The Wellington Phoenix today confirmed that they will play three A-League matches at Hutt City’s Hutt Recreation Ground – renamed Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Rec for the matches – and one at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Eden Park match is scheduled for Saturday December 13, with the Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation ground fixtures being Saturday February 14, Sunday February 22 and Saturday March 7.
The Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation Ground will also host three matches for the Phoenix’s new ASB Premiership side.
Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome said that the Club is pleased about the way the ‘away’ home games have worked out this year given a number of challenges around stadia availability.
“We are looking forward to returning to Auckland again this year and another big crowd.
“It’s very important for us and our commercial partners to have a presence in Auckland and our crowds are always strong in New Zealand’s largest city.
“We got almost 20,000 last year – and this season it’s a tasty wee fixture against last season’s semi-finalists Central Coast which should excite the fans”
The Phoenix’ season in February and March 2015 will be disrupted by the Cricket World Cup which takes out a number of stadia in New Zealand, including Westpac Stadium. So a new innovation this season is the building of a temporary stadium at the Hutt Recreation Ground in conjunction with Hutt City Council.
Local dealership Brendan Foot Supersite has come on board to support the venture which includes naming rights for the Hutt Recreation ground. Dome said the Club is thrilled about the prospect of three games at an intimate ground in the Hutt.
“Hutt City Council and the Club are really excited about building a temporary, intimate little stadium at Hutt Recreation Ground.
“The games at Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation ground will be more than just quality football matches.
“The Club and the Hutt City Council are aligned in the vision of these games being a fantastic community day out with activities for families, cultural groups and demonstrations and all sorts of entertainment.
“The ground will have a maximum 9,000 capacity which is likely to sell out given the novelty factor and what we have planned.
“Season ticket holders and Club Members will get first crack at tickets for the three matches.
“A lot of credit has to go to the Hutt City Council in their willingness to take these games on and build something really special around these matches.
Hutt City Council General Manager Community Services Matt Reid agreed that the matches will be a fantastic opportunity for the local community to be part of something special.
“Lower Hutt is set to be ‘the’ place for local football fans early next year.
“We’ll not only showcase our city and our premier ground, the Hutt Rec, but also give our community the opportunity to engage with some of their heroes.
“We’ll work closely with the Phoenix to get players out to schools and the wider community which will add to the buzz these games will generate in our city.
“We’re equally committed to working with regular users of the ground to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum during this time as we make the most of this exciting trio of fixtures.”
At A Glance
Hyundai A-League
Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners, Saturday December 13, kick off 5pm, Eden Park, Auckland
Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne City, Saturday February 14, kicks off 5pm, Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt
Wellington Phoenix v Newcastle Jets, Sunday February 22, kick off 5pm, Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt
Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United, Saturday March 7, kicks off 7pm, Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt
ASB Premiership
Wellington Phoenix v Southern, Sunday 15 February, kick off 2pm, Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt
Wellington Phoenix v Hawkes Bay, Sunday 21 February, kicks off 2pm, Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt
Wellington Phoenix v Canterbury, 8 March, kicks off 2pm, Brendan Foot Supersite Hutt Recreation Ground, Lower Hutt
