Football United - July 2014 West Ham and Newcastle visit

Pay per view is the dumbest idea they could have done.

It is a pre season friendly FFS, barely anyone will pay to watch those, I can guarantee you I won't.

The dumbest thing is that they have missed a HUGE marketing opportunity, had it been FTA or on SKY they could have marketed the absolute shit out of season tickets and merchandise to a large TV audience but now they cannot as people won't be watching the game.

I'm gonna be looking for dodgy streams, if none are going (which they will if it's in the UK, Aus, China etc) then I'll do something else.

Band regularly sell recordings of their concerts. People attend them. Same thing isn't it?

And then after they have sucked you in moving you onto harder stuff (all white quaalifers). Disgusted, expected this of Sky but expected better of the Phoenix

I don't get the hate, If your a fan of the game then there is nothing to cry over. Change your light blubs to LED's and with the yearly savings from your power bill, You can buy a subscription to Sky or use it to get to more live games.

not sure how the TV thing is an issue. These matches are on at the same time as the Commonwealth Games so all the attention in Australia and New Zealand will be focussed on that anyway. The fact that the matches are being televised live regardless of what channel is fucking amazeballs!

Tickets have arrived for the football united tour + I extra

My tickets arrived today. Yussss!

more amazing still is the fact that they are in my regular season ticket seats!

There are some interesting points around this.

I think that there is some merit that if you pay to attend the games, then having access to see the others seems reasonable. After all, you have contributed.

To the moaners who want something for nothing..... really?

I have no issue with the games on PPV and commend the club for going down that road. I do think that what they could do (like they do in Australia in some form) is that the game is PPV until it sells out. I think in Australia in some states, some sports are not shown locally on TV unless the ground is sold out which is a risk and reward kinda thing.

I would imagine Newcastle and West Ham would have had a word about it being PPV? More money for them?

Personally i don't mind the PPV option. Yes, i would have been HAPPIER with them being free, but i'm not fussed that I'll have to pay to watch the Nix vs West Ham match.

I'm going to the Wellington match, because you just won't get the atmosphere if you're sitting at home. To me that's he biggest difference between watching on TV and being there, it's the atmosphere.

I do agree with the sentiment that a replay the next day or something would be a good idea, i enjoy watching the match again afterwards as well. 

For those who want to watch the game, you'd have three options:

* Get to the game and enjoy the atmosphere live

* Pay $25 / $40 and watch it from the comfort of your own home

* Block your ears so you don't hear the result, avoid the forums so you don't read about the "oh my god did you see that goal from.." events, and watch the replay the next day. And then kick yourself for not getting along / watching live.

Don't they do something *similar* in the UK, where they don't broadcast the match live if you live locally? You have to wait for a replay, therefore encouraging either a subscription to the team channel, or buying a ticket and getting along (somewhat different circumstances as i'm sure will be pointed out .. but surely someone will get it)

As an aside, i still don't understand why there's so much Rugby on the Sky Sports channels, when there's a dedicated Rugby Channel that people can subscribe to.. i wonder if they'd get more subscribers if they actually put the rugby on the bloody rugby channel.

PPV is a good idea. I'm fucking sick of football supporters whinging about this shit. Just turn up or fork out the cash. Or go sit at the pub with a jug and watch it there. Don't be a pussy staying at home watching nothing, you'll just feel even worse about it. If it's not PPV it's the weather, or the cricket on at the same time, or families being out of town for holidays or whatever... excuse after excuse. First world problems. I think we're incredibly lucky to even have the side at all, it's amazing how much of a right you guys think it is to have this team to even watch. Do you think the Nix owe you something? The reality here is that you all owe a lot more.

Personally, I'm happy to pay $39 on top of my wellington tickets for 4 games of football against a couple of sides I may never get to see again in my life time. I remember the LA and Boca games fondly, they were fucking great. 

I'd be a lot happier if Sky had a football channel. I would happily fork out extra for that.

You have to remember that for most people (ie not YF forum posters) these are the biggest games the Nix have played in years, if not ever. Only the Galaxy game comes close because of Beckham. We've never been in a grand final, and only football fans have heard of Boca Juniors before. The EPL on the other hand is possibly the most viewed domestic sports competition in the world (Or maybe the NBA or something, I'm not looking it up but I guess it'd be damn close). EPL stories feature regularly on TV news here, and there's more than a few local football 'fans' who dismiss the Nix and A League as sub-par but get a rager over the EPL.

