For Auckland it's got to have rail access. NHS struggles even with the busway, Mt Smart does ok with Penrose and the stadium walk, Eden Park the ideal as the hospo is nearby.
For Auckland it's got to have rail access. NHS struggles even with the busway, Mt Smart does ok with Penrose and the stadium walk, Eden Park the ideal as the hospo is nearby.
Driving to the football just feels weird.
Without knowing the ground hire fees of each ground, I'll agrue EP's case until yes there is a lovely new Waterfront stadium. I really like a day/night out in Mt Eden watching sport. Helps my uncle lives just off Dom Road, so a short walk to the National Stadium. Beers along Sandringham Road afters.
I'd hope they'd take 2-3 big games each year to EP, even if Mt Smart becomes the main ground. Nix derbies, season opener, any finals games.
Am sure that there will be at least a couple of games at Eden park in the first season, opener and derby game. Think those could realistically attract 25k so too good to turn down.
Depends on the bandwagon at mt smart, but would anticipate crowds between 6 and 10k
For me if they nail it they should be looking at 15k+ every week as a minimum (assuming decent results, etc.). The key is tapping into the casual fans and making that connection.
Agree Eden Park is better in terms of game day experience, public transport. They should definitely look at hosting some games there initially. Derby will be epic.
Mt Smart isn’t great for game day experience unless you get off the train at Ellerslie, etc
Anyway, these past few days have got me absolutely giddy and I am becoming a Foliever. The question is - will the stadium be 100% purposed for football with everything else incidental, or will it in classic NZ fashion be pushed up to 25,000 to accomodate NRL also, and then bit by bit become more multi-purpose until it's just a 60,000 national stadium? One would hope that the money would talk?
I defenitely see the end product to be 25k so the warriors can play there, that means behind the goal there has to be a little bit more space I think.. But excited and defenitely won’t go above that 20-25k. even if it had NRL standards still would be close to the field and a great stadium. Hoping it has a similar design to leicesters king power stadium, obviously a bit smaller but that just has one tier and is perfect for the Auckland team at 20k. Footy_Fella
Anyway, these past few days have got me absolutely giddy and I am becoming a Foliever. The question is - will the stadium be 100% purposed for football with everything else incidental, or will it in classic NZ fashion be pushed up to 25,000 to accomodate NRL also, and then bit by bit become more multi-purpose until it's just a 60,000 national stadium? One would hope that the money would talk?
I defenitely see the end product to be 25k so the warriors can play there, that means behind the goal there has to be a little bit more space I think.. But excited and defenitely won’t go above that 20-25k. even if it had NRL standards still would be close to the field and a great stadium. Hoping it has a similar design to leicesters king power stadium, obviously a bit smaller but that just has one tier and is perfect for the Auckland team at 20k. Footy_Fella
Anyway, these past few days have got me absolutely giddy and I am becoming a Foliever. The question is - will the stadium be 100% purposed for football with everything else incidental, or will it in classic NZ fashion be pushed up to 25,000 to accomodate NRL also, and then bit by bit become more multi-purpose until it's just a 60,000 national stadium? One would hope that the money would talk?
Goal should however be to have a stadium that's always at least 80% full for A-League matches - and ideally not too bad for Chatham Cup finals and such etc. Doesn't feel particulary achievable at 25,000. I think the exact figure Foley estimated was 18,500, which feels a bit ambitious but I can live with it.
If Foley's planned Waterfront Stadium goes ahead I can see the position of Eden Park becoming perilous financially, and that won't be great for NZ as a whole.
The Blues recently took a bit of time to reaffirm they would play at EP, Super Rugby season 2024. Inferring they were seriously looking at Mt Smart (where Moana Pasika play).
I'm sure the Blues & Moana Pasika would seriously consider relocating to a waterfront stadium 20-25K range. Blues rarely get crowds above that. I'm sure Foley would welcome as many paying tenants as possible to a stadium he is privately funding for $300M or whatever.
