Phoenix Ownership - Rob says FTFFA

Yeah but Perth are Australian. They save money on flights and get more Australian development, and potentially bigger Australian crouds and TV money by swapping us for Sydney.

We earn our money in the competition by participating, but if you swap us for another Australian team they also earn the same money from TV (even if ratings are lower) but they get more derby games, and more Australian player development.

If this is the line of thinking by the FFA, then the only way we can stay is if we are cheaper to them than an Australian team while offering most of the same benefits, right now we are more expensive than an Australian team.

We know that this is incredibly short sighted by the FFA. NZ has always had a team in the comp, at a point where they were struggling to get enough Australian teams we were there. The FFA shouldn't have come to Wellington in the first place and not wasted everyones time and money.

All will be okay now folks.

Our mayor has woken up and realised what an asset the Phoenix are, and has promised to attend the next match!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/73429759/celia-wadebrown-calls-for-city-to-back-its-team-as-phoenix-fight-to-stay-in-aleague

Too little , too late?

Surprised how late the Mayor reacted. not surprised though, although ever support counts. 

Given how many issues the Jets, CCM and Roar have had it seems like only a matter of time until another team folds completely, and then the FFA will look even stupider for kicking out a club and owners who were stable and committed to the comp for the long term..

 I know you're not advocating for the FFA Ryan so this isn't directed at you. Just pointing out how stupid their line of reason is.1

The only reason that I can see is that its short term thinking, they can't afford another team under the current TV deal so expansion wont happen until there is a new one. This is an opportunity to move a team from a small market into a big one and save a bit of money while they are at it. It's just the nix bad luck that all the other teams have 20 year contracts.

There is no doubt that they will have to look at trying another NZ team in the future at some point, unless they expand into Asia which has been talked about before.

I hope its a bitter failure and the fudgeing league has to fold because of it, then the top Australian teams decide to break away and Join the newly profesional ASB Premiership.

Is it f*ck!

Lets start a petition to kick out Sydney FC, just to annoy the FFA and their vision for a three way Sydney derby. 

Probably the rest of the league's fans would sign that, especially Wanderers and Tards.

If they really want the game to grow, then surely adding two or four more teams would be an alternative. It might be a financial struggle for the first few years but I would like to see NQF and Gold Coast given another go. It was not the clubs fault that their respective owners were dickheads. In NQF case, they actually sorted their shark out but the FFS still shark on them.

Even though two teams are struggling at the present, I still fail to see how removing a financially viable side is the fix to end all fixes. Yes Welljngton crouds could be better but as I said in another thread. You had Bathurst on during our first game and the middle of a public holiday during the second.

One thing I would do with this competition is dump the playing each other three times and only have the top four playing a home and away semi before a grand final. Having the extra teams in would help this concept a lot. I would even give Auckland another shot to add to the derby aspect.

Problem is the licenses basically state that the FFA can revoke them at anytime.

Lets be honest, this is simply about making money. The FFA know a third Sydney team can generate more money through TV rights and advertising than the Nix. From my understanding, FIFA doesn't have a problem with the team being in the A-League, even though the AFC probably does. 

PHOENIX AND SOUTH EAST ASIA / OCEANIA LEAGUE

After pursuing all avenues to remain in the A-League, if that fails, NZ Football and the Phoenix should consider starting a league including sides from South East Asia and Oceania.

The Phoenix are a better side than any in South East Asia - they have a strong squad and sound management off the field. So they have a lot to offer football in Asia, where the leagues are weak outside of Japan, Korea and China, in terms of setting a benchmark and raising the standards.

It could be part of opening communication with the Asian confederation about NZ / Oceania moving towards joining the AFC.

A South East Asia / Oceania league could include: 

Wellington Phoenix

Auckland City

A Pacific Island franchise (headed by former France international Christian Karembeu who is ready and waiting - he's been advocating a Pacific team for the A-League for years). They could take games around  Pacific venues. 

Two Singapore teams

Two Malaysian teams

Three Thai teams

Two Indonesian teams

That's twelve teams to be starting with.

Crouds will be much bigger than the A-League in the Asian capitals.

Lucrative TV deals lie in wait too !!!

If travel costs and screeds of cross-region red tape can be overcome by lucrative tv deals and big crouds in asia then it would be very attractive. 