PPV will make some money back but it will also ensure that people consider buying tickets, especially for the Dunedin game where there's no kiwi team involved. It wouldn't surprise me though if the media go absolutely nuts over these matches, the games sellout, and a large number of randoms start talking football. Its really good timing following the WC which is shaping up to be the most entertaining one in years. Now we just have to hope the Football United matches are exciting and the Nix don't get embarassed, and it could have a massive impact on public interest at the start of the A League season.

These games aren't some sort of treat for hardcore fans and season ticket holders, they are for the club to spread the good word to the masses and hopefully to generate some cash and sell more tickets later in the year.

TICKET SALES SOAR FOR FOOTBALL UNITED TOUR

Strong ticket sales for the historic Football United Tour have continued after being on public sale for less than four weeks.

Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome said the Club was extremely pleased with the support the public have shown.

“This is a huge undertaking for the Club. But the public have backed us and we are determined to put on a great show for them.

“22,000 tickets have gone in Wellington, 10,000 in Auckland and over 6,000 in Dunedin. That’s almost 40,000 tickets sold for the Tour so far.

“In Wellington, we’re well ahead of where sales were at for LA Galaxy at the same time so we’re confident of getting the same sold out result”.

Reduced ticket prices for the Auckland and Wellington matches end on Sunday 22 June.

“Early bird pricing finishes in less than two weeks so we’re encouraging fans to get in quick to avoid missing out on what promises to be a once in a lifetime sporting experience”, Dome said.

They don't block live games in the local area in the UK, but they do not show any live games at 3pm on a Saturday when 90% of the fixtures are played.

That is specifically to encourage people to go along to games instead of sitting at home. I don't have a problem with that.

Think my main issue with PPV in this case is the price is too high IMO. I only really want to see the Auckland game on TV, $25 for it is fairly steep.

No, not at all.  The album is the regular season game, the concert is the Cup final.  

A friendly is like seeing a covers band.

And these friendlies are a CD single!

I only saw your first 2 line Fruglo, and I can't delete posts using the app, so my post will have to just stay there looking stupid (yes yes, like the rest of my posts...)!

At least you can be consistent!!

Do we? I think it's brilliant and I'm with Joe Public on this one! Particularly as Brenda has got us tickets in the Zone.

Just to clarify the above comment: to me Football United = an A League game but I reckon for heaps of the public Football United > A League. The Anglophile streak regarding football in NZ is massive - see Chris Rattue in the Herald stating that the EPL is the reason teams are playing attacking football at the World Cup.

Personally I'm not particularly excited about seeing West Ham and Newcastle play preseason friendlies, but I am quite excited about having a full house for a Nix game at RoF and seeing how our new midfield shapes up. But more than that I'm excited about the buzz this could generate for football in NZ in general and the Nix in particular. So I'm excited about the games but I don't think for the same reason hypothetical Joe Public would be.

I think they only view it that way because it fits with their argument against PPV. If they've bought tickets that cost a lot more than regular season tickets, then they're really just as excited as the rest of us - otherwise they'd think it was a rip off for just an ordinary preseason friendly. 

Trust me, at $95 each I'd rather use the $200 it would have cost me and the missus to come (more like $250 once you factor in booze) elsewhere.

Believe it or not I am not a rich man, I am a die hard Phoenix fan, I do love the premier league, but $200 for 2 tickets to a match that has nothing on the line so will be lacking intensity and we will be seeing players wearing the number 68 shirts that we haven't heard of, no thanks.

If it was an actual premier league game I'd be there in a shot and paying that for it without a second thought, but not a meaningless match.

Again, I think the club shouldn't have gone PPV and should have tried to broaden their audience and marketed the fuck out of season tickets, put on a stupid deal such as "Buy a season ticket while this match is on and get it for only $150", or "Buy a season ticket while this match is on and get some free Phoenix merchandise."  They could have also had merchandise specials and so on.

I know no one gives two shits about my opinion but I truly believe that they are missing a brilliant marketing opportunity by the thoughts of $$$$$$$$$$$

How are they missing a brilliant marketing opportunity when its getting a lot of press and almost a sell out?

Sorry but you strike me firmly as being in the moaners club of wanting everything for free.

Cant get excited over these games, and wont be paying to watch them

Doesnt put me in the "moaners club", just a different view on the between season circus that happens out there

20000 already going to the game, 3000 season ticket holders, that is worth examining by the club

22k

Should I be worried that I haven't got my tickets yet? Anyone else in the same boat?

yes, same boat.

will look a bit anxious at the end of the week...

It does not put you in the moaners club at all but you are in the something for nothing club.

If it was on Sky I probably would

Puts me in the viewers club, not in the something for nothing

Having already spent money on Sky, I watch what is there.

It is on Sky

You would watch it

You have to pay for it to watch but you would rather not pay

Think you kinda answered my question