Wellington Phoenix Men

Wigan coming to Welly?

65 replies · 1,200 views
almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
You think the public knows who " Tim Cahill " is?

Hard News wrote:
Samoa's finest.

Michael2009-04-04 00:00:00
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
edit- all rubbish.

I'm just saying this game may not be a good idea, unlike bringing Everton - it's a big risk IMO. People didn't even show up to watch New Zealand play here.aussienixfan2009-04-04 01:30:00
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
If people are hoping to see Zaki play, I think they may be disappointed.  From todays 365 mediawatch:
 
Attitude
"Amr is going to be a real fans' favourite. Every supporter - whether you support Wigan or you support Man City - loves a trier who gives everything that he has got. And that is the one thing about Zaki he gives you every last drop he has got.

"So you can forgive everything, he might make a mistake or give the ball away and he does that at times. But I can't question his attitude" - Steve Bruce, September 29, 2008.

"I just feel it's time that we went public on just what a nightmare he has been to deal with," said the Latics boss. I can honestly say that in all my time in football I have never worked with someone as unprofessional...In Zaki's case it really defies belief from a player who is on loan and trying to earn himself a long-term contract.

"Zaki's behaviour has shown total disrespect to the club who pays him a very good wage and, equally as importantly, to the fans who sing his name from the stands. I think it's time for them to know the truth about the man..."I really am at the end of my tether with him...This is the fourth time he has not reported back on time from international training" - Steve Bruce, April 3, 2009.

All I do is make the stuff I would've liked
Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite
Now I'm firefly like a burning kite
And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Who was the last top flight English team to come here?
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Any idea on the size of the crowd we'd need to break even?

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
aussienixfan wrote:
edit- all rubbish.

I'm just saying this game may not be a good idea, unlike bringing Everton - it's a big risk IMO. People didn't even show up to watch New Zealand play here.


Since we can't have Everton, Wigan will be fine.
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Fine for most of us, who will turn up regardless, but I don't want to see Terry's money being lost in a venture that unlike Everton or The Galaxy, will not impress many people outside the NZ Football community.

You know we belong together...

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I know Wigan perhaps don't have the name recognition of a Manchester United/City, Arsenal, Villa, Everton etc, or even dare I say it Leeds or Forest... but it would be a sad day indeed if a team with a decent shout at playing European football next year could not draw even half the crowd of that seen at the Galaxy circus (ours, not Auckland's). I think with the right marketing this one could do well.
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Their final league position could have a fairly big impact on how effective marketing is.
You know we belong together...

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Last English top flight team to play here was Everton I think - around late 80's? Trevor Steven, Pat Nevin, Neville Southall etc

Peoples Republik of Aucklandia

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
It would be good, but wigan arent as famous as david beckham, i'd say we'd get a crowd of about 20,000
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Heard you would need a crowd of 25 thousand to break even. Big risk, would definitely go but cannot seeing the average man paying even 30 or 40 bucks to go see Wigan. Hope I'm wrong but could be as big a f**k up as the Beckam  Allstars game. 

All Aboard the Phoenix/ All Whites Bandwagon!!

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Everton would have needed 18-20, so I can't imagine Wigan would be more expensive.

How's my driving? - Whine here

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

I'd settle for WBA never mind wigan. Don't think i'll be making the trip

ive got a song that wont take long, Adelaide are rubbish.. the second verse is same as the first.. ADELAIDE ARE RUBBISH

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Any Premier League team not going to get relagated would be great.

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I'll make the trip depending on cost of airfares (gotta save for the qualifyer in November now don't I?)
 
Come on Tony, hit me with the official announcement asap so I can get a cheap flight please.
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Y cant they bring a team like leeds over that we could actually beat

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Because we want to see a decent team
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
, some great comments in here. I think it would be good if they could bring Wigan. A decent Premier League team. Plus, you could get the old favourite "Steve Bruce, he's got a monkey's head" going!
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
PROAK wrote:
Last English top flight team to play here was Everton I think - around late 80's? Trevor Steven, Pat Nevin, Neville Southall etc

Who did they play?
According to ultimatesoccernz  Newcastle came here in may 1985 and played the AW's. No mention of Everton playing the AW's.
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I don't know where the club is at in regard to organising a game against Wigan or some other EPL side (perhaps Tony P can provide an update), but on reflection I think it's not a great idea in the bigger scheme of things.  While I'd love to see an EPL team in Wellington, it's a huge (and possibly high-risk) investment for the club at a time when, I presume, money is extremely tight.  I think a one-off game would, at best, only bring a marginal, short-term benefit in terms of enhancing the popularity of the Phoenix, and football here more generally.  At worse, a lesser known EPL club - like Wigan - may fail to attract the crowd needed to recoup the investment and may not add much to the recognition and popularity of the Phoenix.
 
Instead, if the club is minded to spend the sort of money needed to bring out an EPL side, I'd rather see the investment made in a top quality marquee player and/or guest player.  If we can attract the right player(s), it could significantly raise interest in football in New Zealand for the entire length of the A-League season and, if the entertainment value and success are there through having higher calibre players, increase our average home attendance by several thousand.  If it were a choice between spending money on a one-off game against a vastly superior EPL side (and, therefore, not a realistic contest) and  a marquee player and/or guest player, I believe the potential long-term positive spin-offs easily favour the latter option.
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Tony P's announced in today's Dom Post that the game against Wigan is definitely not going to happen.  Likewise for any other EPL side because a game here would not be financially viable.
 
Other announcement (in the same article) is that the Pre-Season Cup is cancelled due to clubs wanting to set their own pre-season schedules.  Tony P is trying to organise a pre-season trip to China.  There won't be any pre-season games in Wellington, therefore we have to wait until the A-League starts to see the side play here (in mid-August).  A pre-season game against Melbourne is expected to be played in Christchurch.
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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Sauce
You know we belong together...

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almost 17 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Let's get Wolves over here off the back of their Perth game.. would be good to see RH up against his old club. Wibblebutt2009-04-19 11:20:10



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