Saturday night home games
Put simply, in the past, attendances have been a problem. A big one too. If people are not coming to watch the games, the club is losing valuable revenue each week, while the A-League becomes a laughing stock, most especially from rugby fans who bask in the local league competitions drawing more than the meagre couple of thousand that trudge down to the Cake Tin each week for their footballing fix.
However, in a radical move by the FFA, this is hoped, will all change in the new year. Because in the 2015-16 season, the Phoenix will officially become a Saturday night home team. Of the 13 matches that are being played in Wellington, only five are on a Sunday, with two on a Friday and six on a Saturday. The FFA believe it is an important change in order to maximise the possible football revenue in New Zealand.
Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome believes it lands well in the obscurity of time zones, stadia availability and broadcasting while also catering aptly for the club’s large family fan base by making sure that families are not struggling to get kids to school the next day. It sounds great, traditional even, but will it work? We will just have to wait and see.
Click NEXT to view more reasons to back the Phoenix