So if Blues leave EP, that just leaves 6 concerts, a couple of white ball cricket games, and 1-2 AB tests per year. EP already struggles as it is to cover costs. Losing Super Rugby would be a blow. And a financially bereft EP (NZ's National Stadium) wouldn't be great for NZ's chances of hosting future big events, like saw 1-2 pools of a 32 team Club World Cup hosted with Australia.
For sure. But if either the blues make super rugby finals OR AKL football makes a league finals plus NZ derby can easily see at least 5 extra sporting events in a year. As a football fan, Mt Smart feels disconnected, Eden park being too big for a 15k crowd, (but once you get above 25 ishk it’s a great atmosphere) . a smaller rectangular stadium that fans are closer to the pitch and stands are connected and close together would do so much for all sporting games there to have spectacular atmospheres, especially for the Auckland team… could have one of if not the best in the A League (major if) if a good active support comes to fruition. I think the warriors are happier to stay at mt smart most likely, but I think Eden Park will still get somewhat regular sporting fixtures if the blues join with Akl football as both teams will be taking at least 3 upwards games a year to EP , depending on their success. Whether they will be able to be financially sustainable , not sure ..coochiee
If Foley's planned Waterfront Stadium goes ahead I can see the position of Eden Park becoming perilous financially, and that won't be great for NZ as a whole.
The Blues recently took a bit of time to reaffirm they would play at EP, Super Rugby season 2024. Inferring they were seriously looking at Mt Smart (where Moana Pasika play).
I'm sure the Blues & Moana Pasika would seriously consider relocating to a waterfront stadium 20-25K range. Blues rarely get crowds above that. I'm sure Foley would welcome as many paying tenants as possible to a stadium he is privately funding for $300M or whatever.
So if Blues leave EP, that just leaves 6 concerts, a couple of white ball cricket games, and 1-2 AB tests per year. EP already struggles as it is to cover costs. Losing Super Rugby would be a blow. And a financially bereft EP (NZ's National Stadium) wouldn't be great for NZ's chances of hosting future big events, like saw 1-2 pools of a 32 team Club World Cup hosted with Australia.
Agree I think EP has an excellent game day experience for any crowd above say 20,000. Folks still talk about that 1-1 draw (Feb 2019), Nix verus VUC with fondness. Libby burning off Honda, Rudan's team in great form at that point. Crowd 23,600.
This wasn't a bumper one off crowd because they had been football starved for 2 years, post Covid. This was a crowd drawn in by a team in form, with some star quality (Taylor, Libby, Singh & Krishna) on a balmy Auckland Feb evening. So could a NZ derby game with similar elements draw in close to 30,000? Well marketed with Foley cash, and star quality on the field you couldn't rule it out.
EP it's easily the best venue in Auckland for public transport, pre & post match beers etc.
I hope the new Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker does chat to Nick Saunter EP CEO. This Aucks team could easily start their first season with a few big crowds in the 20k-30k range. There are also plans (EP 2.0) to greatly improve EP as a game day experience ie a roof, ability to block off upper tiers (huge curtains). Of course that is reliant on a multi million dollar Council/Govt investment. Saunter should be brain storming ideas how to make EP a better atmosphere for crowds in the 10-15K range immediately. Then try & woo Becker to consider EP as home of the Black Knights. Or as a minimum play their first 2-3 home games there and see how it goes.
Sauntner will secretly be hoping this Saturday's Mt Smart crowd(s) are a bit of a dud.
While there would be some competitive overlap, hard to see the city losing need of a 50,000 seater stadium. That being said though, Eden Park is de facto a private business that imo has done more harm than good to this city and I don't think we owe them events.
Agree I think EP has an excellent game day experience for any crowd above say 20,000. Folks still talk about that 1-1 draw (Feb 2019), Nix verus VUC with fondness. Libby burning off Honda, Rudan's team in great form at that point. Crowd 23,600.
This wasn't a bumper one off crowd because they had been football starved for 2 years, post Covid. This was a crowd drawn in by a team in form, with some star quality (Taylor, Libby, Singh & Krishna) on a balmy Auckland Feb evening. So could a NZ derby game with similar elements draw in close to 30,000? Well marketed with Foley cash, and star quality on the field you couldn't rule it out.
