Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix fans
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Auckland FC has squashed claims of planned fan violence linked to New Zealand’s first professional football derby in the A-League.
The Wellington Phoenix said they added extra security for Saturday’s game in the capital after reports of organised violence from the visiting fans on social media.
Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker had not seen any threats online and said the Phoenix general manager David Dome had yet to show him any proof either.
“I haven’t seen any credible evidence of such a thing and I don’t think there is,” Becker said.
“All I’ve seen is over the first two weekends at Go Media [Stadium] is positivity, our fans have been fantastic, our official supporters group The Port have been amazing and I haven’t seen any kind of silly stuff going on. I think it is just purely keyboard warriors and trolls.
“It’s actually disappointing, it’s a slur against football fans and it’s not what we stand for.
“It seems to have become a mountain out of a molehill.”
Becker accepted that “football is about tribalism” but did not think fans in New Zealand would engage in the type of violence seen overseas.
“It’s about being proud of your city and clearly the Wellington Phoenix fans are and good for them, so are the Auckland fans and there’s a good group travelling down.
“They’re going to be loud and they’re going to be boisterous and they’re going to have a lot of fun but I am sure they will keep it on the right side of banter.”
Up to 500 Auckland fans were expected to travel to Wellington for the match between the A-League’s two front-runners – “it’s more away fans than Wellington’s ever had”.
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica had been part of several A-League derbies as a player and coach with Sydney FC and agreed this weekend they did not “want any trouble” in the stands or on the streets.
“I think that has been thrown out of proportion. I think that both sets of fans as long as they support their own team and do the best for their own team, that’s the main thing.”
The A-League has been marred by fan violence in the past with Melbourne Victory fined $600,000 by Football Australia and deducted points last year after fans invaded the pitch and allegedly discharged flares and threw broken seats and bottles at police during their derby with Melbourne City in December 2022.
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