Wellington Phoenix Fan Representative Group

Oska

Thanks all, keep them coming.  I doubt questions about memberships or the fan reps will be put to the coaches, but we'll raise those with the club. 

Was hoping you would direct the membership one to the club fully understand thats not in the coaches brief

Questions for Temple -

Plans to bring female coaches through the Phoenix?
Where would the ALW team rather play. ROF? Newton? Jerry Collins?
Where would be a respectable finish on the ALW table? - given he is operating without the recruiting restrictions, Jones & Lawrence had - plus they have signed some exciting US/Canadian visa players

Questions Chiefy -

Is it true aka Mark Rudan that this season it has been difficult recruiting visa players?
What would he say to fans who find the current squad a bit uninspiring?
Why do the Nix seem to be ignoring any NZ domestic players outside their Academy?

Oh and any word on when David Ball is likely to be a 'local player' ie non visa?

coochiee

Questions Chiefy -

Is it true aka Mark Rudan that this season it has been difficult recruiting visa players?
What would he say to fans who find the current squad a bit uninspiring?
Why do the Nix seem to be ignoring any NZ domestic players outside their Academy?

Nice questions Coochiee :) I hope they ask those

Oska

Thanks all, keep them coming.  I doubt questions about memberships or the fan reps will be put to the coaches, but we'll raise those with the club. 

I want my question answered specifically answered by Chiefy 😉

For Temple.
1. Considering the slow start last season. What is the plan this year leading into the teams first game. Will they be planning practice games against other ALW teams (is there a budget for this. Understand if there is not) or will they have practice games against boys teams like last season.
2. What is the situation with the Womens reserve team playing in the national league this season. Will ALW senior team players and/or scholarship players be allowed to play in the NL comp for the Nix women's team to keep up match fitness / return from injury etc, like the men's team. If so what are the rules around this.

Thanks Ranix.

In terms of the above question about the Fathers Day membership deal being cheaper than the renewal price, this has been accepted as a valid criticism and will be taken on board by the club.

Regarding how Fan Reps will be replaced/rotated over time, this hasn't been decided (and we don't know what APL's views on this are) but our current thinking is that a small number of Reps will be replaced each year so as to achieve a balance of continuity/experience and fresh perspectives/representation.  

We have also been notified of an APL meeting at the end of this month, and that APL have asked for fan rep groups to submit topics for discussion.  Please let us know if there's anything you wish to hear about from an APL perspective and we'll look to collate these into topics for submission. 

Oska

We have also been notified of an APL meeting at the end of this month, and that APL have asked for fan rep groups to submit topics for discussion.  Please let us know if there's anything you wish to hear about from an APL perspective and we'll look to collate these into topics for submission. 

Thanks Oska will be interesting to see if they do get it. Not holding my breath as they have shown in the past they just donr seem to get football fans.

Oska

We have also been notified of an APL meeting at the end of this month, and that APL have asked for fan rep groups to submit topics for discussion.  Please let us know if there's anything you wish to hear about from an APL perspective and we'll look to collate these into topics for submission. 

Strongly suggest to the APL that we have a Waitangi Day derby for next season for me please?

RR

Oska

We have also been notified of an APL meeting at the end of this month, and that APL have asked for fan rep groups to submit topics for discussion.  Please let us know if there's anything you wish to hear about from an APL perspective and we'll look to collate these into topics for submission. 

Strongly suggest to the APL that we have a Waitangi Day derby for next season for me please?

And no more pre-Melbourne Cup Monday night matches 😵

WhoStoleMySock

RR

Oska

We have also been notified of an APL meeting at the end of this month, and that APL have asked for fan rep groups to submit topics for discussion.  Please let us know if there's anything you wish to hear about from an APL perspective and we'll look to collate these into topics for submission. 

Strongly suggest to the APL that we have a Waitangi Day derby for next season for me please?

And no more pre-Melbourne Cup Monday night matches 😵

Don't think they have done those for years, 2016 I think the last time? Guess there wasn't much of a crossover in Horse Racing and Phoenix fans.

