instance. Auckland does many things well, and has many things going in it's favour, but unfortunately it has a poor track record in maintaining professional football clubs.
Just my thoughts of course. Would love another opinion on this. Someone from Auckland perhaps?
I'm not an Aucklander, but have had two 6 month stints living there last 3 years, visited plenty of times prior, and walked the 6 blocks to Eden Park, from my uncle's Mt Eden abode often. Love going to EP, and strolling around Sandringham pre match. Good energy going on.
YH to suggest that an A League team would consider basing itself anywhere but EP is sorry lunancy. Have you been there often? Surely the good to great crowds Nix have got an EP last few times, just puts any agrument to bed. If you are driving up there from New Plymouth or wherever, navigating through shark traffic, struggling to find a park nearby, and then just driving back to your home province, you will have a different experience to an Auckland local.
Western United may well have a good long term future, based in a Tarneit/Western Melbourne heartland, and achieve okay crowds. But at the moment their large Geelong AFL oval stadium is just all wrong, and the crowds a joke. A sure sign you have your stadium central to your popn base.
EP is central to the big sprawling city, has good public transport, a very close fun entertainment precinct (ask Dolaras by sounds of it), and the viewing experience there I personally find is good for football/rugby. Closer to action for me than the ROF, with more natural sideline feel. Complaints about EP are it's fit for purpose as cricket ground, whilst with the ROF/Cake Tin it's the bemoaning of why did they build it as an oval for 2 Black Caps cricket games a year.
If A League regular games were in range 8-15K you just open the ASB Stand, shutting off most of the stadium. That still seems to produce an okay crowd atmosphere, and looks alright on the telly. For the big games - Nix derby, alot of the novelty first season, any home finals you open up the whole joint.
Eden Park CEO is aggressively chasing events, and apparently offering favourable lease terms. Getting 4 summer music events approved despite the ex PM's objections a big win for them. I'm sure they would love to house an A League team. Plenty of space in the summer with NZ Cricket completely bypassing NZ's biggest city now. Though you might get the odd clash with one of those music events. Then you go to Mt Smart as no 2 option. Plus 1-2 times per season head to the Tron or Tauranga Domain for a New Years game maybe. Albany you avoid like the plague. Souless, distant wasteland of a joint.
Are Blues rugby fans, any more fickle than Canes fans? Don't really think so. But pre Covid Super Rugby crowds nationwide had been on a downhill slide. I reckon you would get very good first season crowds (12-25K range) for an Auckland A League side. Novelty value of some summer night sport entertainment, for a city that just continues to become more muticultural each year, many of those increasing immigrants being football fans. That's presuming the league stays mostly a summer comp.
Then you just need 1-2 marquee signings (1 maybe of Asian background), some smart marketing, engaging with local football clubs (esp the kids), a YF replica supporter group, better drummers, and yes winning as much as losing.
But the biggest obstacle to any of this happening, is someone to throw crazy cash at it all. Phoenix Football Club are so lucky to have a group of proud Wellingtonians in Welnix as their ownership group. So lucky.
But has been no one mentioned in Auckland in recent times, silly enough to do similar in the City of Cars. Warriors at last seem to have a sound true Auckland owners, who are also die hard league fans.
I once emailed Owen Glenn's office, asking if he would consider starting up an Auckland A League side. Did actually get a reply. Along lines of 'Mr Glenn, after his bad experience with NZ Warriors is unfortunately not interested........."! Though think he stills sponsors NZ Hockey heavily??
Isn't the Chairman of the Auckland United joint venture, an IT guru worth $40M plus or something?? Giltrap Motors (Auckland City) also bandied around once as maybe having the cash?? Pity Slava Meyn seems only interested in football in ChCh. Just think Garden City is too small, and too much of a rugby town to support an A League team. This from someone who lived in Canty til age 14. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/113678115/christchurch-united-eye-aleague-as-ultimate-goal
But without that deep pocketed, thick skinned ownership group with at least 1 football tragic likely onboard, hard to see Auckland making the bid line any time soon. If there was any group close to being interested, there would be rumours, and there have been none. Just seems sadly still in the too hard basket for NZ's biggest city. Rich (white) Aucklanders prefer to throw their money at yacht racing maybe.
