Crowds increasing every week.

actually signing decent players like Davila 

Equal Third on the ladder

Did most people underestimate them?

What you state is irrelevant.

Kick them out.

They are at best a bottom filler.

They aren’t doing that this season.
Second time. Wow.

It honestly surprises me they arn't getting more credit - two young Australian players Devlin and Piscopo have been a revelation this season and the Nix have given two new Australian coaches (Rudan and Taley) a chance to make it over the last two years. Imagine if they had of dropped the nix for Western United - instead of watching exciting young kiwi/aussie players and new coaches you would get expired recycled a league and European players. Luckily we get both.

The Nix have very good youth development, young Australians will benefit going there possibly more than they would at some other A league clubs. 

No they can still get out. Every cent that is given to Wellington would be better value if given to an Australian team.

nope, kick them out, only reason they look ok is because everyone bar Sydney Fc and maybe perth, are shit

Talay way above Rudan as a coach!!!

Very much like Welly, doing a good job - on and off the park. I hope they get finals this year, and give it a good go. Just my 1 cents worth.

A lot of people on here should start saying sorry!

We owe them nothing. A team from an irrelevant confederation who have a history of being poor in a domestic league that has restrictions in place to promote competitiveness is finally competitive (which is more of a reflection of how poor most other teams are this season) doesn't warrant an apology because people wrote them off pre-season/early season. 

Though with that said I will acknowledge they have recruited pretty well and Talay has done a very respectable job thus far. 

Talay has done a brilliant job.  Contrast him to Fowler, Babel and Verbeek.

Lol!!! you can taste the salt from the NixOut posters. 

Couldn't be happier for our Kiwi brothers' success in the last two years. They've given another Aussie coach a springboard to make a name for himself, They are playing the most attractive football in the League, have the most exciting foreigner, and are nurturing two of our young Aussie prospects, whilst one of their young Kiwi's is ready to head into a top flight European league.

Whatever you think of the nix, they are doing more for the good of the League, than most other clubs.



Everyone posting otherwise is a bitter, living in the past.

With Wellington's licence expiring at the end of this season it is going to be very interesting to see what happens if independence does not get finalised before then. If it does, then Wellington are here to stay and will have the same rights as any other club in the league. If it doesn't, Wellington will be in the position in which the FFA could legally deny them the renewal. 

Unless I'm mistaken I think they are already extending contracts which is a big clue that they are staying.

If that's the case they really should become New Zealand's pro team. Should do more matches in Christchurch and Dunedin as well as continue with their Auckland matches to hopefully get their attendances up. 

There won't be another team in New Zealand. I'm quite sure the FFA have the ability to block that.

It was my understanding that the ownership model has changed and that nix are now 1/12 owners (macarthur must have a stake) in the new a league. FFA might not have a say over whether a second nz club could join or not. Your also missing the whole reason why the other club owners supported the nix despite the FFA and media. The phoenix don't take their market shares, they would rather have the nix in a completely different market then more australian teams.

In a private ownership model an Auckland team could happen as that is better for most club owners than another brisbane, adelaide, Sydney, Perth or Melbourne team. The clubs are trying to make money or break even and a percentage of their crowds disppearing wouldn't help at all.  The phoenix could block a nz expansion as they consider Auckland somewhat of a supplementary market. I guess it depends what they view as more valuable a Derby or 2 Auckland home games. 

Ive been ambivalent about them for some time but based on this season they can stay.  One mightve been justified to think that after a decade or so of shithouse recruitment, crap performance and dwindling crowds they would have folded by now, but here they are pulling nearly 10k based on minor winning streak.

While I prefer to see Canberra in the competition, a New Zealand presence might actually be handy for future second division prospects, we additional teams joining from Auckland and Christchurch. 

I wouldn't be so sure. The ability to block maybe, but the willingness?

It's already been reported recently that a number of club owners are attracted to Auckland. Dangle a share of a fat licence fee in front of this new mob, and let's see what happens...

I think a Auckland side would bring the HAL in full circle with Canberra added. Auckland could easy be the next Melb Victory with average crowds of 20k.

Putting shit on them all the time so based on that, yes!

The same Auckland that’s never averaged above 5K?

Bitch plz!, every one wanted a new Aus team and you got WU with crowds of 4k playing on AFL ovals. An Auckland team done right playing out of Edan park would kill it.

not sure who is more pathetic, libel or nomates

An Auckland team has been done multiple times and failed. Just because big crowds go to one off Phoenix games it means nothing, in the Auckland days they would shift the odd game to Wellington and surprise surprise the crowds were bigger, that’s because those types of games are ‘event’ games, very different to committing to a team year in year out.

But they're fourth. What's the big deal? 

The A-league has changed since the days of the Knights, again if Western United a new club with star players being top 6 can only get 4k to game plus they play on AFL ovals then why cant a Auckland team succeed with better circumstances? The league would get more SKY Sports money and there would be a NZ derby.

The last time the Phoenix owners talked about Auckland they wanted an Auckland team, this was a few years ago. The thinking being one more NZ team means more market exposure, more away fans at nix games, and ultimately a rising tide floats all ships. It also wouldn't hurt the competition to have more games outside of Australia in the height of summer.

In the past Auckland failed but it was run on a shoe string and in a stadium that was awkward to get to, the Phoenix have shown if you bring the game into the city then you'll get crowds. Ultimately success or failure will come from the ownership group of an Auckland team having the resources to do it right.

@Jegga The Phoenix have no desire of being a NZ team, they were bought by the current owners in order to stop the trend of Auckland getting everything. We have the NZ Breakers and the NZ Warriors but those teams seldom leave Auckland, they're really Auckland teams and the name is a cynical attempt at getting fans outside of the region, the Wellington Phoenix travel more around NZ than the so called NZ teams. I'd guess that Wellington has hosted more Canterbury Bulldogs home game than "New Zealand Warriors" home games. Ultimately the only way to gain a fan base is to stay in one place for a long time and build roots in an area, get those traditions of multiple generations of people supporting the team. We're getting there, we now have players playing for the nix that grew up with nix posters on their walls.

And yes, they've got more than half the squad signed for next year with a few players on three year deals. Their future is certainly secure and there is no such thing as licenses anymore.

#wellingtonout

No Wellington in some great football.

I am still waiting for someone to justify why they can sign unlimited NZ players to their squad. 

Why shouldn’t every club be able to sign NZ players and them not be counted at visa players?

Nixin fans - give us a good reason 

I think they should, there are not actually that many young NZ players who would make A-league level. No Australian players would miss out (Devlin and Piscopo for example). May need to change those rules to prevent more western united's popping up. Australian talent is already starting to spread pretty thin.