In the proper thread please :)

you do realise it is a ten + hour flight to Asia

?

The Oceania/South East Asia league could also include Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Newcastle, and CCM too seeing as they'll all be cut from the new look Sydney/Melbourne A League derby extravaganza!

Don't come in here and ruin it with facts, man! Enjoy the dream. :-)

Strangely, the vast majority of people I saw taking pleasure out of our situation were CCM fans. I strongly suspect that they'll be finding out the hard way that karma is a bitch. (and I'm not taking pleasure at the prospect, merely pointing out that fans of every other A League club should be looking over their shoulder from now on)

And mine today. Had a message from a Melbourne City fan hoping the Phoenix announce they are staying in the A League as my present.

If we are pie in the sky saying lets start a new league then do we really want to deal with AFC?

How about a ten team OFC + Hawaii (CONCACAF) league.

You have:

Auckland
Wellington
Christchurch
2 x Hawai teams (Population 1.5 million, average income higher than NZ, no current pro sport)
A Fiji team (Pop 750,000, Suva 175k, no current pro sport)
A New Caledona Team (Pop 250k, no current pro sport, football connections with France)
A Vanuatu Team (Pop 250k, no current pro sport, football connections with France)

A PNG team (Pop 7million)
A French Polynesia team (Pop 270k, no current pro sport, football connections with France)

Never going to happen.

If you look at the comments on stuff lots of Rugby fans are elated.

You read comments on  stuff.  Riiiigggght

Ma Ah is one in particular, he's a troll that visits the EPL threads on Stuff. Prize clown and typical Rugby boofhead.

Why not? Most are fun, especially the pistakes on the Kardashians and reality TV shows. and everyone blames John Key for everything, then the Nat fans all come out of the woodwork and defend him. Better reading than watching the comedy channel. 

Someone needs to thumb down.

No.  Jeff is right.  Stuff comments as a snapshot of general opinion is like saying the Trade Me forums represent this nation.

Do not read.

Merrick: I feel like we will definitely be here for the long term" @WgtnPhoenixFC #ALeague

— Jason Pine (@pineyzb) October 28, 2015

Good post.

Would read again.

I decided to send an email to both West Ham United and Newcastle United, as they were part of the Tournament that happened last season down in NZ.
Hoping they can string something together to back us...

I apologise if this was wrong of me.

"Dear West Ham United,

I am not a Hammers fan (I am a Liverpool fan) but I am a Wellington Phoenix supporter, in the A-League. The team that you played along with Sydney FC and Newcastle United in New Zealand in the Football United tournament, I believe it was called.

We (the Phoenix) asked for a license extension of 10 years to The Football Federation of Australia who control the A-League; our league and they declined, saying that it's not beneficial to the progression of the League and gave us 4, when all the Australian teams have 20, despite all their debts.
We fear that we will be axed after this season.
We are one of the most stable clubs in terms of money. We don't need bailing out from the FFA, like many other clubs, we play attractive football for the league, and our crouds (which aren't the best in the league) are vocal and passionate.

I was wondering whether your club (being an important figure in football) could help us in some way to influence the FFA into keeping us after the 4 years is finished, despite the rumours that the owners might not take the 4 year deal and leave our franchise for being insulted with the 4 year deal..

A facebook status or something on any form of social media would be amazing to help support our case to stay in the A-League, for the love of Football.

Thank you, 
[WhoStoleMySock]
#SaveTheNix #TenMoreYears"

nice idea. The worst that can happen is they ignore you, so nothing to lose! 

Where's your sense of fun HN? You haven't lived untill you have down voted a few threads and taken the piss out of the Kardashians. ;)

Let's just go back to basics and try get as many bums on seats for our home games and rally up the kiwi's across the tasman to do the same. that'll tick one box atleast. Cause it's performance management from here on in.

Sky Television has been quite on this issue. They still havent come out with a statement. 

One of the simple rules I try to live by, is that I NEVER read the comments on Stuff. NEVER. EVER. 

my family seem happy about all this as they feel i will put more money into our home than going to the football, and collecting shirts. me myself not so happy.

Thats no correct, The guys at Lightbox sports are still interested in the A-League /Nix's if the fans ask for it. They see something that SKY don't and I guess would be willing to pay for it. Email them info@lightboxsport.co.nz and tell them everything.