Crowds - The thread of Australian whining

CEO

Up to Terry, I would have thought.

True but Tony seemed to take on an active role in this field too. Yet he wasn't going on about the losing money. One of the most positive persons I have ever met.

Oh and hows the head 2nd Best? 

Well back then we had an owner willing to throw money away. We don't anymore. Time to move on.

Much better after a decent sleep! Glad I didn't have your flight schedule.

Really!? Why would having a 2nd team increase attendances? Surely it would cut them further. Auckland Phoenix fans would surely support a new Akl team and no novelty factor etc.

For what it's worth, here's why I haven't been to any of the Phoenix games in Auckland.

• Although I'm a huge football fan I don't support the Phoenix.
• I support ACFC who were playing an enormously important game early next day - that was my priority.
• I feel no connection with a Wellington based team.
• Threats?! I have a perfectly good Auckland team to support - don't threaten me!
• A hugely empty Eden Park? No thanks.

It is what it is I reckon. No amount of advertising, threatening etc is going to change it.

Again, for what it's worth I reckon your best bet is to play on the Wellington thing and focus on your die hards - All your doing by taking all these 'home' games out of Welly is diluting the appeal of your team. 

tend to agree. Though think most fans are accepting of a game being taken away per season to boost the coffers.

The more I look and think about it, the less convinced I am that NZ can sustain a 2nd A League franchise. I've always said that the Wellington Phoenix should play ALL their games in Wellington. Concentrate on trying to grow a home fan base, difficult as it may be. Crowds of 11K at Eden park means that any financial benefit of playing there is non-existent.

I spotted a couple of City fans at the game.  One asked me to keep it quiet.

Especially of risk free when under written by a council e.g Napier.

Without wanting to kick anything off, that does tend to show how their attitudes could potentially be keeping people away from attending ACFC games. 

This is brilliant. Waikato Stadium is much better. Only problem with the train is that Frankton Station (the closest still open) is going on 2 km from the ground. So they'd have to have a bus at the other end.

Bluemagic seems quite proud of how his attitude keeps me away from ACFC games. Mind you, I think quite a few YF would prefer I didn't turn up either, so I'm just unpleasant all round I suppose.

If they're going to take a game away next season they should go to Christchurch. They'll get more than we just got in Dorkland, and probably cheaper than playing at Eden park. 

Even playing an underwritten game in Dunedin in front of 4k would have been better

I sense Dunedin has had its chance and blown it. Not enough people down there. 

No you're not, you just say what you think. I think that is called "honesty".  Was good to see you make it to the game. I appreciated the overcast weather, we would have come away looking like lobsters if that sun had come out.

Understand what you are saying, but even the biggest corporations make the most public PR gaffs where you go 'Did they really come up with that?'

Some times you need to go to people whose noses are away from the smell to get a whiff of whats going on.

Hamilton is due a crack. That RECTANGULAR stadium, and the ability to get Auckland and Hamilton fans. If  you got 18k in there, it would be bloody packed and quite a spectacle. I would think cheaper than Eden Park too

will that many really travel from Auckland though? (Genuine question) 

My initial reaction is if Aucklanders struggle to get to a game at Eden park in Auckland then I doubt many would travel to Hamilton for a game. 

It also feels like a place less Wellingtonians will travel to. 

Could be a good idea for a year to make the Auckland threat credible though. 

Not really what i was getting at, worst case scenario last time it was a break even venture - unlike Jaffatown which has left us out of pocket,  but ok.

Yeah run coaches over the last couple of k's. Do it like the ski fields do from the carparks and just have a half dozen busses rotating.

The main thing would be to get a few thousand people from Auckland to Hamilton in comfort, make an event out of it, allow them to have a few beers and not worry about driving back to Auckland, and entertain the kids for the duration as well. 

So maybe a couple of trains if demand is there. Depending on how much capacity Kiwi Rail has to tap into - would have to be long range carriages rather than urban commuter trains.

As I said have it themed so the kids are entertained, I was on an Air NZ flight to LA a while back where they had the Koru Kids (like a make a wish foundation where Air NZ flies a whole bunch of sick kids to visit Disney Land), they did a really good job of keeping them entertained for the twelve hour flight, with lots of games and competitions, and all the flight attendants in fancy dress.

