Wellington Phoenix

@booboo Respectfully disagree. If the Hurricanes have 2 or 3 terrible seasons, how many on here want to get rid of them?

The Phoenix are the only pathway to professional football in New Zealand. Even if they are playing poorly - and yes, every sports team in existence have had periods where they perform below expectations - this is still the case. It doesn't change that fact.

What gets me annoyed is that the Phoenix don't get any support from the FFA (Football Fed Australia) and have been slapped with the requirement of fulfilling a range of 'metrics' in order to get their license renewed. Note that no other club in the A-League needs to hit any kind of similar target..

Now, you would think that this unfair treatment would spark some sort of empathy among sports fans in NZ - no matter which code they support - but that isn't the case. Instead, fans of other codes seem to shit on them even more. It's frustrating.

@Antisonfire said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@booboo Respectfully disagree. If the Hurricanes have 2 or 3 terrible seasons, how many on here want to get rid of them?

The Phoenix are the only pathway to professional football in New Zealand. Even if they are playing poorly - and yes, every sports team in existence have had periods where they perform below expectations - this is still the case. It doesn't change that fact.

What gets me annoyed is that the Phoenix don't get any support from the FFA (Football Fed Australia) and have been slapped with the requirement of fulfilling a range of 'metrics' in order to get their license renewed. Note that no other club in the A-League needs to hit any kind of similar target..

Now, you would think that this unfair treatment would spark some sort of empathy among sports fans in NZ - no matter which code they support - but that isn't the case. Instead, fans of other codes seem to shit on them even more. It's frustrating.

Would that be because it is an Aussie league though? I can see their point of view as it is another expensive journey to send teams here.

I don't see why they would want to prop up an underperforming team that isn't helpful to their own country's sport?

@Hooroo said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@Antisonfire said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@booboo Respectfully disagree. If the Hurricanes have 2 or 3 terrible seasons, how many on here want to get rid of them?

The Phoenix are the only pathway to professional football in New Zealand. Even if they are playing poorly - and yes, every sports team in existence have had periods where they perform below expectations - this is still the case. It doesn't change that fact.

What gets me annoyed is that the Phoenix don't get any support from the FFA (Football Fed Australia) and have been slapped with the requirement of fulfilling a range of 'metrics' in order to get their license renewed. Note that no other club in the A-League needs to hit any kind of similar target..

Now, you would think that this unfair treatment would spark some sort of empathy among sports fans in NZ - no matter which code they support - but that isn't the case. Instead, fans of other codes seem to shit on them even more. It's frustrating.

Would that be because it is an Aussie league though? I can see their point of view as it is another expensive journey to send teams here.

I don't see why they would want to prop up an underperforming team that isn't helpful to their own country's sport?

Like the Warriors you mean?

@canefan said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@Hooroo said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@Antisonfire said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@booboo Respectfully disagree. If the Hurricanes have 2 or 3 terrible seasons, how many on here want to get rid of them?

The Phoenix are the only pathway to professional football in New Zealand. Even if they are playing poorly - and yes, every sports team in existence have had periods where they perform below expectations - this is still the case. It doesn't change that fact.

What gets me annoyed is that the Phoenix don't get any support from the FFA (Football Fed Australia) and have been slapped with the requirement of fulfilling a range of 'metrics' in order to get their license renewed. Note that no other club in the A-League needs to hit any kind of similar target..

Now, you would think that this unfair treatment would spark some sort of empathy among sports fans in NZ - no matter which code they support - but that isn't the case. Instead, fans of other codes seem to shit on them even more. It's frustrating.

Would that be because it is an Aussie league though? I can see their point of view as it is another expensive journey to send teams here.

I don't see why they would want to prop up an underperforming team that isn't helpful to their own country's sport?

Like the Warriors you mean?

Does the NRL want the warriors out? But yes, if that is the case

It's not quite like the Warriors as I understand they actually generate money (big audience in NZ and in Aus, lots of merch).

@Antisonfire said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@booboo Respectfully disagree. If the Hurricanes have 2 or 3 terrible seasons, how many on here want to get rid of them?

I want to get rid of them no matter what season they have...

Wouldn't it be similar to NZ allowing an Aus team in the NPC?

