Finally getting some love from Fox Sports
Well, what a difference a year
makes. Actually, not even a year. There were clarion calls from
some well-known football commentators early this year that New
Zealand had no place having a team in the A-League, but already
Wellington Phoenix has staked a very early claim to be the
best-supported team (at least per capita) in the competition after
Melbourne Victory, and for a club only five games old,
that�s some
achievement.
The attendance for Phoenix�s weekend match against Adelaide in Wellington were a not-too-shabby 12,000, which is a figure even the Reds couldn�t muster for their debut Asian Champions league campaign at the end of last season. Phoenix have not pulled in less than 11,500 for any of their three home games, with their opening-round debut against Melbourne Victory drawing in almost 15,000.
Consider, too, that the New Zealand Knights, the team that folded to augur in the new Wellington franchise, never topped 10,000 in two whole seasons (averaging an atrocious 3500) and you begin to appreciate just what a feat Terry Serepisos and his team have pulled off in such a short time in the Shaky Isles.
With the once-booming Sydney FC struggling to make inroads into
Australia�s biggest
sports market, it really is a measure of how good Wellington is
doing that it can draw a crowd at its home venue of Westpac Stadium
as big as the one that recently watched Sydney drop three points to
Phoenix at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Remember, Wellington is just a city of 400,000 people. Over ten
times that number live in Sydney.
The key to Wellington�s success has been a corps of very committed supporters, some clever cult hero-making of its telegenic coach, Ricki Herbert (I just love the �Retro Ricki� T-shirts); a strong engagement with the local community; and, more than anything, some very astute recruiting of skilled local players and a contingent of foreign imports. They have been very fortunate in finding real diamonds in Daniel and Felipe; Ross Aloisi, who I have been critical of in the past, is playing some very good football and leading by example; and with frozen-out Socceroo Ahmad Elrich joining the team after several years minding the pine at Fulham, they are only going to get more formidable.
Which is good for Wellington, good for New Zealand, and great for the A-League.
This blogger has taken some heat, even from within this organisation, for drawing attention to the anti-New Zealand sentiment among parts of the football media in this country, but I feel my stance has been vindicated by the early success of Phoenix.
Long may it continue.
We are changing minds about NZ Football over in Aussie...keep the revolution going!
At least it's positive..
valeo2007-09-24 21:28:20
make sure a few of us get on his blog and make a comment too
http://blogs.foxsports.com.au/football/index.php/foxsports/index/a143
Do you think he even saw the penalty shout ?
14/07/2002, Auckland, Ericsson Stadium, 4000
Oceanian Nations Cup
NEW ZEALAND 1 (Ryan Nelsen 78')
AUSTRALIA 0
New Zealand: Jason Batty (James Bannatyne 58'), Duncan Oughton, Chris Zoricich,
Ryan Nelsen, Gerard Davies, Chris Jackson, Simon Elliott, Ivan Vicelich,
Mark Burton, Chris Killen, Aaron Lines.
Australia: Jason Petkovic, Mehmed Durakovic, Steve Horvat, Patrick Kisnorbo,
Jade North (Tom Pondeljak 82'), Angelo Costanzo, Ante Juric,
Scott Chipperfield, Fausto De Amicis (Robert Middleby 82'), Damian Mori,
Joel Porter (Bobby Despotovski 73').
Referee: Charles Ariiotima (Tahiti).
Coaches: New Zealand: Mick Waitt (England).
Australia: Frank Farina.
Cards: New Zealand: Ivan Vicelich [Y 19'], Chris Jackson [Y 40'],
Chris Zoricich [Y 63'], Aaron Lines [Y 81'].
Australia: Scott Chipperfield [Y 37'], Fausto De Amicis [Y 69'].
Note: Some sources claim the attendance was 6000 (2 666 paying spectators;
free entry for minors).
Baiter2007-09-24 22:52:17
Cos I needed some distraction at work I worked out some interesting numbers. Just as a quickie - by population size around 1 person in 33 in Wellington has been coming to the Ring to each match. Thats worked out from a population of greater Welly around 430,000 and average crowd size 13,000-ish. By contrast in Auckland with a population of around 1,400,000 and an average crowd size around 3,300 only 1 person in 424 were going to matches. The numbers aren't exact but the scale difference is obvious.
Right - just got to get the anorak on again and head out for some more train-spotting...Gordihno2007-09-24 23:38:12
C'mon give Telf a break!!!! Ok, so 'Netball Man' is and always will be full of sh*t. But he's moved on from the "aren't you being overly optimistic expecting 15,000 to a Wellington club soccer match" several weeks ago...
Bazinga. https://t.co/fAO5U5JUGc
— Cory (@SmithyInWelly) February 5, 2020
#BREAKING: Fox Sports is set to walk away from rugby union, ending a 25-year broadcasting partnership that began when the game turned professional
Wow,
Just a note on the Fox Football team and how they view the Phoenix atm. The rhetoric has swung big time. On all channels, (commentary, shows, podcasts, print etc) they are high of praise and show a lot of support in what is happening in Wellington. Bar Robbie Slater who is completely bias and seems to hate anything nz, the rest of the team including Bozza, Hill, Harper and Garb are magnanimous with appreciation and praise for the team.