EP it's easily the best venue in Auckland for public transport, pre & post match beers etc.
I hope the new Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker does chat to Nick Saunter EP CEO. This Aucks team could easily start their first season with a few big crowds in the 20k-30k range. There are also plans (EP 2.0) to greatly improve EP as a game day experience ie a roof, ability to block off upper tiers (huge curtains). Of course that is reliant on a multi million dollar Council/Govt investment. Saunter should be brain storming ideas how to make EP a better atmosphere for crowds in the 10-15K range immediately. Then try & woo Becker to consider EP as home of the Black Knights. Or as a minimum play their first 2-3 home games there and see how it goes.
Sauntner will secretly be hoping this Saturday's Mt Smart crowd(s) are a bit of a dud.
Hard no to Eden Park. The "upgrade" is going to make it worse, they are proposing to move the stands FURTHER from the field to make the cricket ground more oval in shape. Those in charge are a bunch of deluded old men who are doing everything they can to hold onto their white elephant.
Mt Smart is easily the best current option. And a waterfront stadium is easily the best potential option.
Where does it say in the EP 2.0 info released, they plan to move the stands further away to create a more oval feel? I haven't read that anywhere? Fact or fiction
EP is far from the perfect venue for an Auckland A League team. And a new waterfront stadium in 20-25K range sounds great. But to me EP, is a better location than Mt Smart, and NZ as a whole needs to be very careful not to make NZ's only stadium with capacity above 45,000 irrelevant. NZ needs a 'National Stadium' of that size or greater, to have any hope of staging future big events, like cohosting a Club World Cup.
I'm also gonna go out on a limb here and say that in it's first season the new Auckland team will get at least one crowd above 30,000. Maybe even more than one game. What happens in following seasons who knows.
The new-look Eden Park would replace a “mismatched bag of bones” – the existing patchwork design in which no two of the four grandstands are the same.
McKay says the revamp is envisaged in four stages:
New, bigger, West and East stands, with designs similar to the South Stand that was completed for the 2011 men’s Rugby World Cup;
A completely new North Stand, designed in line with the South Stand and the two new East and West stands;
A retractable roof, extending between the East and West stands, allowing all-weather events such as one-day and T20 cricket matches – and avoiding messy and wet concerts and other events; and
A grand pedestrian promenade – like the one leading to the 34,500-capacity Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand – linking the Kingsland train station with a new entrance to the park. The promenade would be built over the busy Sandringham Road and give pedestrians unencumbered access.
Another issue - though not a major one at all yet - is where does the Auckland ALW team play season 2025/26? As with the Nix start with a few double headers, and gauge interest levels in the women's team?
Kiwitea St could be a good option. From memory the NZ U20s women played Aussie U20 in a few WC warmups there last year. Otherwise if Auckland Cricket ever moved away, Eden Park No 2 with some sideline temp seating could be a cool inter city venue. Or Trusts Arena out west.
Not sure how specific Eden Park have been about 'Eden Park 2.0' but in the video the ground looks significantly bigger and the pitch distances look pretty bad in their football mock-up.
Kiwitea St is a good option in terms of atmosphere. I remember a few years ago when NZ National league was at peak with Auckland city, eastern suburbs, team Wellington and Canterbury all very good national league sides. A semi final between City and suburbs at Kiwitea street was about 1000-1500 fans and was actually a decent atmosphere at the ground and a really good vibe. However it is a nightmare with little surrounding street parking and not very good public transport links, but still a good option if crowds are below the 2,000 level. Capacity listed online at 5k but I think that the ground would become quite uncomfortable and hard to see the pitch if you had more than 2000-2500ish people as there is not much seating and only 250 seats under cover, meaning many people would have to stand and would be very tight around the field however would be a great atmosphere. EP2 best for location, trusts probably the most ideal ground technicality wise but its location is definitely too far to attract crowds.coochiee
Another issue - though not a major one at all yet - is where does the Auckland ALW team play season 2025/26? As with the Nix start with a few double headers, and gauge interest levels in the women's team?
