Watching Wellington Phoenix Away

Why Wellington is well worth an away trip

Mike Tuckerman

It would be a shame if the A-League lost one of its great away trips. To paraphrase Liverpool legend Ian Rush, travelling to the Kiwi capital is like visiting a foreign country.

It's the fact that watching a game at Westpac Stadium is so different that makes it a worthwhile experience. Home – for now, at least – to the Wellington Phoenix, the venue affectionately known as 'the Cake Tin' is located a proverbial long throw from the CBD, in a city that feels more European in ambience than any of its counterparts across the Tasman Sea.

Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand
Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand
Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand
Phoenix Fans, Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand

Flying a Foreign Flag

The Phoenix are the A-League's only foreign franchise, however they weren't the first. Rising from the ashes of defunct Auckland club the New Zealand Knights, the hastily-conceived Phoenix were expected to add a substantial second TV market, as well as attract decent attendances to their multi-purpose venue across the ditch.

Things haven't quite worked out as planned. Despite playing out of a 34,000-capacity stadium, the Phoenix operate in one of the A-League's smallest markets. Furthermore, the existence of an Oceania-based club in a league overseen by the Asian Football Confederation has proved problematic.

Indeed, given that New Zealand knocked Bahrain out of contention for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, it's little wonder there's a lack of enthusiasm for Kiwi football among the movers and shakers of the Asian game. Which is bad news for the A-League, because watching a game in Wellington is one of the competition's more pleasurable experiences.

Cable Car, Wellington, New Zealand
Cable Car, Wellington, New Zealand

Capital of Cool

The attraction starts with the Kiwi capital itself. From its quirky cable car to the Monteiths flowing freely through the taps of just about every pub in town, Wellington offers an intangible something missing in other A-League cities.

Maybe it's the European-like weather, or perhaps it's the simple fact you can enjoy a pint in the historic Thistle Inn before ambling amiably to the ground; whatever it is, games in Wellington make for a convivial change from the sometimes brooding atmospheres found outside some of the A-League's marquee fixtures.

On the downside, Wellington's cavernous home ground is also home to some of the A-League's worst sightlines. Not only are fans behind each goal situated a mile from the action, because the ground was built in an oval configuration – ostensibly so it can also host cricket matches – so too are ticket-holders in the ground's most expensive seats.

Moreover, the city itself could be considered the capital of cool in more ways than one. Situated on the shores of Wellington Harbour, Westpac Stadium – in all its circular glory – functions on blustery days like a kind of wind tunnel, catching breezes and funnelling them around to blast unsuspecting fans with an icy chill.

Still, the warming match day food and drink options are a vast improvement on some of the dreadful fare on offer in Australia, while the fact that it takes only minutes to walk back into the city centre after a typically windy Wellington encounter is another added bonus.

Last Call?

That the Phoenix's Yellow Fever supporter group are some of the most welcoming fans in the competition only adds to the sense that losing Wellington would be a tragedy for the A-League. It would, more importantly, also end professional club football as we know it in New Zealand.

Yet that's the dilemma currently faced by Wellington fans. Thanks to the vagaries of Australian football politics, Football Federation Australia chairman David Gallop recently declined to grant the club a 10-year licence extension, instead offering the Phoenix a four-year extension supposedly designed to prove their worth.

Cited, among other things, was the club's failure to excel in three "key metrics" – matchday crowds, TV ratings and memberships. Any way you slice it, it looks like dark days ahead for the yellow-and-black faithful.

Which is a shame indeed, because an away day in Wellington is certainly well worth the effort. From the city's vibrant bar scene and bohemian vibe, to the Phoenix's attractive football and good-natured fans, there's enough point-of-difference in the Wellington Phoenix to make them a club well worth paying a visit.

But you'd better make it quick. With the consortium that owns the Phoenix said to be mulling over the club's immediate future, the current A-League season could also be their last.

Copyright © Mike Tuckerman and Soccerphile.com


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