I, as much as the next person, how much heat they gave us a few years ago, but it was perhaps justified alittle. We weren't great on the field and we had problems off the field - thats a talking point, and thats their job.
Sometimes we have selective hearing and I for one think that Piney and Fred are far more biased than any Aussie commentator. Very little praise when teams are performing well against us, and almost constant support for the phoenix. Doesnt make for good viewing when a neutral is watching.
Wow,
Just a note on the Fox Football team and how they view the Phoenix atm. The rhetoric has swung big time. On all channels, (commentary, shows, podcasts, print etc) they are high of praise and show a lot of support in what is happening in Wellington. Bar Robbie Slater who is completely bias and seems to hate anything nz, the rest of the team including Bozza, Hill, Harper and Garb are magnanimous with appreciation and praise for the team.
I, as much as the next person, how much heat they gave us a few years ago, but it was perhaps justified alittle. We weren't great on the field and we had problems off the field - thats a talking point, and thats their job.
Sometimes we have selective hearing and I for one think that Piney and Fred are far more biased than any Aussie commentator. Very little praise when teams are performing well against us, and almost constant support for the phoenix. Doesnt make for good viewing when a neutral is watching.
I really disagree re: Piney/Fred. They have every reason to be bias, considering they're working for a New Zealand broadcaster and not Fox. However, I find that they always praise the opposition when appropriate - especially Fred. Have a close listen next time. Obviously they will be partisan and you know who they're supporting - no reason to pretend otherwise - but it's much better than it used to be.
I'd like Piney to commentate more on the game and less random anecdotes, though; but that's subjective. I just twitch a little every time there is play building and you just know the story will be cut off half way for some half hearted excitement at a shot.
I agree, Piney and Fred are far less bias than any of the aussie chumps......Piney could do to keep the stats and anecdotes to himself though.
Wow,
Just a note on the Fox Football team and how they view the Phoenix atm. The rhetoric has swung big time. On all channels, (commentary, shows, podcasts, print etc) they are high of praise and show a lot of support in what is happening in Wellington. Bar Robbie Slater who is completely bias and seems to hate anything nz, the rest of the team including Bozza, Hill, Harper and Garb are magnanimous with appreciation and praise for the team.
I, as much as the next person, how much heat they gave us a few years ago, but it was perhaps justified alittle. We weren't great on the field and we had problems off the field - thats a talking point, and thats their job.
Sometimes we have selective hearing and I for one think that Piney and Fred are far more biased than any Aussie commentator. Very little praise when teams are performing well against us, and almost constant support for the phoenix. Doesnt make for good viewing when a neutral is watching.
I really disagree re: Piney/Fred. They have every reason to be bias, considering they're working for a New Zealand broadcaster and not Fox. However, I find that they always praise the opposition when appropriate - especially Fred. Have a close listen next time. Obviously they will be partisan and you know who they're supporting - no reason to pretend otherwise - but it's much better than it used to be.
I'd like Piney to commentate more on the game and less random anecdotes, though; but that's subjective. I just twitch a little every time there is play building and you just know the story will be cut off half way for some half hearted excitement at a shot.
Agreed and I don't think Piney/Fred are as bad as some people make them out to be. Piney used to be a radio commentator though right? That's where all the random extra talk comes from as you can't have silence during a radio broadcast, probably a hard habit to break.
Wow,
Just a note on the Fox Football team and how they view the Phoenix atm. The rhetoric has swung big time. On all channels, (commentary, shows, podcasts, print etc) they are high of praise and show a lot of support in what is happening in Wellington. Bar Robbie Slater who is completely bias and seems to hate anything nz, the rest of the team including Bozza, Hill, Harper and Garb are magnanimous with appreciation and praise for the team.
I, as much as the next person, how much heat they gave us a few years ago, but it was perhaps justified alittle. We weren't great on the field and we had problems off the field - thats a talking point, and thats their job.
Sometimes we have selective hearing and I for one think that Piney and Fred are far more biased than any Aussie commentator. Very little praise when teams are performing well against us, and almost constant support for the phoenix. Doesnt make for good viewing when a neutral is watching.
While it's always nice to hear some positive media feedback about the club it says something that this thread is 12 years old and in that time many of the names mentioned have been very on again/off again about us. I have a long memory and tend to take their comments with a grain of salt.
Unfortunately the Nix is always going to be vulnerable to grandstanding media pundits in a way that Australian clubs aren't, no matter how poorly performing those clubs are results or metrics-wise.
As for the 'maybe it was a little bit our fault' argument I don't agree with that. FFA forced the club almost to the point of extinction, and that this has been held off is due almost entirely to the hard work from all those involved in the club.