Kiwitea St could be a good option. From memory the NZ U20s women played Aussie U20 in a few WC warmups there last year. Otherwise if Auckland Cricket ever moved away, Eden Park No 2 with some sideline temp seating could be a cool inter city venue. Otherwise Trusts Arena out west.
If this is an accurate photo this would be rubbish. The stand behind the goal at the near side of the ground (opposite side to where Hannah Wilkinson scored in the WWC) was right by the field and same with the stand adjacent to it, the stand was right by the benches and the field. This would be really annoying, as it is already frustrating at the nix games at EP on the main stand they sit us on being a bit away from the field. Footy_Fella
Not sure how specific Eden Park have been about 'Eden Park 2.0' but in the video the ground looks significantly bigger and the pitch distances look pretty bad in their football mock-up.
If this is an accurate photo this would be rubbish. The stand behind the goal at the near side of the ground (opposite side to where Hannah Wilkinson scored in the WWC) was right by the field and same with the stand adjacent to it, the stand was right by the benches and the field. This would be really annoying, as it is already frustrating at the nix games at EP on the main stand they sit us on being a bit away from the field. Footy_Fella
Not sure how specific Eden Park have been about 'Eden Park 2.0' but in the video the ground looks significantly bigger and the pitch distances look pretty bad in their football mock-up.
Yeah, imo watching from the southern, eastern, and western stands is fine, but you definetly notice the distance when you're in the northern/asb stand, and looks like this will only be exasperated.
Ofc when we discuss boutique football stadiums we are ultimately indulging ourselves quite a bit, but playing your cricket and your football/rugby at seperate venues should be the base requirment for any Australasian city and the fact that a 1.7mil pop city hasn't cracked that is a bit poor.
I live 5 mins walk from NHS and was sort of hoping that it would be the home ground, but Mt Smart makes more sense as more central and long term a waterfront stadium would be even better in my view.
For me living right next to the Albany bus station, jump on the bus, get off at Britomart, few beers in the bars downtown, the game and then reverse that on the way home, perfect.
I've been to Kiwitea a few times, most recently for NZ v Aus U-20, it's a nice little ground though it has little seating and what seating it does have is very old fashioned. Not quite the Jerry Collins vibe. But I don't agree that public transport isn't good, it's 10 minutes walk from a major bus route.
The new FIFA-standard grass pitch at Western Springs AFC could be an option if they put seating in.
Another issue - though not a major one at all yet - is where does the Auckland ALW team play season 2025/26? As with the Nix start with a few double headers, and gauge interest levels in the women's team?
Kiwitea St could be a good option. From memory the NZ U20s women played Aussie U20 in a few WC warmups there last year. Otherwise if Auckland Cricket ever moved away, Eden Park No 2 with some sideline temp seating could be a cool inter city venue. Or Trusts Arena out west.
I just want to chime in and say that Trusts is the worth ground in the country. If you're dead centre you're over 100m from the centre circle. Goals ever further away. Gross!
Agree I think EP has an excellent game day experience for any crowd above say 20,000. Folks still talk about that 1-1 draw (Feb 2019), Nix verus VUC with fondness. Libby burning off Honda, Rudan's team in great form at that point. Crowd 23,600.
This wasn't a bumper one off crowd because they had been football starved for 2 years, post Covid. This was a crowd drawn in by a team in form, with some star quality (Taylor, Libby, Singh & Krishna) on a balmy Auckland Feb evening. So could a NZ derby game with similar elements draw in close to 30,000? Well marketed with Foley cash, and star quality on the field you couldn't rule it out.
EP it's easily the best venue in Auckland for public transport, pre & post match beers etc.
I hope the new Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker does chat to Nick Saunter EP CEO. This Aucks team could easily start their first season with a few big crowds in the 20k-30k range. There are also plans (EP 2.0) to greatly improve EP as a game day experience ie a roof, ability to block off upper tiers (huge curtains). Of course that is reliant on a multi million dollar Council/Govt investment. Saunter should be brain storming ideas how to make EP a better atmosphere for crowds in the 10-15K range immediately. Then try & woo Becker to consider EP as home of the Black Knights. Or as a minimum play their first 2-3 home games there and see how it goes.