No more Bathhurst games nor 7pm Sunday Night Games??

Bathhurst Games?

Oska

Bathhurst Games?

Games on at the same time as Bathurst 1000

WELLINGTON PHOENIX FAN FEEDBACK FORM

As part of the A-Leagues broader Fan Engagement policy, the Fan Representative Groups for each club will meet at least four times a year to discuss topics important to Wellington Phoenix, our competing teams, our fans, our community and the future of the A-Leagues.

Important discussion topics will then be laddered up to the A-Leagues FRG which also meets four times a year. The A-Leagues FRG includes a nominated chair from each Club FRG and varying senior A-Leagues executives.  The Phoenix's FRG chair is Susan Baikie. 

If you have a question you wish to put to the Wellington Phoenix FRG, you may do so using the following form created by the A-Leagues: https://form.asana.com/?k=LLNKAwdXIMokA6VhzfjChw...

Sing out if you have any queries.  At this stage however it seems to me that processes are still being ironed out. 

Oska

WELLINGTON PHOENIX FAN FEEDBACK FORM

As part of the A-Leagues broader Fan Engagement policy, the Fan Representative Groups for each club will meet at least four times a year to discuss topics important to Wellington Phoenix, our competing teams, our fans, our community and the future of the A-Leagues.

Important discussion topics will then be laddered up to the A-Leagues FRG which also meets four times a year. The A-Leagues FRG includes a nominated chair from each Club FRG and varying senior A-Leagues executives.  The Phoenix's FRG chair is Susan Baikie. 

If you have a question you wish to put to the Wellington Phoenix FRG, you may do so using the following form created by the A-Leagues: https://form.asana.com/?k=LLNKAwdXIMokA6VhzfjChw...

Sing out if you have any queries.  At this stage however it seems to me that processes are still being ironed out. 

Looking at the forums and other forms of social media its pretty obvious what the main complaint is. Sadly the club has been aware of it for some time but all you ever hear is excuses why not something can be done.

" Looking at the forums and other forms of social media its pretty obvious what the main complaint is."

What is it? Parking costs at Sky Stadium?

Doloras

" Looking at the forums and other forms of social media its pretty obvious what the main complaint is."

What is it? Parking costs at Sky Stadium?

trains running buses

Doloras

" Looking at the forums and other forms of social media its pretty obvious what the main complaint is."

What is it? Parking costs at Sky Stadium?

Seems your more focused on it than some as you really have no idea as you rarely go to games. That would be entry fees and for your information they dont bother me but it seems they have an impact on many who want to attend. But what would you care. 

I think Doloras asked a fair question, I wanted to know what was meant too. No need to ridicule her for asking.

If people here were polite to me and assumed I was asking honest questions, I would think something strange was going on!

But seriously: ticket prices is it? But I remember when the club used to give out megaboss numbers of freebies and that didn't help.

ballane

Doloras

" Looking at the forums and other forms of social media its pretty obvious what the main complaint is."

What is it? Parking costs at Sky Stadium?

Seems your more focused on it than some as you really have no idea as you rarely go to games. That would be entry fees and for your information they dont bother me but it seems they have an impact on many who want to attend. But what would you care. 

In Doloras defence, not that she needs it, she "rarely goes to the games" because she lives in Auckland.  And in any case, her question was fair. 

Mainland FC

ballane

Doloras

" Looking at the forums and other forms of social media its pretty obvious what the main complaint is."

What is it? Parking costs at Sky Stadium?

Seems your more focused on it than some as you really have no idea as you rarely go to games. That would be entry fees and for your information they dont bother me but it seems they have an impact on many who want to attend. But what would you care. 

In Doloras defence, not that she needs it, she "rarely goes to the games" because she lives in Auckland.  And in any case, her question was fair. 

My point exactly what would she no

Doloras

If people here were polite to me and assumed I was asking honest questions, I would think something strange was going on!

