Phoenix to play in Auckland, Christchurch

Phoenix to play in Auckland, Christchurch

I was reading the article on the front of this webpage and read about how the phoenix might end up with 14 home games which is absolutely brilliant but at the bottom of the page it says that the club are looking to play some of their regular games in Aucland or Christchurch during the season....surely by doing this it is going to make less people turn up at westpac as when their is a home game and we are playing in Auckland people will get peed off down here in Welly...

bullsh*t!!!!!!!!!

Better bloody not i will be one who will be letting them know in no uncertain terms that taking league games away is not on.Pre season is fine but they want us to support them then league games stay.Or are we about to be renamed New Zealand Phoenix.

Well they should bloody well know by now that Auckland would lose them a heck of a lot of money. Christchurch however is where I think any second NZ franchise should be so it could be a good experiment.

The thing is I would much, much rather that was done in pre-season, I didn't care about the A-League or the Knights until mid-last year because of the 'New Zealand Knights' moniker. I felt that they didn't represent me at all and that it was an Auckland club and only an Auckland club. 'Wellington Phoenix' makes me proud of 'my team' from my hometown.

Regular season games outside welly are a bit stupid really. It gives us even less of an edge than at ring of fire.  I don't mind pre season matches going to other cities though.

If they take regular season home games away from Wellington, the Wellington Phoenix become the Phoenix and stop being my local side.  How is this any different from the EPL clubs taking games overseas?

I'm not sure how the shirt will have enough room on it for the new club name;
"The New Zealand Phoenix Traveling Circus"

I'm really sad that the club even thought about it, let alone are in the process of investigating it. 

Unless you're suggesting that you're going to finance the travel and accommodation for the 10-11,000 loyal fans to follow the circus around the country Mr P, shame on you........

(It may be of course that the press have the wrong end of the stick, but it didn't read like speculation to me.....).
danielsleftball2008-02-23 13:06:19

Im with you dlb and think the club need to be told in no uncertain terms that this is just not on.Even if it is a media beat up the club need to be told what we think about this.

Thats not on. I live in Auckland, and I'd rather pay my $150  in petrol money than have a game up here - it just wouldnt be the same atmosphere.

although im a phoenix supporter based in Christchurch i solely  believe that, for the phoenix to play at their best ability they need to play and accumulate as many points at the ring of fire if they wish to qualify for the play offs, phoenix belongs in wellington,playing abroad is totally absurd

Pre season games are fine - take them wherever you want - but regular season games? No way.

good on you wolfie and Felipe de for putting the Phoenix ahead of convenience

If the schedule for this years comp is a true alternating home then away then playing in Christchurch or Auckland really is another away game as far as I am concerned.

Pre season games, why not.Regular season games would be f*cking stupid.

Not happy feel this could take away home advantage and cost valuable points. Pre-season no problem.

this is an absolutely stupid idea

Much as this disturbs me...

If they take a single one of our home games away from the Ring of Fire they will lose part of my support.....not all of it, but the part that makes them ours....the PASSION with which we sing every week, even when we're losing, and the PASSION that gets our shirts off on a 10 deg Wellington winters day!

Oh Wellington, Is Wonderful, Ohhh Wellington IS WON-DER-FUL...!!!

Tony P, please listen to the fans, you can broaden the support base by taking a pre-season match to Christchurch (my preference) but it would be an ill-informed move to take a league home game away from your passionate fans.

YF ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!

I reckon just keep all games in Welly even pre season games.

Never thought people would get so uptight about wooden spooners.  Don't forget your medicine people.

In order to grow the game in this country we need to improve the NZFC. The Phoenix are good where they are they don't need to move anywhere.

I think its a good idea to have a home game on the road, just like I supported Chris Turner taking the Kingz to play the odd home game in Wellington. Sponsors need to see their brand getting increasing exposure.  i remember when Wynton Rufer brought the Kingz to the BOP to train and do exhibition games and open trainings. The turn out and enthusiasm of the kids was amazing to watch. It can only help grow the strength of the Wellington Phoenix if they do move about a bit.

Not Auckland , how many years did they have their chance of showing support of not one but two teams and blew it!

I agree with the general gist on here- keep it in welly!

Made two home One away traveling from Hamilton I guess if you that keen you will make it happen its well worth the experience.
And at least you got a cup game last year, bet you waikato stadium would match your numbers if they brought a cup game my way!

No way. . . and I'm don't live in Wellington, either. You will lose home advantage and home crowd.

I am not amuse. That is not happening, it's too much commitment and pressing local appointments for the players to go on a bandwagon tour and please the locals. I rather the players concentrate on their football.

If Auckland and Christchurch are interested, they should get their submissions bids for the next season in themselves and run their own A-league team.

It makes more sense for WP to go to one of the central region cities that are more align to Wellington rather than the other two big centres. The YF would go for a day trip to Palmy (Hawkes Bay and New Plymouth even). This is more to Wellington catchment areas.

I'm happy with Christchurch getting pre-season matches, but not regular season ones.

i agree with most of you on here, pre-season games fine, play them wherever you want but keep the home games at home in wellington!! like a few people have mentioned we are wellington phoenix NOT New zealand wellington phoenix.

I'm sorry but I can't agree with pre-season going on the road either.  Pre-season games give us the supporters of the WELLINGTON Phoenix a chance to see the new signings, formations and playing styles before the season proper.  It's also about getting the local crowd excited about the season to come.

Actually reading what I've just written makes me more annoyed, we are the Wellington Phoenix, Wellington I say, Wellington.  No more justification needed.

All in all this is just a bad idea.  I'm surprised that Tony P or someone else from the club haven't posted on the forum to snuff out the story........

they should play some games at my old home town, Putaruru

Remember that Tony and Co. are overseas at the moment posting may not be an option.

From the story on the home page.....

"Pignata, who returned from Europe this week, said his scouting mission along with coach Ricki Herbert had been a success."

Jetlag then, smart arse.

I'm sure this is is a media beat-up, designed to cook up a storm.

One or two pre-season games out of town are OK - But not Auckland, they have had their chance (sorry to all of you who live up north).

I'm looking forward to next season with team playing at home in Wellington, especially as we should get more games, with the likelihood of two new teams.

My interest will wane if we become the NZ phoenix - which playing out of Wellington will surely make us...

According to speculation, it seems the A league could be 14 teams in a few years - one of the extra teams could be based in the south island, or Auckland - just needs someone with the dosh to stump up

Putaruru Panthers FC