Sauntner will secretly be hoping this Saturday's Mt Smart crowd(s) are a bit of a dud.
And from where I was sitting yesterday it seems like he got his wish :((((
Yup. Attendance posted online at 5,532. Don’t imagine there will be a Wellington attendance less than that, how funny that our Auckland game is most likely our lowest attendance of the season? I defenitely think for the March game the club may look to bring it to Christchurch to get some more country wide support, or just anywhere that’s not Auckland ..Footy_Fella
coochiee
Agree I think EP has an excellent game day experience for any crowd above say 20,000. Folks still talk about that 1-1 draw (Feb 2019), Nix verus VUC with fondness. Libby burning off Honda, Rudan's team in great form at that point. Crowd 23,600.
This wasn't a bumper one off crowd because they had been football starved for 2 years, post Covid. This was a crowd drawn in by a team in form, with some star quality (Taylor, Libby, Singh & Krishna) on a balmy Auckland Feb evening. So could a NZ derby game with similar elements draw in close to 30,000? Well marketed with Foley cash, and star quality on the field you couldn't rule it out.
EP it's easily the best venue in Auckland for public transport, pre & post match beers etc.
I hope the new Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker does chat to Nick Saunter EP CEO. This Aucks team could easily start their first season with a few big crowds in the 20k-30k range. There are also plans (EP 2.0) to greatly improve EP as a game day experience ie a roof, ability to block off upper tiers (huge curtains). Of course that is reliant on a multi million dollar Council/Govt investment. Saunter should be brain storming ideas how to make EP a better atmosphere for crowds in the 10-15K range immediately. Then try & woo Becker to consider EP as home of the Black Knights. Or as a minimum play their first 2-3 home games there and see how it goes.
Sauntner will secretly be hoping this Saturday's Mt Smart crowd(s) are a bit of a dud.
And from where I was sitting yesterday it seems like he got his wish :((((
Yup. Attendance posted online at 5,532. Don’t imagine there will be a Wellington attendance less than that, how funny that our Auckland game is most likely our lowest attendance of the season? I defenitely think for the March game the club may look to bring it to Christchurch to get some more country wide support, or just anywhere that’s not Auckland ..Footy_Fella
coochiee
Agree I think EP has an excellent game day experience for any crowd above say 20,000. Folks still talk about that 1-1 draw (Feb 2019), Nix verus VUC with fondness. Libby burning off Honda, Rudan's team in great form at that point. Crowd 23,600.
This wasn't a bumper one off crowd because they had been football starved for 2 years, post Covid. This was a crowd drawn in by a team in form, with some star quality (Taylor, Libby, Singh & Krishna) on a balmy Auckland Feb evening. So could a NZ derby game with similar elements draw in close to 30,000? Well marketed with Foley cash, and star quality on the field you couldn't rule it out.
EP it's easily the best venue in Auckland for public transport, pre & post match beers etc.
I hope the new Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker does chat to Nick Saunter EP CEO. This Aucks team could easily start their first season with a few big crowds in the 20k-30k range. There are also plans (EP 2.0) to greatly improve EP as a game day experience ie a roof, ability to block off upper tiers (huge curtains). Of course that is reliant on a multi million dollar Council/Govt investment. Saunter should be brain storming ideas how to make EP a better atmosphere for crowds in the 10-15K range immediately. Then try & woo Becker to consider EP as home of the Black Knights. Or as a minimum play their first 2-3 home games there and see how it goes.
Sauntner will secretly be hoping this Saturday's Mt Smart crowd(s) are a bit of a dud.
And from where I was sitting yesterday it seems like he got his wish :((((
Oh man I thought it was at least 7,000. It seems a touch uncharacteristic, I wonder where it went wrong?
