The curious case of the Rotorua pre-season game

[rbakersmith]

I was reading the pre-season thread on 442 yesterday afternoon when I noticed a rather interesting post from a Phoenix fan:

The Phoenix have had a couple of games against local central league opposition and will continue to do so. They will be playing CCM in Rotorua in a month or two. Would be interested to know if they have any plans to play more HAL opposition in Australia - the club hasn't announced anything that I'm aware of.

Given this was posted after the schedule came out last week (which didn't include a game in Rotorua), I pointed out that this couldn't possibly be correct.

He then came back with a story from the NZ Herald on 11 July announcing the game:

The Wellington Phoenix and Rotorua District Council have confirmed Rotorua will host the club's first pre-season fixture against A-League opposition when they host the Central Coast Mariners on September 22.

The Phoenix also put a story on their website, and the game appears to have received a decent amount of press in Rotorua. You can even buy tickets to the game through Ticketmaster NZ.

Puzzled, I put the question to the Mariners Twitter account...

Hi @CCMariners, there's reportedly a pre-season game against Wellington in Rotorua on 22 September - is this correct?

...and got this response:

Hi @rjbsmith. No we are not playing in Rotorua, sorry. Here is our pre-season schedule: http://www.footballaustralia.com.au...play/Mariners-preseason-plans-finalised/71446

As you can imagine, that resulted in some somewhat confused and upset Phoenix fans claiming that we'd pulled out of a game (which would have been 3 days after the Menpora Cup final in Indonesia - a tournament that Adelaide mentioned that we'd be in 2 days before the announcement of the Rotorua game).

Since that response, there's been no explanation from either club and Ticketmaster NZ have said they're following up with the venue, yet tickets remain on sale.

So what gives? Had we agreed to play in Rotorua and pulled out without telling the Phoenix? Did we pull out, tell them and they forgot? Did the Phoenix get their wires crossed somewhere along the line and announced a game without us confirming?

Whatever the case, it's casting a rather bad light over the club...

 

[FFC Mariner]

As a guess I'd suggest we dumped them when the Indonesia gig came up

Sod the kiwis, shouldn't be in our league anyway.

 

[rbakersmith]

As a guess I'd suggest we dumped them when the Indonesia gig came up

Sod the kiwis, shouldn't be in our league anyway.

The Menpora Cup was announced before the Rotorua game was (from Adelaide's Twitter on 9 July):

PRESEASON: Reds will travel to Indonesia in September for the Mempora Cup - Will take on Indo' pro teams inc @serginhovandijk + @CCMariners

 

[Roy Law]

I was reading the pre-season thread on 442 yesterday afternoon when I noticed a rather interesting post from a Phoenix fan:


As you can imagine, that resulted in some somewhat confused and upset Phoenix fans claiming that we'd pulled out of a game (which would have been 3 days after the Menpora Cup final in Indonesia - a tournament that Adelaide mentioned that we'd be in 2 days before the announcement of the Rotorua game).

Since that response, there's been no explanation from either club and Ticketmaster NZ have said they're following up with the venue, yet tickets remain on sale.

So what gives? Had we agreed to play in Rotorua and pulled out without telling the Phoenix? Did we pull out, tell them and they forgot? Did the Phoenix get their wires crossed somewhere along the line and announced a game without us confirming?

Whatever the case, it's casting a rather bad light over the club...

I think you will find we have been too busy processing Memberships to inform our Kiwi friends of a change to their schedule

or, it is CCMA that they are playing

or, Liam Reddy is not allowed into New Zealand..

 

[rbakersmith]

An update from Ticketmaster:

*WELLINGTON PHOENIX UPDATE*

A-League football alternatives being explored for Rotorua

Rotorua District Council's events unit, Rotorua Events and Venues, is examining alternative match arrangements following advice from A-League football champions Central Coast Mariners that they are no longer able to make the previously planned pre-season match against Wellington Phoenix.

The match was scheduled to take place in Rotorua on Sunday 22 September. The Mariners have cited a clash of pre-season fixtures as the reason behind their decision.

Events & Venues' operations manager Crispian Stewart said his management team was in discussions with a number of other A-League cubs and the Wellington Phoenix to try and secure a replacement opponent, as well as exploring the possibility of a date change.

"We remain committed to finding an alternative if at all possible so that Rotorua still gets the opportunity to host its first pre-season A-League fixture. We anticipate being able to confirm some final arrangements as soon as next week"

Mr Stewart said ticket sales were currently on hold temporarily until an alternative match could be confirmed. Existing ticket holders would have the option of redeeming tickets for the alternative event or getting a full refund.

Please call 0800 111 999 or email customer.help@ticketmaster.co.nz with any enquiries.

 

[eenfish]

From the looks of it, they've hit it out the ball park with the best possible replacement sans getting a top Euro team, and have the All Whites playing:

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/historic-new-zealand-game-announced/72382

Rotorua fans will get to see New Zealand’s top professional footballers in action when a Wellington Phoenix selection takes on a New Zealand-based All Whites side for the first time on September 22.