Domey says fudge metrics.

we have had the possession - but have not looked threatning at all - Sydney probably deserve their lead... making use of the wind.

I've always liked this idea, but the problem is that if the club loses money (and I understand that's the case but I don't actually know), then each year you'd get asked for a cash top up. Any shareholder who didn't top up would get diluted (other shareholders who were topping up would get more shares to maintain ownership %s with others who were contributing).

Over 8k at last nights game?? Normally I would question the figure but I think it was pretty close to it and for it being a midweek game, that's bloody brilliant. 

Certainly are seeing what the general consensus on here has always been, good results and performances will bring in crowds.

Which means we'll be back to 6000 next game, now that the streak's broken and normal Phoenix service has been renewed?

39 people off of 9k which is great! I HOPE they all keep coming back, but I'm not too sure. Let's hope the better time of the week helps out.

Our average is still better than the Mariners'.

it’s good to see most people are being positive. Negativity can be so tiresome, especially when we are going so well, it’s almost trolling.

IF it stays as sunny as it is today and that frigging wind goes away, we could get the 10k crowd - Well, I hope so. The team do actually deserve it (Club as well)

Have to say, this interview was quite negative re: our license:

http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2019....

Good thing is, it's basically just his reckons, and didn't seem to be basing it on anything any of the actual decision makers have actually said.

I thought it turned out that the Phoenix license was tied to NZ and couldn't be sold to Australia.

That has always been the case though, FFA can only withdraw the license if we do not meet their "criteria".

Unprompted after a question about the Nix's form. I guess it must be part of job roles at Fox to undermine Nix legitimacy any chance you get.

Exactly Christo. Hidden agenda from Fox or someone very high ranking at Fox with a beef against New Zealand.

But it is FFA who could not get a better price from SKY Sport for rebroadcast rights in NZ.  I do not think it is FOX that licenses it to SKY, surely it is FFA directly that gets the money from SKY TV?

Fox want to maximise the profit they can get on their investment on the league. They don't get anything from having a Kiwi team in the league (AFAIK).

Not really anything to do with FFA (except they are inept and pushovers) nor Sky.

Edit: I realise this is close to tinfoil hat territory.

For those that didn't/haven't listen. I wrote up what was said to the question that originally wasn't asked.

Piney: What have you made of the Wellington Phoenix form these last couple of months

Teo: Fantastic for them, I hate to say it but I'm somewhat cynical this is the value of an asset being steadily increased before it is sold. I don't think this is necessary favouring the Nix and I know that maybe the kiwis won't like me saying that but I do think it is better that the whole Nix Out movement has been thoroughly silenced by the entertaining play and also fantastic individual performances of the Wellington Phoenix team.

Piney: So it is still your gut feel that a maybe a A-league team won't exist in Wellington beyond the back end of next season?

Teo: I just get the feeling that the process of the expansion was so fiercely contested and there’s so much bitterness and disappointment and "We'll be back" sentiment from enough of the consortium that missed out, that rather than hold another round of expansion this maybe the most valuable an A-League license for an existing franchise is ever going to get and thus your asset has reached maximum value, there is going to be no better time to sale. And that may apply for other teams, it may apply for Central Coast, so I'm not saying just the Phoenix could be candidates to potentially be sold or switch ownership but... look its just speculation, from a purely football point of view, they are great entertainment. I find them to be one of the best teams to watch, if not the best team to watch in the league right now for the pure 90 minutes on the pitch, so lets enjoy the ride while it is still going.

I don't think Welnix have been seriously looking at selling their licence (even in early 2018 when there was a lot of uncertainty) - finding investors/equity partners yes, but not an out right sale.

As long as the feel good factor continues this season, and home crowds of 10,000 turn up - even less likelihood of a licence being sold to any expansion wannabe team that has missed out.

What Michael Charlesworth, is thinking at CCM, who knows?

The FFA can choose to "sell" a licence to whoever they want to - for next season and beyond. They can price that "licence" at whatever they choose to - whether that licence goes to an existing club, or to someone else.

Until Welnix have a new licence beyond next season; with whoever is running the league (FFA or the owners), we have no future beyond that (in the HAL at least).

Interesting that while Dome said in October at the start of this thread the metrics stuff wouldn't matter for us in an independent A-League, last month, on 20 December he said:

"Despite the excellent results that head coach Mark Rudan and the players have delivered recently, we are still struggling to get the crowds to come back to Westpac Stadium," Dome said in a statement to club supporters.

"This is hugely concerning for all at the club as crowd attendance is one of our key metrics that we need to meet."

Also doesn't make any sense.

"this is the value of an asset being steadily increased before it is sold". The value of the licence has nothing to do with wellington phoenix's performance. Do you really think south-west sydney would pay more for the licence because the last holder had a good season? Do they think the licence is lucky?