That is almost precisely the same attendance as the last Phoenix game at Mt Smart. I think it's the location. (I forget which year that was, but the chant was "Santalab's a racist")
There seems to be a weird doublethink going around this forum. Either "haha, JAFAs don't go to football games, why do we bother taking the Nix there" *or* "oh shark, Bill Foley's new franchise will totally eat our lunch." They can't BOTH be true.
I think there is no doubt crowds will increase from this for the Auckland a league team. There is a big interest for football in Auckland, the main problem for this match was no one really knew about it as the only advertising I ever saw was an email from the Phoenix and social media pages which is not really enough to get the message out there (provided the very little media attention the Phoenix get).
Auckland team will get a lot more media attention, plus talking to some of my eurosnob mates (which majority of AKL football followers are), they know this team is coming and are keen to go to some games, whereas they didn’t know this Phoenix game was on.
As I’m sure as many people have already said the crowds will be results dependant plus the early ability to bring in any big names, especially a Asian or another international figure who will attract the large ethnic groups of Auckland. Forgive me for saying, but Honda playing us at Eden Park defenitely increased the number by a larger amount of Asians excited to see Honda but also wanting the Nix to win.
As I am from akl, I am interested in hearing other Auckland people’s opinion on our support of the new team. I have been a proud Phoenix fan for as long as I can remember despite my eurosnob mates giving me stick for supporting the nix when most of them haven’t felt a real passion for a club before. My heart is with the nix, and I will always be dedicated to the development of our club and us trying to win the league. I will attend Auckland football games, and maybe unlike wellington based Phoenix fans, I will not be vowing for their failure against other Australian sides. Finally a chance to see regular football close to me, (despite me attending around 7-9 of the games at sky the last 2 years), it would be a sad experience for me to not support an NZ side against an Australian team. However, after all that waffle from me, when the Phoenix is playing Auckland (both home at sky and away at Akl, I will be at the games supporting the nix and whatever insults the fever come up with against the Auckland team.
While I wont be sad if Auckland win the league, I certainly will be if they have to knock us down in order to do so. Doloras
There seems to be a weird doublethink going around this forum. Either "haha, JAFAs don't go to football games, why do we bother taking the Nix there" *or* "oh shark, Bill Foley's new franchise will totally eat our lunch." They can't BOTH be true.
Attendances can be a pretty tricky thing to talk about - as a football nerd I know I'm pretty estranged from the mind of a casual and don't have much of a very good understanding of what most incentivises them to attend.
That being said though I'm sure they'll get respectful numbers, but how big they'll get I've got no clue.
Yup. Attendance posted online at 5,532. Don’t imagine there will be a Wellington attendance less than that, how funny that our Auckland game is most likely our lowest attendance of the season? I defenitely think for the March game the club may look to bring it to Christchurch to get some more country wide support, or just anywhere that’s not Auckland ..Footy_Fella
coochiee
Agree I think EP has an excellent game day experience for any crowd above say 20,000. Folks still talk about that 1-1 draw (Feb 2019), Nix verus VUC with fondness. Libby burning off Honda, Rudan's team in great form at that point. Crowd 23,600.
This wasn't a bumper one off crowd because they had been football starved for 2 years, post Covid. This was a crowd drawn in by a team in form, with some star quality (Taylor, Libby, Singh & Krishna) on a balmy Auckland Feb evening. So could a NZ derby game with similar elements draw in close to 30,000? Well marketed with Foley cash, and star quality on the field you couldn't rule it out.
EP it's easily the best venue in Auckland for public transport, pre & post match beers etc.
I hope the new Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker does chat to Nick Saunter EP CEO. This Aucks team could easily start their first season with a few big crowds in the 20k-30k range. There are also plans (EP 2.0) to greatly improve EP as a game day experience ie a roof, ability to block off upper tiers (huge curtains). Of course that is reliant on a multi million dollar Council/Govt investment. Saunter should be brain storming ideas how to make EP a better atmosphere for crowds in the 10-15K range immediately. Then try & woo Becker to consider EP as home of the Black Knights. Or as a minimum play their first 2-3 home games there and see how it goes.