But seriously: ticket prices is it? But I remember when the club used to give out megaboss numbers of freebies and that didn't help.

Given you feel inclined to have  a crack at me any opportunity you can how would i have any idea if its a genuine question or just another shot
Sorry if i caused offence will back on out of the quiet forms again for a while.

ballane

Doloras

If people here were polite to me and assumed I was asking honest questions, I would think something strange was going on!

But seriously: ticket prices is it? But I remember when the club used to give out megaboss numbers of freebies and that didn't help.

Given you feel inclined to have  a crack at me any opportunity you can how would i have any idea if its a genuine question or just another shot
Sorry if i caused offence will back on out of the quiet forms again for a while.

 Lmao if you can't take it don't dish it out mate

" Given you feel inclined to have  a crack at me any opportunity "

Jesus wept, I suggested that the fans go and visit ballane in the hospital to cheer him up for missing the Roar game. I can see if you're suspicious you would think that was a "crack", I suppose

Feverish

Doloras

" Looking at the forums and other forms of social media its pretty obvious what the main complaint is."

What is it? Parking costs at Sky Stadium?

trains running buses

Bus replacements are a pain, but acceptable, sometimes they are quicker than the train & they are also usually free! (Unless you choose to use a snapper card!)

The buses and trains thing is an issue raised with Domey and the club and it's as frustrating for them as it is the fans, sometimes because the club aren't always informed about the planned closures. 

There's probably going to be a FRG survey coming out in the next month or so, just so we've got some data to take to the club about supporters views - asking single questions aren't as effective as saying "we've got 2000 people saying this".

When it's all signed off (by the frg, not the club) I'll be posting it here and hopefully we can go from there.

In all honesty they could probably look at things from 10 years ago and pretty sure all the things being said today were said back then. The same ole same ole with no progress made  just different people in some cases making the point.
Wouldnt be surprised if the busses replaces trains thing over the years has been mostly around the same dates. Most of the track maintenance is planned in advance so wouldnt have thought it would have been that hard to find out dates and plan accordingly. 

ballane

In all honesty they could probably look at things from 10 years ago and pretty sure all the things being said today were said back then. The same ole same ole with no progress made  just different people in some cases making the point.
Wouldnt be surprised if the busses replaces trains thing over the years has been mostly around the same dates. Most of the track maintenance is planned in advance so wouldnt have thought it would have been that hard to find out dates and plan accordingly. 

Exactly this, I've been around since Terry announced he was going to buy the franchise and nothing has really changed much. There have been so,e improvements in gameday experience, the beverage selection has vastly improved, anyone remember the speights, or Export 33? The food is vastly improved, years ago the best available was Fritz's Weiners. Now we have smei-decent burgers, chips that are actually hot and other options albeit with hefty price increases. Sadly that's where the gameday improvements cease. The fans are stil being ripped with the parking situation. The train replacements happen the same time every year, and suire I get it, repairs need to happen but there is clearly no engagement with the stadium regarding events that are occurring and the bus replacements are minimal. I don't expect the club to do anything about this - they dont control public transport. The marketing around town for the Nix and the league itself has all but gone, theres a few busses with nix ads on them but no flags fluttering on lamp posts, no billboards anywhere. It's been flat for years. All of this stuff has been riased in varous ways with the club. I remeber being part of a fan discussion group with the club a decade ago. Same issues were raised then, Dome and co wanted to see change and improvements but ultimately nothing has improved to generate bigger and better crowds.

theprof

ballane

In all honesty they could probably look at things from 10 years ago and pretty sure all the things being said today were said back then. The same ole same ole with no progress made  just different people in some cases making the point.
Wouldnt be surprised if the busses replaces trains thing over the years has been mostly around the same dates. Most of the track maintenance is planned in advance so wouldnt have thought it would have been that hard to find out dates and plan accordingly. 