When Western and Macarthur got chosen, there were 15 serious bids from all of Australia. Plenty of rich deep pocketed mining, real estate, shopping centre magnates all through Aussie. Much bigger, flashier economy than NZ. You also have a culture of State Govts and Councils not being afraid to throw tax/rate payers cash at type 'investments, esp if they also plan to build a nice new stadium and want a tenant.
Ipswich City were very very disappointed/bitter to be over looked for the new recently announced NRL expansion side. They plan to build a new stadium along Ipswich River. The Gong football community obviously want a team. Gold Coast will always be in the frame. Took them about 3 failures over 20 odd years, to finally have a somewhat stable NRL team there. Sunshine Coast Council I know are upgrading their stadium heading towards the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. South Melbourne would probably go okay, and they have a ready stadium at Albert Park. Will APL be as fixated on 'derbies', like Gallop was re expansion options? Will any new teams have to pay that ridiculouslyexpensive $10M license entry fee or whatever it was, that from memory was lumbered on Snakes & Bulls??
But an Auckland team would be great for NZ Football, and for the Nix. A true tribal rival, with travelling fans and all that at long last. Welnix are genuinely supportive of the idea, and rightly so.
See this is the type of post I knew I was going to get! Good on ya. 😊
I also didn't touch on how good it would be for New Zealand Football to have a second professional football club, but yes, it would indeed be fantastic, wherever a new club may eventually be based, imagine another NZ side churning out more Singh's, Cacace's and Waineo's like the Nix have recently, it'd be brilliant!
Umm well where to start. I lived in Auckland for about 20 years (4-24). Lived, worked, studied centrally during that time, and have been to Eden Park plenty of times, for a mixture of cricket and rugby games. I don't know what it is, but something just doesn't do it for me (maybe it just boils down to my dislike/general apathy towards Auckland overall 🤷♂️) which probably doesn't help my bias. Centrality would help a fledgling Auckland clubs cause, but you need the right people on board from the get go to at least be moving the club in the right direction. When I say people as well, I'm meaning top down, right through to supporters, but an owner who 'Knows Auckland' or 'Lives and breathes Auckland' would be a great asset to building a club from the ground up too.
Alas, I think to get it off the ground, someone's going to have to part with $30-50 million just as a start up, easily...
Visa players, surely have to go all out and fill them all with quality players - European/Eastern European, right through Asia - I'm thinking Iraqi, South Korean, Chinese. Do that right and you'd be setting up the club the right way. Even if it is a bit of a slog to getting it going initially.
I don't think Auckland will be in the near future, Canberra + 1 (South Melbourne for mine) maybe down the line Auckland will come back into the picture, but for now I think it falls in the too hard basket.
I was trying to find that article about Christchurch too, I still think that would be interesting. Slightly different population demographic (British/European expats). Obviously smaller than Auckland, but I'd give that one more of a chance of getting off the ground. I dunno, all very long term thinking of course. I just hope whoever gets the chance next in NZ, that they do it right.
Well there is a shiny new sports stadium coming to ChCh, right in the city centre. Plus meat magnate Slava Meyn now seems the standout football tragic in NZ with serious moolah. And he seems to be playing the long game down there in Canty, making it home.
Unfortunately Google can't seem to find me an estimate of his net worth! Still think ChCh is too small & rugby dominated to make it happen. But would be great if I'm wrong. A contrarian Forest Green Rovers!
The more you look at it, from every angle. The huge financial outlay/risk, is the giant obstacle to NZ getting a 2nd A League side. And for that Nix supporters should every day pay a quiet thanks to the soundness of the Welnix group.
Here is an interesting Mike Cockerill (RIP, you are missed) article from a few years back. From memory Cockerill lived in ChCh for a time??
A solution, believe it or not, could lie across the Tasman. I don't know Slava Meyn, but I'd like to. A passionate, committed, football man, who on the edges of Christchurch is building a football dream.
One day, although he is in no hurry, that may include an A-League bid.But only if there is the right stadium.