I agree that from a NZ point of view the Phoenix are pretty critical but you can forgive A-League fans for not wanting them there. I don't like defending Mr DildoinMouth (@mariner4life) but I think his criticism was more about their contribution to the A League as a whole not their importance to NZ soccer. I'd also say he's far more of a soccer fan than the vast majority here. He's a strong supporter of the team that will not will the PL this year.

@Rancid-Schnitzel Don't get me started on people who support Euro clubs and don't support their local teams..

@Antisonfire said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@Rancid-Schnitzel Don't get me started on people who support Euro clubs and don't support their local teams..

A League culled his Townsville team ...

WTF is up with the nix? Up 3-1 in Melbourne at half time. The way they have defended you wouldn't back against them to close it out

@antipodean said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@Antisonfire said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

@booboo Respectfully disagree. If the Hurricanes have 2 or 3 terrible seasons, how many on here want to get rid of them?

I want to get rid of them no matter what season they have...

GFYs

Oops. Now the Phoenix are hanging on for a point with a few minutes to play....

The gaffer

23k for a pointless team at Eden Park; not bad.

Someone looks like he is parlaying his performance in Wellington into a bigger better gig back in Oz

Excellent.

The result — their biggest ever win— sees the Phoenix move five points clear of seventh-place Newcastle Jets, with the top-four now a realistic target for Mark Rudan's side.

They got the opposition coach sacked after the game too - another first (?) for the Phoenix!

@Donsteppa said in What is the point of the Phoenix?:

They got the opposition coach sacked after the game too - another first (?) for the Phoenix!

Watched his post game interview and whilst the result was an absolute shocker, I certainly didn’t expect him to get fired so soon after the match.

Rudan intends to leave, so that's the end of the good times.......

Shit result for the club but you can't blame players for leaving when they have no certainty.

Classy move by the boss, I don't think you can argue when family is involved. Hopefully the club and build on the foundations he has laid

@Hooroo From the article:

The Australian chief football writer Ray Gatt is tweeting that Krishna has signed with a club in Korea.

@Stargazer wow that is a huge loss. especially on the back of Rudan.

Hmmm what are the chances of a failed contract in Korea only to fortuitously be offered a 'life line' by Western United. Pure coincidence of course...

Could end up at Zenit... his wife's Instagram currently showing her and Roy checking out St Petersburg

You can't blame him. Out of favour and disregarded for years, then wins golden boot. Coach leaves, other clubs with better money come calling. Good on him

@canefan said in Wellington Phoenix:

You can't blame him. Out of favour and disregarded for years, then wins golden boot. Coach leaves, other clubs with better money come calling. Good on him

He's hardly been out of favour or disregarded, since Ernie at least he's always been a key starter for the team.

That said, this is the model for the a league. Guys who do well, leave. It's a shop window for just about every other league in the world.

I don't see this as a backdoor to another a league team because he's off contract. If the deal in Korea falls through and he has to return to the a league then it will be the phoenix.

Maybe he's returning to Waitakere United???

@African-Monkey love it good comment

So Rudan left the club and took 3 of our better players with him. One player has let slip that he was recruited during last season. We got tapped up

Who knows with this stuff, it's easy to look after the fact and figure that's what happened, but it may well have been people just contacting him after he left or when he made it known he was leaving.

@Godder said in Wellington Phoenix:

Who knows with this stuff, it's easy to look after the fact and figure that's what happened, but it may well have been people just contacting him after he left or when he made it known he was leaving.

It's understandable that players who have the opportunity to follow him would do so after enjoying playing for him in Wellington

This will be amazing and impressive if true

I laugh when they abuse Wellington for the crowds yet praise Auckland, 1 it’s like 3 times the population so of course there going to get a bigger turn out and 2. It’s supply and demand more people will come because there only in Auckland twice

@mikey07 said in Wellington Phoenix:

I laugh when they abuse Wellington for the crowds yet praise Auckland, 1 it’s like 3 times the population so of course there going to get a bigger turn out and 2. It’s supply and demand more people will come because there only in Auckland twice

They get pretty solid crowds in Wellington. The key to getting consistent big crowds in Auckland is to keep the number of games small to combat apathy. 2 a year seems about right

@canefan Yeah I know they do I just something on the radio Monday morning saying Wellington needs to stand up with crowd numbers which I found odd

@mikey07 said in Wellington Phoenix:

@canefan Yeah I know they do I just something on the radio Monday morning saying Wellington needs to stand up with crowd numbers which I found odd

Clearly someone who doesn't go to Phoenix games!