AMI Stadium - Away 'Home' Games

You're probably right timmy, but I am just curious to know why, all of the sudden, the nix need to travel on the road for home games, away from the ROF fortress. Preseason is fine, but when points are on the line? Why risk the 3-9 points?

We didn't need to travel in the first two seasons - why do we need to now?

Because Terry can't sustain losing a million dollars every year and they have hit on a model where these games become profitable for them.  Sure, this season it was forced on them, but it's proven they can get crowds and make money and if the club is to survive that last bit is absolutely key.

FYI the "loss" he takes on the nix, pretty much gurantees he doesnt have to pay any tax on most of his other business's. he doesnt "lose" any money at all.

I dunno about the round-ball game, but certainly AFL clubs are known to take home games on the road to try to ensure their future. North Melbourne were very close to moving to Canberra altogether at one stage; and Hawthorn are going to playing increasingly often in Tasmania, which is kind of their "backyard", but also answers someone's question about "moving home games to a different island". The question is not the nature of the game but the nature of the competition and the market, so AFL vs A-League is not a crazy comparison IMHO.

Just where in the hell did the suggestion that away home games are vital to our survival come from anyway?

From what I can tell, the only reason that it has been suggested again is that 20k showed up in Christchurch and that's got the old dollar signs flashing like crazy in the 2 Tony's eyes.

What nonsense. If that is the case, why doesnt your business take on an A League side.

It is a loss, full stop

Regardless of whether it can be written off, it is still a bloody significant loss that I am sure he would prefer not to have

So is it just geography the reason why we apparently have to go on the road for home games to recoup these 'losses', or another reason.

If that's the case, how often does the glory go on the road for home games. Surely it would be in their interest to have a number of games on the east coast to save a bit of cash...

unless what he loses on the nix is around or under that 30% mark of his other business's tax billUberGunner2010-02-08 19:29:14

I think I write on here that the AFL subsidises clubs who 'sell' home games. It's in the order of $A400,000 at least to the home team selling that particular game
< id="gwProxy" =""><!--Session -->< ="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" ="">

Up to the league to guarantee Glory some income if they sell home games. See my comments above about the AFL, when AFL clubs here sell home games, the AFL guarantees them about (minimum) $A400,000 income to sell a particular home game interstate.

Also, someone on here said before about selling AFL to a different island (i..e Tasmania). To be honest, the Tasmanians are dying for their own permanent home team, their State Government has lodged an application with the AFL for a team there. But the AFL (as it's scared of soccer and rugby league) chose to go to Western Sydney instead, a decision which 99% of us are laughing at here.

AFL's TV deal is negotiated next year.
NRL 2012.
ARU this year.
A-League/Socceroos in 2013.

The AFL wants $A1 BILLION over 5 years (to help it fund the new teams on the Gold Coast and Western Sydney), it won't get it.
< id="gwProxy" =""><!--Session -->< ="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" ="">

So in context of the A League, and my assumed reasoning behind subsidising the 'selling' home games would be to promote the game in other areas?

Or is it just a money spinner (obscure example: NFL games played at Wembly).

If promotion, then would we be seeing another NZ A League team enter the competition in the next 5-10 years? If so, then I would fully support these 'home' road trips - but not at the expense of championship points. We have such a good record at the ROF.

An extra point or three we could have got vs. Sydney would be a nice little (little) 4th place cushion right now. Heaven forbid what might happen next season away from the ROF.

I think I get it now.

If Terry loses $1m, then (presuming the tax rate is 30%) he loses $700,000 off the bottom line of his other profit  and his tax bill reduces by $300,000 (thats what the Govt misses out on)

Example, If his taxable profit is $5m on his other businesses that gives him a  tax bill to pay of $1.5m, and a net profit of $3.5m, but when we bring in the loss of $1m from the Phoenix, it reduces his taxable profit to $4m and the tax on that is $1.2m, and his net profit reduces to $2.8m  -- he is worse off by $700,000


So no matter how big his profit is, he still is worse off by $700, 000, which I am sure he would rather not be

Ubergunner, Youre fired

** waits for all the accountants to tear this to shreds**

I'm sure we all approve of Terry lessening the amount of money the Government has available to spend on hospitals, schools, roads and police. 

No A-League side is profitable, I'm sure Terry knew this before he jumped in. So, yes that tax deduction is still useful to him.

New plan. How about a big preseason game in Aucks? Hopefully underwritten, imagine Nix v Celtic or whatever. That would please everyone.

Celtic? 

