The A League needs to learn from the only other major league like ours: The MLS.
It specifies "soccer specific" stadiums to stop the exact issue we have in Wellington and the Roar have in Brisbane: Oversized stadiums that lose clubs money.
The Nix and even the 'Canes need a decent 15-20k stadium owned by them (Nix), not a Wellington council.
Buy some underused industrial land near the city and build something simple and improve it over time. Will make the Nix way more financially sound, improve atmosphere and gets rid of that horrid sight of a 3/4 empty stadium on TV.
Given Foley's vested interest in US sports, he's very likely to be thinking exactly this for Auckland.
It specifies "soccer specific" stadiums to stop the exact issue we have in Wellington and the Roar have in Brisbane: Oversized stadiums that lose clubs money.
The Nix and even the 'Canes need a decent 15-20k stadium owned by them (Nix), not a Wellington council.
Buy some underused industrial land near the city and build something simple and improve it over time. Will make the Nix way more financially sound, improve atmosphere and gets rid of that horrid sight of a 3/4 empty stadium on TV.
Given Foley's vested interest in US sports, he's very likely to be thinking exactly this for Auckland.
The whole idea is Unrealistic, even if the Hurriaces were partnered in.
That new Columbus Crew stadium above cost $USD314M or $NZD509M.
It seats 20,000. Lets say a 12,000 seater stadium costs two thirds that, so about $NZD350M
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower.com_Field
The Hurricanes have no money, so you are basically asking Welnix to go to the bank and get a loan for $NZD350M. At 7% interest rate that is about $24.5M per year in interest costs alone!! Pretty sure the Nix pay less that that to lease Sky Stadium for 11-13 home games per year!!
Sure you may get the Canes as a co tenant, and some other events to host, but that extra income will hardly put a dent in your debt payments.
Then if the Nix & Canes move to a new stadium what happens to Sky losing it's anchor tenants? The WCC with more urgent issues like water, have prop up the stadium's running costs. Ratepayers will love that. Or you let the stadium just fall into disrepair aka Athens post 2004 Olympics. Then where do the Nix take any big Auckland derby games, and playoff matches.
Not sure how these MLS teams are financing their new soccer specific stadiums, but seems a few of the clubs are owned by the Uber rich like Foley. The billionaires club. Rob Morrison and friends ain't in that strata.
Also the MLS unlike the A League seems to be booming. Looks like the clubs negotiate their own local TV rights deals, so hard to gauge if the all important TV rights income is increasing?? But the MLS itself in 2023 signed a 10 year deal with Apple to stream games. San Diego have agreed to pay a staggering $USD500M ($NZD811M) licence fee to become the latest new MLS club!! Insane money. Even Mr Foley would baulk at that.
https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/san-diego-awarded-mls-franchise-after-reported-500-million-fee#:~:text=Major%20League%20Soccer%20has%20awarded,a%20club%20in%20Southern%20California.
You can't compare a growing USA giant pumpkin, to a little NZ Kiwifruit. In 30 years or more the ROF will be knocked over and Welly will get a rectangular ground with a roof. Earlier if the Wairarapa fault decides on a major move. Until then the options are very limited, enlarging Jerry Collins likely the best.
Well said, different market and economics over here. Guess we're stuck with Sky Stadium for a while then... It's not all bad, on a good day with a 10k crowd it makes for good noise and viewing on TV. As I always like to say, ALM crowds aren't small, the stadiums are too big lol