Sauntner will secretly be hoping this Saturday's Mt Smart crowd(s) are a bit of a dud.
And from where I was sitting yesterday it seems like he got his wish :((((
Sorry but that's a woeful crowd considering the Nix men were unbeaten, and it was a double header. I presume the crowd figure captures any fans who just came later to watch the women?
Crowds at Eden Park have consistently been double to even 4-5x that in size. Though seems the Auckland crowds are always bigger post Xmas, for whatever reason. Example the almost 24,000 in Feb 2019. But without question, you would have got a bigger crowd at EP yesterday.
Sounds like there was almost no marketing for these Mt Smart games. But I'll also agrue til I'm azure in the face, Eden Park is the best venue to base a new Auckland team, until any new waterfront stadium dream is a reality. Love visiting EP, love the buzz there. Love that you don't have to drive to get there. Even when it's only around 9-10K and they just open one side of the ground, still love it. Penrose meh. Albany a greater meh.
Oh and like many non Wellingtonians I support the Nix because they are the only NZ team in the A League. Who else were we going to support? But now if many of those same folk like me decide to support the Aucks as their 2nd team that's only natural. If some who live in or near Auckland, decide to now make the Aucks their no 1 team, that's also not unreasonable.
Yup. Attendance posted online at 5,532. Don’t imagine there will be a Wellington attendance less than that, how funny that our Auckland game is most likely our lowest attendance of the season? I defenitely think for the March game the club may look to bring it to Christchurch to get some more country wide support, or just anywhere that’s not Auckland ..Footy_Fella
coochiee
Agree I think EP has an excellent game day experience for any crowd above say 20,000. Folks still talk about that 1-1 draw (Feb 2019), Nix verus VUC with fondness. Libby burning off Honda, Rudan's team in great form at that point. Crowd 23,600.
This wasn't a bumper one off crowd because they had been football starved for 2 years, post Covid. This was a crowd drawn in by a team in form, with some star quality (Taylor, Libby, Singh & Krishna) on a balmy Auckland Feb evening. So could a NZ derby game with similar elements draw in close to 30,000? Well marketed with Foley cash, and star quality on the field you couldn't rule it out.
EP it's easily the best venue in Auckland for public transport, pre & post match beers etc.
I hope the new Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker does chat to Nick Saunter EP CEO. This Aucks team could easily start their first season with a few big crowds in the 20k-30k range. There are also plans (EP 2.0) to greatly improve EP as a game day experience ie a roof, ability to block off upper tiers (huge curtains). Of course that is reliant on a multi million dollar Council/Govt investment. Saunter should be brain storming ideas how to make EP a better atmosphere for crowds in the 10-15K range immediately. Then try & woo Becker to consider EP as home of the Black Knights. Or as a minimum play their first 2-3 home games there and see how it goes.
Sauntner will secretly be hoping this Saturday's Mt Smart crowd(s) are a bit of a dud.
And from where I was sitting yesterday it seems like he got his wish :((((
Sorry but that's a woeful crowd considering the Nix men were unbeaten, and it was a double header. I presume the crowd figure captures any fans who just came later to watch the women?
Crowds at Eden Park have consistently been double to even 4-5x that in size. Though seems the biggest Auckland crowds are always post Xmas, for whatever reason. Example almost 24,000 in Feb 2019. But you would have without question got a bigger crowd at EP yesterday.
Sounds like there was almost no marketing for these Mt Smart games. But I'll also agrue til I'm azure in the face, Eden Park is the best venue to base a new Auckland team, until any new waterfront stadium dream is a reality. Love visiting EP, love the buzz there. Love that you don't have to drive to get there. Even when it's only around 9-10K and they just open one side of the ground, still love it. Penrose meh. Albany a greater meh.
Oh and like many non Wellingtonians I support the Nix because they are the only NZ team in the A League. Who else were we going to support? But now if many of those same folk like me decide to support the Aucks as their 2nd team that's only natural. If some who live in or near Auckland, decide to now make the Aucks their no 1 team, that's also not unreasonable.
