Lia confident of Wellington survival

Vince Lia said he and the other Wellington players are thinking positively about Phoenix's chances of continuing in the A-League beyond this year after seeing the club's initial reaction to being refused a 10-year licence by FFA.

Source: Getty Images

The club's owners are left to decide whether to apply for a four-year licence from the end of the season, with no guarantee of survival beyond that, or walk away, but Lia said the players were heartened by the club's desire to find a way to satisfy FFA's requirements.

The media release Phoenix issued on Tuesday read: "The club will be seeking greater clarity around the reasons for rejection of the proposal and how the FFA is evaluating the Phoenix’s contribution to game development, player pathway, commercial factors, broadcast rights and the long-term success of the A-League, to which the Phoenix is already making a material and positive contribution.

"The Club’s Welnix ownership group and board will meet to consider the license extension option in the existing Club Participation Agreement and will continue to negotiate in good faith with the FFA."

Lia said the players had adopted the attitude that the best way they could help the club was to get on with the business of winning games and not allow the licencing drama to put them off.

"The news from the FFA, when it came out, was obviously disappointing, but from what we've been told the club is negotiating with them still and trying to find ways of raising funds from elsewhere to ease the load on the FFA," Lia said.

"The club has made a statement on the future and we're pretty positive there will be an agreement reached.

"Nothing has been set in stone and the club is going back to the FFA with other options and trying to get a result that pleases both parties, so we have to be patient and the best thing we can do as a group in the meantime is keep winning games and playing well.

"Since the news broke there has been nothing but support for the Phoenix from football followers, over here and in Australia. There has been a really positive vibe for us on social media. I think people can see that what we're trying to do on the field is going well and we're a stable club off it.

"Support has come from New Zealand Football and the council as well, so hopefully there are enough people who can get stuck in and prove it can work. That's the way the club is looking at it.

"There's no risk about keeping us in the league, it's just whether it can be beneficial to both parties."

Lia said it was important the matter reached a conclusion sooner rather than later, so that if the undesirable happened and there is no Phoenix beyond this season everyone connected with the club could begin making alternative plans for the future.

"There are only half a dozen players that have contracts for next year, so it's not really affecting the playing group as much as people might think in that way," he said.

"But what it does is make it hard for the club to make decisions on re-signing players or recruiting new ones until it is sorted out.

"It wouldn't be good if we were waiting until around until a few weeks from the end of the season for a decision, because people have to start making decisions on their own futures.

"I'm not contracted for next year and I haven't really thought about the future yet. I hope to do enough to warrant a new contract here, but if that wasn't going to happen I would have to look for a job somewhere else.

"The competition is only three rounds old and if you play well enough the rest looks after itself anyway. I'm hoping the Phoenix is still here and I'm here as well."

Phoenix lost their opening game, but won the subsequent two and sits third on the table. They will next play on Monday night against Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium.

"We're going well," Lia said. "We probably played our best game in the one we lost. Usually, we kind of start slowly and come home with a wet sail, so it's good to get some points early and if we can win on Monday against the champion team in Victory we'll turn a few heads."

Wellington are away again in the following round, to Central Coast, and will next play at Westpac Stadium on 13 November, against Adelaide United.

Lia stressed the importance of Phoenix fans turning up in greater numbers for home games.

"The ones that do come to the games are fantastic, but obviously there are a lot who aren't turning up  and I guess this might be the kick in the butt we needed to get them out and show the FFA what kind of club the Phoenix can be," he said.