Yellow Fever stand united with fan groups and players across the league in offering the strongest possible criticism of the decision announced this week to sell the pinnacle event of the season to Sydney.
We understand the financial pressures placed on the league and the clubs involved, but removing the ultimate incentive for all teams of earning the right to a Grand Final hosted in their own stadium is not an acceptable trade-off to make. It undermines and devalues the league, and hurts not only the fans but the players themselves - a view the player base has widely expressed on social media and through the PFA statement released on Wednesday night.
No one wants to see the game robbed of the colour and noise active fans bring, but we feel taking no action would be unacceptable.
As a result, Yellow Fever will this weekend show unity with other fan groups in clear terms. We have consulted the travelling Adelaide supporters and decided on the following action - at the 20th minute we will leave our usual home in the Fever Zone and relocate to sit with the travelling members of the Red Army in Aisle 13, away from the cameras. We plan to remain there for the following women’s game. This will leave the usual home and away bays devoid of the fans the APL are looking to exclude with its decision.
We are football fans first and foremost, so we will watch the remainder of the double header, but will do so seated alongside our whānau from Adelaide. We will be united in our disappointment that once again we see football bureaucracy in Australia and New Zealand forgetting what makes it unique and undervaluing the biggest asset it has for future growth.
To all supporters attending the Phoenix double-header this weekend: we invite you to join us, no matter how long you have been a fan, or where your usual seat might be. We also understand not all of you will feel as strongly as us and nor do we expect you to, so please do not feel bad if you do not wish to move from your usual seat to join us in Aisle 13.
We are also advocating for Chairman Morrison to talk directly with fans regarding his involvement in this decision-making process, and for the club to push for governance reform to ensure clubs, players and fans are taken into consideration when making decisions for the future of the game in New Zealand and Australia.