MONEY SPINNING EPL GAMES FOR THE NIX
By Matheson Sports Media
An English Premier League team will play in New Zealand later this year, Matheson Sports Media can reveal.
The Wellington Phoenix has been locked in discussions with two EPL teams for nearly a year.
In the last week negotiations have taken a significant step forward with an insider saying the tour now “will happen”.
Depending on the next phase of negotiations the Nix will either entertain one or two EPL sides in Auckland and Wellington in July.
While dates have yet to be confirmed, the venues – Auckland’s Eden Park and Wellington’s Westpac Stadium - are close to being locked in.
The two July games will offer the Nix a chance to drive some much needed monies into their business.
Crowds at Westpac have been disappointing this season and a cash injection from potential sell-outs in Auckland and Wellington will help take the financial pressure off the front office.
New Zealand has hosted numerous top flight English clubs in the past - including the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur – but in recent years have had to watch on as Australian football played host to powerhouses like United and Liverpool.
It’s a tribute to Nix CEO David Dome – currently in Australia at an A-League CEO’s meeting - that he has been able to secure the deals.
He has worked tirelessly – this time last year he was close to securing a deal with EPL giants Spurs, but in the end the maths just didn’t work.
This year the numbers add up and an announcement of the identity of the sides is pending.
EPL clubs traditionally release their off-season tour plans in the first week of April.
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