I know preseason signs have been positive, but still expect this to be a battle. City are second or third favourites for the title, and have quite a settled squad particularly in the attacking third. I think we have lost every game against them in the past too.
A result would be awesome, but just hoping we put in a good performance that bodes well for the season. After that, more winnable games follow.
Longo and Speckmaier. Hope they don't risk them if there not 100%. Don't want a repeat of last year, with the Kate Taylor debacle. Its only the first game, that we are probably not expected to win anyway. Ease them back if they have niggles. Chance for other to put there hand up.
A few weeks back the 'Nix announced a deal with McDonald's to provide "all under-16 footballers in Aotearoa who are registered to a club are eligible to receive a free season membership to all Wellington Phoenix matches, men and women."
Has there been any more details on this before I look into buying tickets?
I think you're safe to assume they won't announce anything about this before Sunday considering they have just announced issues with the actual membership passes and packs. If you are a member though, you should have got a password for cheaper tickets to use also
I got my membership pack in the mail today, which I thought was odd since they said the earliest they would arrive on shore was Friday. But hey, I'm not complaining.
Also, hi! I'm new. Would love to meet some fans of football, as most of my friends aren't interested.
Despite the feelgood factor following the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Phoenix boasting their strongest women’s squad, ticket sales and membership uptake have been sluggish.
Dome is dumbfounded by the lack of interest.
“I was hoping there would be at least some momentum from the World Cup,” he said.
“It was incredible to see more than 230 thousand fans attend matches in Wellington during the tournament and yet the city’s own team, which is the only professional football club in Aotearoa, is really struggling for support.
There's clearly a disconnect with football in Wellington, I've always been surprised with the lack of support from the footballing community in the city for the Nix. The number of mens, womens and kids teams we have in the city is massive! I dont have the numbers of player in the city, theb only numbers I can find are for 2017 for NZ, 210,000 recreational players (mens, womens), 60,000 kids. If 10% of those were in Wellington (27,000) which feels light, and even half of those attended Nix games regularly we'd be sitting pretty. 6000 kids bring mum and dad and a non playing mate to the womens games and you'd have 18,000 ish attending their games.
I've been slightly frustrated by the apparent apathy for football, women's football in particular, after the World Cup. I asked around at work if anyone wanted to check out a few games, figuring that after the fervent following of the event, people would be keen, and people couldn't even be bothered so say no. Just tumbleweeds. :(
I do realise there are obstacles to going. But I feel like they come second to the interest, which just doesn't seem to be there.
The last few seasons in particular have been tough to get fans to, COVID, cost of living - os I get it, and even with a free kids pass the adults still have to find the $30 per game for themselves and then the snacks. It's still gonna be $100 a game expense which some just dont have and the club cant just be giving tickets away just to bolster attendances every week, that'd just increae the losses. It was something that needed to happen when the Nix were first created, Terry had a vision but he really didnt manage to bring the footballing players along with him.
I want to preface this by saying that I am a women's football fan, in fact I even went over to aussie for the wwc final. But it's hardly a suprise that people aren't really interested in the Nix even after that great event, especially the woman's team. Frankly most people who went along were doing so because it's a big event and it's just something of interest to do.
The Nix have somewhat failed to engage with other football playing women too imo. If I consider my partners team very few of them watch professional football regardless of gender and even less of them are engaged by the A-Leagues. There is also a simmering hostility toward the Nix in the club space that can't be denied, they aren't that popular and I don't really know enough to say why.
The other factor is quality. The Nix women can be a pretty tough watch even for a Nix fan at times, casuals probably aren't gonna be that enthusiastic about the speed and quality on display.
In reality if the men's team struggles to get a crowd I don't know why anyone expects the women to do particularly well.
No, no, let's hear him out. If the Phoenix cease to use Māori words and symbolism, ban their players from wearing Pride colours and generally appeal to the "anti-woke" crowd, I'm sure the RoF will be full every match day with a vast crowd of angry, resentful, and very pale scum of the earth.
We can give Sydney United 58 a run for their money!
Despite the feelgood factor following the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Phoenix boasting their strongest women’s squad, ticket sales and membership uptake have been sluggish.
Dome is dumbfounded by the lack of interest.
“I was hoping there would be at least some momentum from the World Cup,” he said.
“It was incredible to see more than 230 thousand fans attend matches in Wellington during the tournament and yet the city’s own team, which is the only professional football club in Aotearoa, is really struggling for support.
Well,he could stop calling New Zealand Aotearoa, and stop calling wellington the made up name that noone uses. That might help.
Hey, if FIFA says its Aotearoa New Zealand then who I am to argue? It's football canon now (as well as NZ canon) https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/NZL
No, no, let's hear him out. If the Phoenix cease to use Māori words and symbolism, ban their players from wearing Pride colours and generally appeal to the "anti-woke" crowd, I'm sure the RoF will be full every match day with a vast crowd of angry, resentful, and very pale scum of the earth.
We can give Sydney United 58 a run for their money!
Liz Gunn and her 2 million voters will be lining the streets begging for a match day ticket
NZ Football are going down the woke track pretty aggressively. Nothing wrong with that but there’s probably more urgent things to pursue like on field performance.
No, no, let's hear him out. If the Phoenix cease to use Māori words and symbolism, ban their players from wearing Pride colours and generally appeal to the "anti-woke" crowd, I'm sure the RoF will be full every match day with a vast crowd of angry, resentful, and very pale scum of the earth.
We can give Sydney United 58 a run for their money!
Liz Gunn and her 2 million voters will be lining the streets begging for a match day ticket
NZ Football are going down the woke track pretty aggressively. Nothing wrong with that but there’s probably more urgent things to pursue like on field performance.
If by "woke" you mean being culturally sensitive, I'd suggest the one feeds into the other. Are you aware of how Auckland rugby was decimated over the last 20 years because the old white blokes in charge treated Pasefika players like pieces of meat, and the best young players switched to league because the Warriors treated them with cultural respect?
No, no, let's hear him out. If the Phoenix cease to use Māori words and symbolism, ban their players from wearing Pride colours and generally appeal to the "anti-woke" crowd, I'm sure the RoF will be full every match day with a vast crowd of angry, resentful, and very pale scum of the earth.
We can give Sydney United 58 a run for their money!
Liz Gunn and her 2 million voters will be lining the streets begging for a match day ticket
It'll rule, we'll be the sporting powerhouse for people who think Trump is a pretty cool guy, we might even be able to get Mussolini Jr. on loan from Lazio
Kaitoa thank goodness, since the world cup I have been absolutely hanging for more women's football. I can't for the game in Te Whanganui-a-Tara this mutunga wiki!! COYN!
NZ Football are going down the woke track pretty aggressively. Nothing wrong with that but there’s probably more urgent things to pursue like on field performance.
If by "woke" you mean being culturally sensitive, I'd suggest the one feeds into the other. Are you aware of how Auckland rugby was decimated over the last 20 years because the old white blokes in charge treated Pasefika players like pieces of meat, and the best young players switched to league because the Warriors treated them with cultural respect?
Interesting take on Auckland rugby given I follow them pretty closely and the decimation you describe is blamed on a different demographic