Exactly this, I've been around since Terry announced he was going to buy the franchise and nothing has really changed much. There have been so,e improvements in gameday experience, the beverage selection has vastly improved, anyone remember the speights, or Export 33? The food is vastly improved, years ago the best available was Fritz's Weiners. Now we have smei-decent burgers, chips that are actually hot and other options albeit with hefty price increases. Sadly that's where the gameday improvements cease. The fans are stil being ripped with the parking situation. The train replacements happen the same time every year, and suire I get it, repairs need to happen but there is clearly no engagement with the stadium regarding events that are occurring and the bus replacements are minimal. I don't expect the club to do anything about this - they dont control public transport. The marketing around town for the Nix and the league itself has all but gone, theres a few busses with nix ads on them but no flags fluttering on lamp posts, no billboards anywhere. It's been flat for years. All of this stuff has been riased in varous ways with the club. I remeber being part of a fan discussion group with the club a decade ago. Same issues were raised then, Dome and co wanted to see change and improvements but ultimately nothing has improved to generate bigger and better crowds.

Bloody shame i can only "this" once. You gotta love how some things are brought up as if they are new when in fact they have been raised with the club in some cases numerous times with NOTHING being done just the same old complaints about attendances.

I do feel sorry for the Welnix crowd as a lot of these things that have been raised over the years are largely out of their control - and I have always assumed that Doney was banging his head against a brick wall asking for some things to be changed. It did always annoy me that his response was often "things would be better if we had bigger crowds demanding more" - ie the stadium would do more for the nix if we had larger crowds, same with the trasport people etc. It's a chicken and egg thing. To get beigger crowds you need the offering to be perfect, but to demand an improved offering you have to have more people coming to the event. Noone wins and 17 years later we are still talking about the same stuff.

I'm wondering though, now that we have this APL asscoitated fan rep group if these issues will actually gain traction or if we (as the poor cousin to the sydney and melbourne teams) will just have to follow the crowd.

Like most of us I will be very interested to see how Foley engages the fanbase in Auckland - will he do it differently to the Welnix (I expect he wil), will it have any impact? Welnix have "tried everything" and got lilttle to no traction so if Foley comes in with all the razzmatazz and glam of an American billionaire will they get more coverage/exposure than the Nix ever did?

They are looking for four new people to join the Fans Rep Group for the new season.

I have omitted the link to submit details, so check your emails for it. If you don't have this email, I guess drop me a DM & I'll pass the link on.

Issues to be addressed:

The timing of an A League season. Change the timing of it?? Also it has a ridiculously long break between seasons. People lose interest if nothing is happening. With 14 teams in the League that would be a 26 game Home/Away season at the minimum. 26 Weeks, 6 months + those playoffs. Change the playoffs to 1 V 3 & 2 V 4. Home & Away 2 more games/Weeks before a Grand Final Another week.  Move the Season start and Finish dates? May - December? The season could then be padded out with the Aussie Cup games being integrated with the League games making the season even longer but giving fans more to enjoy.
(A classic example of a complete screw up was last night. Now the Nix and a few other A League sides have to wait another 2 months for a competitive game. It's a joke.)

Sorting out the arrangement with the club & the Stadium Trust over the cost of Car Parking - $20 more than in Auckland or Dunedin - $35 is a Ripoff

Sorting out the arrangement with the club & the Stadium Trust over the cost of Food/drinks. Although, now that we know we can take our own homemade unbranded food in, helps families. Mum & Dads these days are struggling. taking 2 or more kids to games with way too expensive.

Ticket prices. Walk up fans are getting stung $42  entry, online it's about $32. I know we are a professional club with costs etc. But isn't it better to get a bigger crowd in at a cheaper rate than a small crowd?? Yes I know, buy a season ticket. Again, for a family, that can be expensive.

Now, to get bums on seats. Last season should have attracted new fans and bigger crowds. In some ways it did. The whole match day package, what could be improved or done?? I remember the Sony contests at halftime. Watching Under 10's on little fields can be some fun but really?? Give aways?? Mini Concerts? Last one I saw was Dane Rumble, hooked up to a then piss poor sound system  that you could hardly hear him.