Developing football

Wellington property developer Terry Serepisos, “who decided three years ago to save professional football in New Zealand, is the talk of his home town” writes The Sydney Morning Herald’s Michael Cockerill. “Wellington Phoenix are bigger than the Hurricanes right now and that’s saying something. Serepisos is the man who made it happen and it’s cost him more than $10 million. For that he is lauded, promoted – he’s New Zealand’s Donald Trump, having just finished hosting the local version of The Apprentice – and respected.” Though the Phoenix were beaten by Sydney FC 4-2 in the A-League semi-final, “right now, [Wellington] is a Phoenix town,” Cockerill continues. “At the bottom end, local registrations are up 20 per cent and there’s no longer enough parks to cater for the demand. At the top end, two successive home finals, two bumper crowds and two epic confrontations decided after extra time have whetted the appetite even more.”