What makes Meyn different, and innovative, is that he refuses to accept the status quo in terms of construction costs. The clues are everywhere in his impressive Christchurch Football Academy complex near the airport - the best of its kind in New Zealand. The grandstand was first put together in China and properly certified before being shipped to Christchurch, where it was re-assembled. Like the goals, the partition nets and the artificial turf, Meyn scoured the world to source the best quality products at the best possible price and then imported them - thus circumventing the cosy cartel of local builders who have managed to make Australasian stadium costs the highest in the world.
It is an approach the wealthy Meyn is committed to because he knows what he is talking about. Before emigrating to New Zealand, he was part-owner of his hometown club in far-eastern Russia, Okean Nakhodka - where current Russian international Viktor Fayzulin remains the most famous graduate.
Meyn did not get around to building a stadium before he left, but he had done his homework on how to get the right fit at the right price. His favourite example is in Belarus, where BATE Borisov recently opened a 13,000 all-seat stadium which was given the highest rating by UEFA despite costing just $45 million to build.
That - albeit with a few more thousand seats - is what Christchurch needs, what the MLS has, and what the A-League needs more of. It will require richer owners, and more committed ones. It is by far the best long-term solution, but in the meantime there is a crucial consolation prize to be sought. Better rental agreements at existing stadiums or - in the case of Parramatta - smarter ones. It is better than nothing.
Enjoyed the last few games at Albany. Decent bars nearby, good public transport down the busway into town. I don’t think it’s a good place to base a team full time, but it’s not as bad as it’s been being made out
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
EP has recently attracted good sized to large crowds to Nix games, far above anything achieved in Panmure or Albany. The central location trumps the large size issue, which again you mitigate by closing off areas of the ground. Sure Mt Smart in Sandringham would be great, but it’s in basically an ugly industrial estate.
You want to train/pub-walk-game within 15 mins. That’s the winning formula
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
EP has recently attracted good sized to large crowds to Nix games, far above anything achieved in Panmure or Albany. The central location trumps the large size issue, which again you mitigate by closing off areas of the ground. Sure Mt Smart in Sandringham would be great, but it’s in basically an ugly industrial estate.
You want to train/pub-walk-game within 15 mins. That’s the winning formula
The thing with that is the Wellington Phoenix are an established football entity in this country. Would a new Auckland club be able to attract that sort of crowd every fortnight from the get go? Everything would have to fall into place off the field first and foremost, as I elaborated on earlier, and even then I'm not so sure. Although I am happy to be proven wrong.
Sure, we'd have a Wellington/Auckland derby that even I think would go great guns in terms of attendance, but as for the rest of the season?
Hate to drum on, but again, if this is theoretically done well, it has a fighting chance. It will take a lot of work and meticulous planning to get it right. I would love another NZ side in the ALM. But not if it's going to go down the tubes from the get go.
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
EP has recently attracted good sized to large crowds to Nix games, far above anything achieved in Panmure or Albany. The central location trumps the large size issue, which again you mitigate by closing off areas of the ground. Sure Mt Smart in Sandringham would be great, but it’s in basically an ugly industrial estate.
You want to train/pub-walk-game within 15 mins. That’s the winning formula
The thing with that is the Wellington Phoenix are an established football entity in this country. Would a new Auckland club be able to attract that sort of crowd every fortnight from the get go? Everything would have to fall into place off the field first and foremost, as I elaborated on earlier, and even then I'm not so sure. Although I am happy to be proven wrong.
Sure, we'd have a Wellington/Auckland derby that even I think would go great guns in terms of attendance, but as for the rest of the season?
Hate to drum on, but again, if this is theoretically done well, it has a fighting chance. It will take a lot of work and meticulous planning to get it right. I would love another NZ side in the ALM. But not if it's going to go down the tubes from the get go.
Why are crowds numbers such a thing anymore? Nix get 5k crowds - WU get 2k crowds and Campbelltown barely gets 3k. If anything Auckland would at least get 4k to 5k crowds if being negative however i feel they would score around 8k every game or more.
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
EP has recently attracted good sized to large crowds to Nix games, far above anything achieved in Panmure or Albany. The central location trumps the large size issue, which again you mitigate by closing off areas of the ground. Sure Mt Smart in Sandringham would be great, but it’s in basically an ugly industrial estate.
