Close to two months ago I posed the question, will Wellington Phoenix flounder or flourish?
At the time the article was written, Wellington were sitting in the dreaded last place with an average attendance of 7445 and, unfortunately, experiencing one of their most troubling periods in the club’s short history.
I also asked if their off-field performances could be attributed just to their lack of on-field success.
Options such as relocation were assessed but only for the purpose of a more suitable stadium which could aid in the match day experience fans were currently paying.
The experience at Wellington home games, with no disrespect intended, does not match the atmosphere of rival clubs.
On the 28th March 2007, the new name for New Zealand’s football club was chosen from roughly 250 proposed names.
The club owner at the time, Terry Serepisos, explained the name chosen to represent the Wellington based club: “It symbolises the fresh start, the rising from the ashes, and the incredible Wellington support that has come out.”
The ‘fresh’ aspect has surely waned and the strong support continues to dwindle regardless of one mid-week fixture, form and even playing a game away from their usual home of Westpac stadium at Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin.
Attendances have currently dropped to 6,882, and although their past three performances have indicated a reversal in form, the trend seems harder to buck than originally thought.
To rub salt into the wound, foundation coach Ricky Herbert decided his time with the club was up and the club mutually obliged.
Ricky Herbert, although not your typical Postecoglou, Popovic or Arnold-stye coach, has served the Wellington Phoenix club to the best of his ability and prior to this season had accomplished what only three other teams had been able to accomplish – three successive finals appearances.
The only teams to have done this prior to the culminating results of this season were Sydney FC 05/06, 06/07, 07/08, Newcastle Jets 05/06, 06/07, 07/08 and Melbourne Victory from seasons 08/09, 09/10, 10/11.
After successful qualification and campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it would seem as though football in New Zealand was generating the interest required to support a New Zealand-based team and the All Whites.
Unfortunately for football, the rugby codes are the two most popular sports in terms of attendance and viewing, so trying to convert fans across to football in summer was always going to be a challenge.
With the phenomenal success of the Western Sydney Wanderers and their football journey capturing the imagination of the Australian football public, it could be viewed that the FFA have finally got it right.
With community engagement emphasised in the creation of the Wanderers, football fans must wonder if the FFA could do it again, if required.
We all know teams have their time in the doldrums.
However, with a competition so even and with four rounds to go, anything is possible for any side, thus the need for fans at Wellington to provide their support more now than ever.
Attractive, attacking and quality football are what the public and new owners are searching for but at what cost?
If these trends continue and Phoenix’s new owners are not able to connect with the Wellington community and win matches attractively, then the question should be asked as to the importance of their inclusion in the A-League and ultimately the continual development of football in Australasia?
Do they still have something to offer? Is it just a matter of time until the club is replaced? Or is it just a really bad season and they can’t wait for it to finish?
Maintaining the momentum football has gathered in the past year is vital to the continual growth of the game, not just in Australia but in New Zealand also.
With the salary cap being fully covered next season, some financial expenses may be alleviated which could aid club owners to vest their money into other aspects of football development.
But will it be enough?
Can Wellington Phoenix rise from the ashes and provide something to the continual development of the A-League?
Or can another Australian team offer what the Phoenix aren’t?
jbinnie
Guest
Kellett - During the televising of last week's game from Dunedin the commentators made a slight reference to the fact that there were existing problems being endured by the local authority in meeting the bills for the stadium they were playing in which, to be honest, looked to be a modern,roofed,multi purpose stadium.If this reference carried any substance I doubt if you will see any local authority sinking dollars into smaller capacity stadia. jb
Cameron
Roar Guru
Now the costs of that would come definitely need to looked into. Do you really want Australia playing Oceania sides again though? It's bad enough NZ have too
Dizza
Guest
NZ joining the AFC would essentially be the end of Oceania. Perhaps the best option would be to disband Oceania altogether and move the whole thing into Asia?
Cameron
Roar Guru
Hog, As pointed out they have made the finals three years in a row and unfortunately the problem is the lack of 'effort' or enthusiasm to capitalise on this previous success. The fans are 100% there but the core is not strong enough to alleviate costs of their current owners. 32,792 back in 2009/10 was their highest ever attendance but this was during the dream run by New Zealands All Whites.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Johnnie, As pointed out Auckland has already had a crack, but in regards to Westpac Stadium I agree about the lack of quality it offers. Atmosphere was addressed within the first article as one of the big problems for Wellington but in terms of other possible stadiums, there was no other options. I believe the problems regarding use of Westpac need to be addressed, maybe, if possible, if kind, another stadium - 15,000-20,000? Maybe costly but atmosphere may be already proving a cost?
