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Phoenix Ownership - Rob says FTFFA (Part 2)

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Posted November 23, 2015 19:42 · last edited March 18, 2021 07:34

Go Ernie

Optimistic stuff in here

The Age; "Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick hasn't let the prospect of his club's unknown future deter him, saying he's already begun the process of re-signing players and working out their pre-season itinerary.

The future of the New Zealand-based club looked to be in dire straights a month ago when Football Federation Australia claimed the club had failed to meet a list of "metrics", subsequently denying the Phoenix's owners a 10-year licence extension.

But just as the FFA looked to have opened fire on the Phoenix, the campaign to save the club has been equal to, if not more powerful than, the push to remove them.

"The support has been unbelievable. It was a surprise in some ways but then again, wherever we go in New Zealand, we're so popular and I've never come across that before," Merrick said after the club training session at Lambert Park in Sydney's inner west. "A-League fans everywhere have backed the "Save The Nix" campaign, we've even seen it spread to the Bundesliga at Dusseldorf, and it's been something that's really very special. It fills me with a lot of hope and confidence."

Despite being knocked back for a long-term licence, the FFA is now privately urging the Phoenix to apply for a four-year extension and has cooled on the idea of cutting them loose at the end of the season. Whether a four-year stint with no long-term guarantees is enough to appease the WelNix consortium is the more pressing issue. The Phoenix's licence expires at the end of the year, at which point players' contracts could be thrown into jeopardy.

"What I know is that we'll be playing next year in this league and I've already started to re-sign players, look at new players and plan for pre-season. The board is totally supportive of that," Merrick said. "I'd say it's almost business as usual, at least from my point of view. I have absolutely no reason not to plan ahead. We've appointed a new academy coach, Paul Temple, we now have an under-20 team in the New Zealand national league team and nothing will stop us moving forward."

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Unknown editor edited March 18, 2021 07:34

Go Ernie

Optimistic stuff in here

The Age; "Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick hasn't let the prospect of his club's unknown future deter him, saying he's already begun the process of re-signing players and working out their pre-season itinerary.

The future of the New Zealand-based club looked to be in dire straights a month ago when Football Federation Australia claimed the club had failed to meet a list of "metrics", subsequently denying the Phoenix's owners a 10-year licence extension.

But just as the FFA looked to have opened fire on the Phoenix, the campaign to save the club has been equal to, if not more powerful than, the push to remove them.

"The support has been unbelievable. It was a surprise in some ways but then again, wherever we go in New Zealand, we're so popular and I've never come across that before," Merrick said after the club training session at Lambert Park in Sydney's inner west. "A-League fans everywhere have backed the "Save The Nix" campaign, we've even seen it spread to the Bundesliga at Dusseldorf, and it's been something that's really very special. It fills me with a lot of hope and confidence."

Despite being knocked back for a long-term licence, the FFA is now privately urging the Phoenix to apply for a four-year extension and has cooled on the idea of cutting them loose at the end of the season. Whether a four-year stint with no long-term guarantees is enough to appease the WelNix consortium is the more pressing issue. The Phoenix's licence expires at the end of the year, at which point players' contracts could be thrown into jeopardy.

"What I know is that we'll be playing next year in this league and I've already started to re-sign players, look at new players and plan for pre-season. The board is totally supportive of that," Merrick said. "I'd say it's almost business as usual, at least from my point of view. I have absolutely no reason not to plan ahead. We've appointed a new academy coach, Paul Temple, we now have an under-20 team in the New Zealand national league team and nothing will stop us moving forward."