Phoenix have similar ratings in Australia to the other smaller teams.

In most sports I've seen, when a franchise is sold, player/manager contracts can move along with it, so a well performing team would often increase its value. The value of Rudan has certainly soared! Depends if just the licence sold or the whole franchise I guess. All very hypothetical of course. As someone said, after next season we may not have a licence to sell.

While the licence is currently earmarked for a NZ team you could say, the league could certainly decide it doesn't have to be a NZ team. It isn't much of a safeguard.

This is just a circular argument.  I do not see the point in taking away a licence "because another consortium needs it".  While a franchise like the Nix still puts bums on seats and delivers the goods, more or less, surely it makes sense for FFA to collect money from an additonal club for an additional licence.  The only criterium I can see here is whether FFA makes money or not an on existing franchise, like Nix, CCM or WSW.  

They can say that we need to meet steeper criteria than most because we do not make them enough money via TV rights. But that is not a reason to replace us, only not to have us at all. We are not the problem. The value of SKY broadcasting deal is the problem.  Anything else is just jingoism and good old Aussie bullshark..Mr. Teo is talking through his hat, and is talking up a non-existing situation. We are not selling our licence because it is not ours to sell.

I find the TV rights thing so funny.  A-League is shown here in the UK on BT Sport and the Nix is the only reason I subscribe.  How much is Fox getting from BT?  

Switching the Nix off is losing a potential viewership of up to 5 million people across NZ, Aus, UK and further afield.  I'm sure those Nix fans I'm proud of seeing at the Aussie games wont be watching the other A League matches in Aus as I'm sure most of us here don't.  Can Fox afford to lose Aussie based subscribers who are only interested in the Nix?

the TV rights one is interesting, lose the nix and you guaranteed lose all of the current NZ supporters, our care for the league just gone, SKY only pay for the rights because of the nix. Add to that like you say the BT Sport rights which clearly brings in all the ex-pat communtiy.

Sky need to change their attitude towards football in general. You can't keep on losing customers by their current attitude towards them.

https://twitter.com/VinceRugari/status/10910874944...

Vince Rugari reckons Rob Morrison is involved in the new leagues working group. Seems slightly reassuring.

Very good news; now i am waiting for the next negative article to come out so I can continue my emotional rollercoaster of the last few years.

Can someone summarise wtf is happening? The owners A-league energy has been used to roll the Lowys, but now all sorts of other interests are coming out of the woodwork, not all pro-nix? Or is it going as planned?

Football Federation Australia (FFA) advises that nominations from the relevant stakeholder groups in relation to their representatives on the New League Working Group (NLWG) have now been confirmed.

In accordance with the terms of Resolution 2 of the 2018 Annual General Meeting, the composition of the NLWG is as follows:

- Nine Member Federation Presidents

- Two FFA Directors (Joseph Carrozzi and Crispin Murray)

- Five Hyundai A-League Club Chairmen (Scott Barlow, Rob Morrison, Simon Pearce, Tony Sage with Greg Griffin as General Counsel, and Anthony di Pietro and Chris Fong as alternative representatives

- Two Professional Footballers Australia representatives (Francis Awaritefe and Angela Collins)

- Two Women’s Football Council Members (Caroline Carnegie and Elise Kellond-Knight)

FFA Senior Management will also participate in the NLWG process as required.

FFA Chairman Chris Nikou said: “The work of the NLWG will be fundamental to the future success of football in Australia. The outcomes are important for the professional leagues, the national teams and the huge grassroots base of the game and it will be critical that all those sectors are taken into account. I’m pleased that its members have now been confirmed, and that we can commence the process of exploring how to evolve our professional leagues”.

The work of the NLWG is targeted to be completed by 31 March 2019.

https://www.ffa.com.au/news/new-leagues-working-group-members-appointed

I look forward to someone smarter than me to translate it please.

Hold on just a few more months, team. We're almost there.

Brilliant news for fans, players, the club, Wellington and NZ football and the A League in general too.

In brief every one is going to look after number one and their own little patch.

If it's a choice of the Nix or a new club within their patch, they will support the Nix.

If it's a choice between a fellow Ausi club outside of their patch and the nIx, they will shaft us

I hope to hear announcements for opportunities for more local derbies then, before I can fully relax.

A local "Derby" against another New Zealand based team in the A League would be awesome!

May be one reason for SKY TV to finally cough up some real dosh.

Christ, I hate all of this.  And I'm a newbie, god knows how all you long suffering Nix fans cope.  I feel emotionally invested (as everyone else is on here), i'd be gutted if i didn't have a team here to support that played on a bigger stage.