You want to train/pub-walk-game within 15 mins. That’s the winning formula
The thing with that is the Wellington Phoenix are an established football entity in this country. Would a new Auckland club be able to attract that sort of crowd every fortnight from the get go? Everything would have to fall into place off the field first and foremost, as I elaborated on earlier, and even then I'm not so sure. Although I am happy to be proven wrong.
Sure, we'd have a Wellington/Auckland derby that even I think would go great guns in terms of attendance, but as for the rest of the season?
Hate to drum on, but again, if this is theoretically done well, it has a fighting chance. It will take a lot of work and meticulous planning to get it right. I would love another NZ side in the ALM. But not if it's going to go down the tubes from the get go.
None of the A League teams were an established identity 16 seasons ago, the Nix even less. Your brand quickly grows, esp if you are the only team in town. Counter agrument also being that some Aucklanders not interested in watching a Welly side, will turn up to watch their own.
No an Auckland A League wouldn't average 20K plus, like Nix have achieved for 2 of their recent games at EP. Those were always one offs. But in first season I'd expect average 12-15K through novelty value, some on field success, and favourable weather. Then season 2 you'd expect a dip, just like all the A League sides have gone through. But there is a big football community in Auckland, bigger than Welly, just through a shreer larger popn.
Make home ground central to as much of that popn as possible (Mt Smart just makes it harder for those North & West), some good marketing, proper local identity, the odd marquee NZ/visa, a YF type supporters group, win as much as lose - the fans would come.
But really of all folks Royz touches on a point, crowd size ain't the end all. Owners with deep pockets, and prepardness to whether financial losses year in year out - that's the crux.
Christchurch was a good hunting ground for the Nix, late Siggie head bandage wins and all. Would possibly be a more unified support than a pan-Auckland team, plus having someone wanting to put cash in always always helps!
Not sure if you can watch this in NZ, but how lucky were we that this man decided to ply his trade in the A league? Broich! https://youtu.be/PjQWvbqakY0
Not sure if you can watch this in NZ, but how lucky were we that this man decided to ply his trade in the A league? Broich! https://youtu.be/PjQWvbqakY0
Easily my favourite A League player. Downunder in his prime. I was lucky to be living in Brisvegas for a few years, when he was the cog in Roarcelona being a very pretty football side to watch.
Plus a cerebral, musicial top alround, modest dude.
Ange Pot tells a good yarn, how he convinced Roar owners to sign him on, Ange not long having been appointed coach and rebuilding.
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
EP has recently attracted good sized to large crowds to Nix games, far above anything achieved in Panmure or Albany. The central location trumps the large size issue, which again you mitigate by closing off areas of the ground. Sure Mt Smart in Sandringham would be great, but it’s in basically an ugly industrial estate.
You want to train/pub-walk-game within 15 mins. That’s the winning formula
The thing with that is the Wellington Phoenix are an established football entity in this country. Would a new Auckland club be able to attract that sort of crowd every fortnight from the get go? Everything would have to fall into place off the field first and foremost, as I elaborated on earlier, and even then I'm not so sure. Although I am happy to be proven wrong.
Sure, we'd have a Wellington/Auckland derby that even I think would go great guns in terms of attendance, but as for the rest of the season?
Hate to drum on, but again, if this is theoretically done well, it has a fighting chance. It will take a lot of work and meticulous planning to get it right. I would love another NZ side in the ALM. But not if it's going to go down the tubes from the get go.
Absolutely it could. The reason Macarthur and WU have failed in large population pockets is they've not catered to or done enough to represent their target demographics (happy to go into detail on these). Auckland have a huge youth and senior football scene, I think if you work the club really well with that (and establish an academy, immediately!), then a big impact can be had. There's so many Nix fans and so many fans of european clubs in Auckland, I find it hard to believe that they would not take off quickly if things were done correctly.
One thing I hope we do NOT get is anything to do with the brand of Auckland City. I have a lot of respect for the club and their achievements, but they represent a particular sect of the Auckland football community and at the serious level are disliked by quite a lot of others. I know new brands have failed in WU and Macarthur, but I think those wrongs can be righted in Auckland. I love that the baseball team chose a Māori animal name (Tuatara), I think you could find something similar in football, especially considering Auckland is a much more multicultural city than Wellington.