Cameron
Roar Guru
Ballymore, I don't believe it is possible at all, nor feasible. It would leave Oceania with nothing pretty much. Who knows, it might occur in the future but the survival of Wellington is vital to that and new Zealand's own domestic league would need to provide more to show NZ can offer to Asia.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Pete4, The fully covered $2.8 million salary cap will definitely alleviate some pressures on club owners but what the club owners choose to do with the money freed up can become a difference in continual development. With $500,00-$900,000 in salary Cap expenditure saved, do you believe owners and in particular the owners of Wellington will market the team better and create better memberships to entice more fans. Possibly a massive marquee signing can help?
pete4
Guest
Yes I think the Phoenix like most other clubs will be much stronger next season with FFA covering the entire $2.8M salary cap as Wellington is only a small town results up or down can change attendances fairly dramatically
Cameron
Roar Guru
Robbie, I'm definitely not suggesting we give Wellington the boot. I have posed a lot of questions. Although heavy handed, these questions can be at times necessary to looking further into problems that may be occurring at a club. I have now written two pieces on Wellington and I definitely pointed out their resilience and will to fight. It honestly could be a bad season and i'm happy to accept that. I did pose that question within my article. I'm not picking on them either, for I would love for them to be successful. The other article I wrote seeked to explore the issues of, their location and stadia. The stadium is one of the biggest issues for, the club and until something can be sorted out, it's only a matter of time till the current owners decide enough is enough. I don't have the answers and I love the Phoenix but addressing these issues is coming from a concerned A-league supporter. Do you think any of the questions I posed in this article and theother one are relevant to the How's current circumstances?
Ballymore
Guest
How feasible is it for NZL to join the AFC? -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].
Mantis
Roar Guru
I like the Phoenix more than most other teams, but I think they should be given the flick. The whole AFC/Oceania conflict is an obvious first reason. The second is that the FFA are propping up a NZ team, essentially developing their players (This may be completely wrong, i am not 100% sure what the FFA's involvement is or how much they are giving to the Phoenix, feel free to rip into me if I am wrong, but thats how it has been explained to me). It is time to get a team into Canberra. Before the bid was given to the (second) Western Sydney team, which has proved a monster success no doubt, Canberra had the best bid on paper. It had over 2000 paid and signed up members for a team that didnt even exist, as well as funding, both privately and from the government. It also has the AIS in its backyard, which would not only help improve the Canberra based side, but would also be hugely beneficial for the AIS program. Canberra has no other sporting team playing for the vast majority of the A-League season, and has the potential to get good crowds as the weather in summer is great (at night especially). Canberra has a good history with developing juniors as well. Off the top of my head: Rogic, Carl Valeri, Topor Stanley and Kofi Danning are all from Canberra. Im sure there are plenty more. I still find it funny that a National competition doesnt have a team from the National Capital, but has the Capital city of another country playing.
Robbie
Roar Pro
What? One bad season and poor crowd attendances and they deserve to be booted from the A-Leauge? Get real almost every single other A-League club has been there. Don't underestimate the Pheonix's resilience. The off-season might do them some good, and hopefully next season they will be a different team. I think people only pick on them because they are the sole foreign team in an Australian league. So what? Swansea City play in the EPL. Is that not a legitimate and exalted league?
Mantis
Roar Guru
Not until Canberra and or Wollongong have teams
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
Kosta B, Rojas and now Lois Fenton all got their starts at Phoenix. It would be a big call for an Australian A league side to use a foreign spot on a young Kiwi before they had seen them compete in the A League. I think they have improved of recent times. From what I hear about NZ it has only just become the number one participation game which I think happened in Australia about 10 years before the "golden generation" (no figures for that, just a feeling).
Towser
Guest
Would luv to be proved wrong, but the answer No & No,I'm getting a decidely NZ Knights feeling at the moment.
Allanthus
Guest
My guess is that, like most private businesses, they will only flush money down the toilet for so long. So yes, you're right, there is an end game to be played out at some point - good or bad.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Allanthus, You've raised some great points and I do agree with you - for now. But this is now and the purpose my article looks to seek and establish is not only the now but a look to the future. I understand setting up a new club may fall as well but with the processes that were implemented into the Wanderers into a potential new club, then the potential for success and confidence rises, again does not mean it will work but it surely has a much better chance. So I guess although the Wellington are somewhat stable through private ownership and a licence to continue with for at least 2 more seasons, there is still plenty of time to work and improve. The question I will ask you Allan is what if the private owners do nothing to continue the trend Australian football is setting and this down ward trend continues, then what?
Cameron
Roar Guru
And what would your answer be Towser?
Towser
Guest
North QLD will be back within 10 years.
Towser
Guest
kellett_1992 Two questions the FFA should be asking after 8 yers of Kiwi A-League involvement & before that some years in the NSL. 1 Has Kiwi football improved at all in that time by our generosity 2 Is the gap widening between the development of the game in Australia & in NZ If the answer to 1 is NO whats the point,If the answer to 2 is NO ,well same answer whats the point.