Just a random club in general that might get out the Auckland public. If that is possible...

hehe. I know what you were saying

I don't think Auckland will underwrite many football games in the future though, but I get the jist and think it is a good idea.


Won't happen though. Apparently we need to do these things during the season now.

Now it would actually annoy me a lot more if they played a game against Celtic or some other big club in a city that wasn't Wellington.

The worst part about all this is that it looks like the club have given up on improving crowds at the ROF, when they could clearly be doing far more promotion. 

Well, I'd say not the club but some on here seem to feel 8k is all the Phoenix can ever get so these games away is the only chance of decent profits. I think we could do a lot better in Welly.

why don't they host a foreign team, for two days at the ROF pre season, and invite another 2 A-League teams to participate in a four way tournament similar to the Ajax or Emirates. decent gate sales for 2 days, longer day with 2 match's per day, = decent hit on the concessions, and foreign team will bring along johnny casual.

I don't know how many freebies were given away for the chCh game, but 19k is hard to argue against.

It is hard to argue with the fact that crowd numbers could be a lot better, but I also think that the marketing needs to be a lot more visible (not that I'm an expert or anything).

Milky Pisswit2010-02-09 08:13:24

The almost 20k attending a Nix game was, without questions AMAZING and I was so very proud to be a nix fan that day. I was also truly humbled by the people of Christchurch that despite it not being their team and all, they took the effort to come see a Wellington team at their ground.

OK, you can argue that there has been a drought of football "of that level" for a while, and there was a shiny new stadium and such - but at the end of the day, it shows that NZ Football is well supported by our friends in the south.

It would be interesting to see how much they could pull again, and like I have said before I would support an annual event down in CHCH if it meant that CHCH would get their own team in the next 5-10 years.

But it is just the risk of our championship points, and the lack of communication with season members (if it wasn't for these forums, I wouldn't have known that I would actually have to go to the Ticketek office to pick up my ticket, lack of choice of travelling packages etc) that annoyed me - coupled with the feeling of rejection by the Nix.

It's weird, and UberGunner said it better than I could in another thread - but by actively seeking another home base for a couple of games makes me go all 1990's and touchy feely and feeling rejected. I've only missed one ROF home game in 3 seasons of the Nix. I've missed two "home games" in total. It is a wonderful experience, and I've converted many people to the nix and can count at least half a dozen memberships for the Nix down to me. And I know I am not the only one either. So when we have fans who are trying hard to bring people to the game in Wellington, and its taken to other places?

Bah. I don't know. I'm sounding very selfish. But it is also an identity thing. I'm easily swayed though. I am sure someone will come up with an argument to win me over that isn't to do with money. Because every owner of an A League franchise knows they aren't going to turn a profit.

I'm disturbed how happy people are to spend Terry's money.

If we want a club in five years time, they have to work out how to make money, or lose a lot less.  Simple as that.

I know, I know.

But it is also our money too. For us paying $500 for a pair of season tickets is great value for money and we have paid it without hesitation or complaint each season.

But $500 is still a lot of money for us. So while it isn't even a drop in the Nix ocean of expenses, it's our money too

Hypothetically if other cities could cover team expenses and have a high likelihood of 15-25k turnouts on an annual basis (e.g. ChCh, Akld, Dunners, Tron) at what point would the Nix admin say no more games outside Wgtn?

Whitby boy2010-02-09 16:58:00

exactly. if it were up front and honest about why theyre doing it,then itd be easier to take. if they just came out and said we are losing x and these games will help us have a team in a few years,then i may actually grin and bear it. as it stands,theyve given us a number of conflicting reasons,not one of which is about money.

Yep. Communication. It's a wonderful thing if you get it right. As I am not the brightest blub in the box I do get confused easily!

WB is correct.

whats the average gate at the ROF this season?

I don't know how well a price increase of between 10-20% would sit with some members. Its not a question of loyality, but just fiscal ability. Families paying close to and exceeding $600 for tickets - to have another $120 slapped on top of that might be what breaks the back.

I know it would be tough on some, but what was the cost to those memebrs who paid to go to Palmy and CHCH?. it was just an idea anyway, im sure the Nix braintrust have already done thier research and figured what the punters can and are willing to accept. and it would appear paying for "home" games that the majority of "members" won't attend, is fine by them.

A price increase of 10-20% could possibly stop myself/partner from flying up for home games too (but probably not), and probably many others coming from out of town. Another point to consider, although it'll probably get shot down for not being substantial enough, is that playing one game a season out of town could have the opposite effect of what UberGunner said before about the financial effect on greater Wellington, as it will attract more people to come to Wellington. That's also a fair point to make an away/home game earlier in the season.