Yeah it is a good question and I guess based on the weekend, the report of 11k would suggest not a hell of a lot. If you got the Hamiltonians (and they will go to anything if there is a chance to get drunk and/or laid) and if you get the Auckland football market that is tuned in (lets say 4-5k but thats ambitious?) it could stack up. The road trip from other parts of the upper north (Taupo, Rotorua, Tauranga) are not as bad either. You then bring New Plymouth into play as well. It could work but agree its rather unscientific.

See you're doing it again!!!!!!!

Last game at Waikato, local footie clubs in Auckland put on booze-buses to the game and back. Maybe having it out in the wilds makes it more of a special event; but then you could say the same about North Harbour.

Second NZ club

• immediately creates derby = very good crowd at least once a year at each home ground
• doubles (or more) the profile of the A league in NZ media; twice the coverage of A league games each week; more games become relevant in NZ's largest population centre. More media leads to better crowds leads to more media coverage. 
• increases Auckland football fan engagement because they would care more about their own A league team than a team that competes in ASBP (ouch I know, but true I'm afraid)
• a local rival brings out the best/worst in each team and their supporters but is likely to grow Welly Nix numbers
• Tough for Auk Nix supporters but my view is a second team would grow Wgtn Nix support.

I'd bet that Hamilton council (unlike Auckland 'SuperCity' council) would really get into promo too. Like New Plymouth does whenever there's a major eggball game in town.

Why bother spreading our home games around the country. Why not do that after the nix wins a championship. our home games should stay in wellington. 

Don't mind one to help us break even. 

Hopefully the Hutt Rec games go well and we can go there in mid season and make a big event out of those games that people want to go to. Much better alternative to taking games around nz. Would probably still keep the Auckland game toward the end of the season even if the Hutt rec games become a regular thing. Though maybe in future We can get to the point where we only need to go to Auckland every second year. 

How would the Hutt Rec games become regular?

put the stands up for 3 games every year. Why not? As long as it's viable, a good or even better match day atmosphere, and the council buy into it.

As a matter of comparison, how is that working for Super 15. Granted they suffer from saturation and overkill... 

there is a good case for a second NZ A League team I reckon. Why not Christchurch? Hamilton is good from Auckland but other centres are disconnected. With flights every half hour from Akl or Wgtn this would never be an issue for a Christchurch derby or whatever. It's also got an international airport. With Christchurch being "re-born" I think locals may jump at the chance...

3 Kiwi A-League teams! In our dreams. One day.

new franchise stuff in here please.

http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/categories/straya-a-league-and-state-leagues/topics/2nd-nz-franchise-in-the-a-league-would-it-work?page=6#post_1023681

all aboad the phoenix football special.......the bar would be dry by the time it pulled out of the station!

1. I think playing at North Harbour Stadium would be equally as attractive as a game in Hamilton in terms of attracting spectators. If clubs are prepared to put on buses to Hamilton, doing the same to NHS would be more cost effective. How many fans from Hamilton and south would actually attend at Hamilton or would you be depending on a big contingent coming down from Auckland? For travelling Wellington fans, going to Auckland [flying] would be cheaper than going to Hamilton. 2. Hutt Rec: if these games are a success in terms of bums on seats, financial return etc, what is to stop the Nix from making some kind of permanent arrangement with the Hutt Council from keeping the seating and infrastructure up for longer [or even a whole season]?

I think baby steps to begin with. That's a massive commitment to keep them up for a whole season. You'd also lose potentially bigger crowds at Westpac toward the end of a good season, plus marginally larger crowds at the start of the season. The council, cricket and other parties would also be asked to lose use of the ground for a very large chunk of time.

Work on making it a success this time, get them to agree for the same deal next season, and potentially build from there. 

Build the fake stands on two sides of Westpack. If it rains everyone can go to the other two sides under cover.

Regardless of what the experts on here say, are the Nix happy with the 11000 crowd ? Thats all that counts. Did Dome give an indication??

I think that with better scheduling,  a game again next year in Auckland will beat any other city, and that is likely what the Nix will think too.

Blah blah. Since you dont support the Phoenix, then its worth fudge all