Phoenix ready to give Auckland another shot

EXCLUSIVE: The Phoenix are set to do the almost unthinkable – play an A-League match in Auckland.

Club chief executive Tony Pignata has confirmed he's looking to whip the Wellington bandwagon into a fully-fledged New Zealand brand, lifting two A-League home games out of Wellington each year with Christchurch almost certain to benefit.

Meanwhile Auckland, Dunedin and Palmerston North will scrap it out as frontrunners for the second game which Pignata indicates would be a high-profile clash against either Sydney FC or fellow top side Melbourne Victory.

Pignata confirmed last weekend's record Christchurch crowd of 19,258 proves Christchurch deserves annual A-League action.

But the bombshell is sure to rile most fans in the capital who not only have to accept losing two home games a season but swallow the bitter fact that A-League football may return to Auckland – a region of proven failure.

But Pignata says the past is the past and Auckland, by right, stands just as strong a chance of hosting A-League football as anyone.

"We're the only New Zealand team in the A-League and need to travel around the country. It was an excellent turnout for Christchurch and really showed that there's a lot of support outside Wellington for the Phoenix. We'll definitely look to take a game back to Christchurch. The fans there deserve another match," Pignata told Sunday News.

"We could take a couple of games outside of Wellington. I'm not discounting Auckland, whatever happened with former clubs was ages ago. We get a lot of fans travelling down from Auckland. They've got some very, very good stadiums and with the redevelopment for the (rugby) World Cup there could be an opportunity to play games there and maybe bring one of the bigger teams, a Melbourne or a Sydney."

Like the Breakers and the once Auckland Warriors, the Phoenix are the sole Kiwi side competing in a trans-Tasman league. But Pignata insists they will remain absolutely, positively Wellington and under no circumstance should fans interpret his plan as the club following the way of the Warriors and one day becoming the New Zealand Phoenix.

"No. That's a definite no. We're Wellington Phoenix and we'll always remain Wellington Phoenix FC. We're talking one, maybe two games," he said. "Wellington's our home and we're not forgetting for one minute what the fans of Wellington Phoenix have done from day one. We still have 12 or 13 games, potentially, at Westpac Stadium and our No 1 priority is making sure we look after out season ticket holders and fans from Wellington. There should be no concern from them at all."

Pignata says the idea of the A-League following the NRL with smaller Australian sides playing home fixtures in New Zealand in order to reap bigger gate receipts is an unlikely scenario, while the birth of a second New Zealand team is not foreseeable either.

- © Fairfax NZ News