I think there was a fair bit of advertising but more aimed at families from memory. EP obviously better located than Mt Smart, and if we can put the difference in crowds down to that it makes one wonder what they'd be like in the CBD.
Yes as I am a football nerd I’m not too sure too however I know one thing - there is a massive FOMO in Auckland when sports teams start doing well. Every person obviously was talking abt the warriors and also most people knew about the breakers success too. The warriors have a core fan base of about 15000 minimum at each home game, and was selling out games at about 28000 capacity weeks in advance when they were popular. Breakers also sold out about the last few games of the season last year at 6000ish capacity, then increased capacity for finals to 9k then 10k still sold out.
I suspect akl footballs fan base to be similar of that to the breakers. The breakers have a core fan base of probably 2500-3000, and casuals who make it to a few games a season, is enough to satisfy their craving for live sport, bring the numbers up to about 6-7000 a game. Akl football is likely to have quite a small core of fans, similar to the breakers, and casuals will fill up the stands by only going to a few regular season games, as that is enough to satisfy them… and then all the casuals go to the finals if made. This will be what is different from akl to Wellington Phoenix , as the Phoenix have a core of about 5000-6000 who go to most games, and then casuals bring us up to the 6-8000 and if we are doing really well is getting close to 9000. Phoenix fans will always have a better core and a close knit group of supporters, and Auckland fans while an identity will be made, most likely smaller and longer to establish than the Phoenix s did. — Akls core will be sizeably smaller than Phoenix, but will get bigger crowds Footy_Fella
Attendances can be a pretty tricky thing to talk about - as a football nerd I know I'm pretty estranged from the mind of a casual and don't have much of a very good understanding of what most incentivises them to attend.
That being said though I'm sure they'll get respectful numbers, but how big they'll get I've got no clue.
I'm not sure how you can just outright say, 10 months before they kick a ball that the Auckland team will have a smaller core fan base than the Nix. We are talking a city (yes spread out) with a popn 3-4x the size of greater Welly.
They haven't signed a player yet (expect some bigger names than Zawada, Ball, Kraev & Wootton), and we have no idea what marketing, fan group ideas etc they have. No idea. Again forget about the woeful Knights of a half generation ago, this is going to be whole different scale of enterprise, with open cheques signed by a Billionaire guy who doesn't deal in the mediocre. Forbes says his net worth is $1.6Billion by the way.
EP is much better situated for the flakey crowd walk up lot, waking up hungover, seeing an ad in the paper at a cafe, or on a billboard or online somewhere, messaging a couple of mates going ‘whaddya reckon?’ and strolling on down…bit of success certainly helps the above equation.
Mt Smart needs intent and planning from much of the city.
I agree that I shouldn’t be out rightly saying it, but I’m pretty confident about it. I’m talking about ride or die fans. In the nixs poor run from 2015-17 before Rudan came ok crowds(5-7k) still turned up for the nix. If the Auckland team became consistently bad then I believe there will be a lot smaller crowds in proportion to Phoenix crowd numbers when we have been bad.. However I think it depends on how you classify a core, because Auckland is so big and we don’t know anything about them yet, that it will take a long time to identify what the core size is of the fans as if they are consistent good team the first few years the number of casuals going will be really high. Because there are so many casuals in Auckland we won’t really be able to know the size of the core fan group for a while until they start losing, as the amount of casuals coming will increase/decrease with form… when the Phoenix first begun we had consistent crowds around 10k+ the first few years, then slowly began to decline we probably won’t know the size of the Auckland core for years. coochiee
I'm not sure how you can just outright say, 10 months before they kick a ball that the Auckland team will have a smaller core fan base than the Nix. We are talking a city (yes spread out) with a popn 3-4x the size of greater Welly.
They haven't signed a player yet (expect some bigger names than Zawada, Ball, Kraev & Wootton), and we have no idea what marketing, fan group ideas etc they have. No idea. Again forget about the woeful Knights of a half generation ago, this is going to be whole different scale of enterprise, with open cheques signed by a Billionaire guy who doesn't deal in the mediocre. Forbes says his net worth is $1.6Billion by the way.
