Phoenix Ownership - Rob says FTFFA (Part 1)

They see Terry rollin'. They hatin'.

Thats Gold

that means im laughing

new emoticons 

On a more positive note, today I saw Gareth Morgan while I was wearing my stripey. We both saw each other and exchanged the "I know that you know and you know that I know that you know" look, it was brilliant. The man's a legend!

"Good" thing we are still allowed back to Palmy for future games.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/sport/7127821/Arena-writes-off-debt

That's a big weight off my shoulders.

Can't wait to get back to FMG Stadium.

"We were trying to recoup it from day one," Walsh said. He said he went to Wellington to see then-Phoenix owner Terry Serepisos, who did not have his chequebook with him at the time but promised to send a cheque.

Brilliant. 

For the first time, I am starting to really question the plan that Welnix have for the club. I think they do not understand how a football club works at all, and are going to destroy the heart and soul of the club if they keep trying to operate it as a business. Bring back Terry.

Also on a side note, some of my family saw terry shopping when the nix were playing. Whats up with that? Thought he'd still be a very loyal and passionate fan. I mean it is "his" club.

I don't agree on the Bring Back Terry, but do agree on the rest. They seem to just have zero clue. Also the fact that they don't appear to have even looked at other factors to get crowds in Wellington, just decided to take games elsewhere.

So much this Jono: "Also the fact that they don't appear to have even looked at other factors to get crowds in Wellington, just decided to take games elsewhere."

Gareth said back in January that they were planning to take just one more game away from Wellington, no more.

At the end of the day they don't seem to be interested in putting effort into the Wellington market. 

Remember this: Clemenger sign on with the Phoenix 

That worked out well didn't it.

This, and Gareth's interview on Radio Sport this morning, have made me feel somewhat uneasy.....

I wonder though what else can they do for the Wellington Market that frankly seem to have fallen out of love with the Nix? We have had all the bouncy castles, face painting, Bands, entertainment, march to the match, a winning team, ticket giveaways and yet even at the Semi Final last year we only got around 10k.

I am not happy about games going away from the RoF but people need to get along to show their support.

And as for bring back Terry??? Really???

Stop pushing families so heavily, that'd help. 

What about changing the target? They have been targetting families since the beginning, Sunday afternoon games, kids days out, Nixie etc. Has it worked? Not that I can see. 

In general families are likely to have less disposable income and a Nix game is a bit to shell out for, also less likely to come if the weather is a bit off. So why not see if a change of target might work, go for the students/young workers/professionals who might have a bit more disposable income won't be so fickle weatherwise? Just a thought. 

I was joking when I said bring back terry...

Hmmm. So do I get the idea from this thread that our "why" for low crowd attendances is simply bad marketing? That all those professionals that Welnix have signed up don't know what they're doing?

The thing about marketing to families is that's how you put down roots in the community and breed a second generation of Nix fans. But I really hope that the fears that t_x and I had about Welnix in the first place aren't justified.

I agree market to the people who have money not families and kids - WRONG

I like going out on Friday, saturday night and having a few beers and dinner with my wife and make a night of it at the football.

Sunday if fine rather go and play golf or to the beach or for a walk in sunshine.

If Nix played some decent football would help too. Dear I say it we look like the KINGS and we all know what happened to them

very disappointed lsitening to Rob morrison with plans to take more games out of wellington. Whilst i would hate to do this I may have to reconsider my season ticket for next season

I have to admit, this is a pretty powerful demotivator for me as well.

Football teams aren't just an "entertainment product" that you can move around to "serve" to "new markets" and anyone who treats them as such may quickly find that their 6,000 genuine fans will drift away from them.

I heard a snippet of Morgan with Vietch in which he said we were changing away from a 4-4-2 to a more attacking 4-3-3.... Um, haven't we always played 4-3-3 apart from the one game which everyone says we were at our most attacking ever?

I was at the game on Sunday with my Kids. My daughter, 6, expected face painting and asked after 10 min for the first Phoenix goal. We painted a banner on Saturday and did the march to the game to build up some excitement. But then, it was just plain boring game, horrible to watch. I had to keep them entertained for most of the game. I think twice to bring them the next time, it's just to much work.

The Yellow Fever did a good job last Sunday.

Bopman: I would assume he is talking about the move from 

Back 4

Fenton, Muscat, Smith, Ifill

Huysegems Brockie 

To more of this

Back 4

Muscat Smith Lia

Ifill Huysegems Brockie

Problem is, this is a guy who I'm sure wouldn't have spent a lot of time even watching football before buying into the Nix. Now he's a tactical wizard?

No disrespect to any of them, but that midfield 3 doesn't exactly scream exciting, attractive, attacking football.

Oh I agree with you 100%, was just responding to Bopman with what I believed he was trying to talk about...

That midfield 3, probably the most uncreative in football

Thats what we played on Sunday and it certainly didn't work in my opinion. Three man midfield is ok if two of the front three drop back to help but they simply didn't last week.

Think the owners are a bit panicked this week, and are best to deal with stuff behind the scenes.  Not surprising they feel they need to say something though, given how appalling we were at home again. Good thing about football is you get the chance the following weekend to bury the last game with a good win next time out. However to beat Adelaide away this weekend is hard to see. RH won't change anything up for the toughest away match around right now. He'll bunker down, hang in, hoping like hell Ifill comes right at some stage. Don't think anyone, including Herbert was bargaining on our best player to be so off his game, and half a yard off the pace of each match. Stein has been our best player, recognised by every side who plays us. They swarm over Stein the moment he goes anywhere near the ball.

I worry about this as I think going to the football is habbit forming - if people don't know/have to actively find out when the game is they are less likely to go, whereas if (generally) there is football on every second weekend, people get to know when game weekend is.  Having the odd game here and there, and a month without football in the region (by the time two away games and the 'home' game away pass) means people will get out of the habit of attending.

As for instructing that better football is played by shifting to the more attractive 4-3-3, the less said the better.  Unless players change (or chequebook opens) King Canute might have more success.

And I say this as a fan who hasn't lived in Wellington since before the Nix started, and as I am currently (very sadly!) living in Hamilton, I probably stand to benefit from an increase in away 'home' games.

I think Patrick's point is that the timeframes are for families to attend, but the advertising campaign is about making noise and foussed on the Fever.  The two don't really align.

 Possibly.  But anyone who got conned by 'marketing' into turning last week would want their money back.

There are adds in the paper, on the radio.  There is enough coverage.  The problem's the footy.