Perth Glory owner Tony Sage says that it was Daniel Sturridge's decision not to play against Western United yesterday. Sage said Sturridge "isn't used to the 4 hour flights" and felt he couldn't contribute. [@SENWestAus]
Not sure if you can watch this in NZ, but how lucky were we that this man decided to ply his trade in the A league? Broich! https://youtu.be/PjQWvbqakY0
Easily my favourite A League player. Downunder in his prime. I was lucky to be living in Brisvegas for a few years, when he was the cog in Roarcelona being a very pretty football side to watch.
Plus a cerebral, musicial top alround, modest dude.
Ange Pot tells a good yarn, how he convinced Roar owners to sign him on, Ange not long having been appointed coach and rebuilding.
Did that doco on him, 'when Tom met Zizou' ever air?
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
EP has recently attracted good sized to large crowds to Nix games, far above anything achieved in Panmure or Albany. The central location trumps the large size issue, which again you mitigate by closing off areas of the ground. Sure Mt Smart in Sandringham would be great, but it’s in basically an ugly industrial estate.
You want to train/pub-walk-game within 15 mins. That’s the winning formula
Sadly as a Jafa/Waikato boy, I think those crowds are because those are novelty games.
If an AKL team is not top of the league, I can see a repeat of the Kingz/Knights crowds. Given I was a fan and season ticket holder of both sides, I'd like for one of those names to be reused (history).
Sadly I think NZ's apathy to sports attendance generally (not the Nix thankfully), will prevent another team anywhere ( and CHC is too rugby for the numbers needed to survive).
While attendance isn't everything, active support makes a match so much more fun for newbies, children and the flakies. Also means more revenue for the club to prevent what happened to the Knights.
Auckland's general stadium policy has been bad for ages though. As you say, the city's essentially three or four separate areas. There's no one good stadium in Auckland.
Mt Smart is well overdue a much needed rebuild and upgrade, I'd choose it just because it's a genuine rectangular stadium. You'd have to do pre-match at Ellerslie as it's the nearest bars on the Southern Rail line, but that's manageable.
Eden Park was upgraded for the 2011 World Cup but even if its CEO is aggressively pursuing things, it's because the stadium is oversized for what its used for. Shame they didn't build a new stadium back in the later 2000's tbh.
Albany was never properly finished, and has now been butchered to make the baseball ground work there. The busways are very good and they go all the way to Albany now (or very soonish, making it pretty fast).
You couldn't do games at Kiwitea, the pitch & parking render it almost impossible and trying to upgrade that ground would involve rarking Sandringham's nimbys. The Trusts has got that god-awful running track around the outside.
A decent ground needs
- nearby pubs etc - preferably on the train line to reduce car traffic - capacity that means 10,000 people won't feel like an empty ground
And that, to me, is an upgraded Mount Smart.
But, being realistic, the new Christchurch Stadium is probably going to be the last big new stadium project in New Zealand this side of 2040 - and it's a rectangle, roofed to keep the noise in, 30,000 capacity. You'd love to start a new team in a big shiny new stadium like that aye, like the Wanderers in Parramatta.
EP has recently attracted good sized to large crowds to Nix games, far above anything achieved in Panmure or Albany. The central location trumps the large size issue, which again you mitigate by closing off areas of the ground. Sure Mt Smart in Sandringham would be great, but it’s in basically an ugly industrial estate.
You want to train/pub-walk-game within 15 mins. That’s the winning formula
Sadly as a Jafa/Waikato boy, I think those crowds are because those are novelty games.
If an AKL team is not top of the league, I can see a repeat of the Kingz/Knights crowds. Given I was a fan and season ticket holder of both sides, I'd like for one of those names to be reused (history).
Sadly I think NZ's apathy to sports attendance generally (not the Nix thankfully), will prevent another team anywhere ( and CHC is too rugby for the numbers needed to survive).
While attendance isn't everything, active support makes a match so much more fun for newbies, children and the flakies. Also means more revenue for the club to prevent what happened to the Knights.
With a new Auckland A League team, the absolutely last thing you’d use is Kingz or Knights moniker, associated with 2 abject failures from the ancient past. It would be a shiny brand new venture, targeting as someone else said the entire Auckland football community, based centrally at EP.
I think that same other mentioned going for a meaningful NZ Maori name, like the basebase side Tuatara. Great idea.
