Phoenix teetering on the edge
BRISBANE: A third new team could enter the ALeague in 2020 with the demise of Wellington Phoenix seemingly inevitable unless the club drastically improves its offfield performance.
The formal commencement of the expansion process has put further pressure on the Phoenix, whose licence agreement expires at the end of season 201920 — the same season when two new teams will join the competition.
Further extensions will occur only if the club hits certain ‘‘metrics’’ around attendances and increased broadcast rights, but not even Phoenix coowner Gareth
Morgan is optimistic about reaching them.
If they do not, it paves the way for another expansion outfit to replace the Phoenix in season 202021.
Up to a dozen parties are expected to submit expressions of interest to Football Federation Australia and it is understood at least two of them asked last year whether Wellington’s licence was up for sale.
ALeague chief Greg O’Rourke confirmed to AAP Wellington was at present below where it needed to be to trigger a licence extension.
‘‘They have metrics to hit, and we’ll continue to work with Wellington Phoenix to see whether or not they’re interested in improving their club to a point where those metrics become achievable,’’ O’Rourke said.
Wellington was granted a 10year extension in February 2016, but the last six years of that deal were conditional on reaching specific offfield benchmarks and also gaining the approval of Fifa, the Asia and Oceania confederations and New Zealand Football.
The Phoenix has averaged just 5809 at its matches this season — the lowest attendance figure in the competition.
Its crowds have decreased by nearly 29% over the past three campaigns, despite it having been effectively put on notice by FFA to improve them.
It has had a disastrous season on the field as well and at present has no fulltime coach.
Attempts to contact Morgan, who is part of the Welnix consortium that took over the club in 2011, were unsuccessful.
But Morgan told New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB last month he was a ‘‘reluctant’’ owner who was willing to sell at the right price.
‘‘We got a renewal, we’re two years into it and that was dependent on particular performance criteria, which I have to say to you right at this stage don’t look great,’’ he said.
‘‘Something’s got to happen in the next two years, otherwise it’s goodbye Charlie.’’ — NZN