The 2nd last thing you’d do is go out to an Albany base again.
NZ Cricket has turned their back on Auckland (though that won't last). The city is currently crying out for quality fun, summer night time sport in the Sandringham entertainment precinct.
But without a very wealthy investment group, involving at least one football tragic any bid still seems years off.
Could Canterbury United be a very darkhorse A League bid at some point? Are WU going to survive on crowds of 3-5k? CCM often don't get many more. What's the business model for the various A League clubs longer term? What's a planned new 2nd division likely to mean?
Why not I guess a team in ChCh operating out of new beautiful shiny state of the art destination stadium, right in the central city? Would need a cheap lease agreement yes, as not the Crusaders. But not a lot of quality live sporting competition through the ChCh summer months, apart from odd T20/ODI at Hagley. Obviously key that A League stayed mostly a summmer comp, to have any real hope I feel.
Then you make it a very much a Canterbury or South Island Community club. That way you try tap into a total 1M SI popn, as opposed solely ChCh. And yes Otagites & Nelsonians can be parochial and hold anti Canty grudges, so you'd need to manage that smart. Little mini CU academies in Dunedn & Nelson, football scholarships for local kids.
Games at that brilliant venue Forsyth Barr with the students in town. Nix did it real dumb playing in Dunners in a December, 10 years back. You make sure the scarfies are around. A game in Queenstown and/or Nelson in New Years period.
Slava Meyn seems a savvy businessman, football tragic, and definitely in for the long haul with whatever he does. He's spent a few million building football facilities down there, helping rebuild after the quakes. I imagine he's a pretty popular figure in Canty, keeping a pretty modest profile. Local Council should like him, chucking cash into infrastructure. But it's always tricky navigating local football circles/egos, esp if you shake things up.
Can he turn that infrastructure spend, into an income generating business that would help fund an A League side? Not easy I imagine, and there is always rightly ansgt when parent's hard earned spend on Little Johnny/Julie's football/academy fees is funnelled off to fund senior players.
Can he find some sort of very smart business model to make it work. Cash from a Ruskie oligrach? He's already part owned a Russian football club, so he's not a novice in that world.
If he is seriously going to try get an A League team off the ground, from afar seems to be going right way about it. Focusing on a strong Academy setup. It maybe that eventually the best young kids in the SI (pon 1M), don't need to head to Ole and Weenix. And if an A League side comes to be, one immediately having some talented young Academy products, with a model of selling young players aka CCM & Nix to an extent.
So it maybe that Meyn's plan is a long term slow sound build, and only bother with a bid if he thinks is a very strong chance club would survive longterm off a modest popn/commercial sponsorship base.
Maybe an academy full of rich young Russian kids escaping a snow laden winter for a few weeks, becomes profitable venture on its own. Unlikely idea, but who knows what plans he may have.
Paul Ifill hasn’t gone there for no reason. One to watch slowly overtime, esp as pretty new inner city ChCh stadium takes shape.
For what it's worth re any idea of a future ChCh A League team bid (likely longshot), new CBD stadium forecast completion date June 2025.
Will be a great venue for the Garden City. I'm sure the Nix will take a few games there if nothing else football wise. Maybe home games that in fall into May-June, making use of that covered roof.
Bye the bye, Julyan Falloon Sport Canterbury CEO quoted in the article I think is an ex Christchurch United player from 1990s.
US money coming into the league $140m is significant too, hopefully it gets spent well.
$140m = 33% stake in the league. Is it a true valuation?
I'd be certain that Silver Lake would do their own due diligence and get their own assessed value of the league. So. in this case I'd expect the $430m to be as accurate as it needed to be.
US money coming into the league $140m is significant too, hopefully it gets spent well.
A League has been stagnating (going backwards really) for years, and the loss of that Foxtel TV rights deal must be hurting the clubs.
Seems more pluses than minuses of selling a 33% stake for a $140M cash injection, if that money is used wisely to grow club football in Aus/NZ. And with the League now owned by the clubs (APL), the FFA can't get their hands on any of that cash ie prop up Socceroos or whoever with A League income/cash.
Private equity aren't in the business of overpaying for assets. They would think this is a price they will make a good return on with both risks and opportunities built into it.
