Misses
This could be a long list but the following Phoenix players were among those who didn't live up to the hype: Ahmad Elrich, Leilei Gao, Toto, Jiang Chen, George and Cleberson.
Fashion crimes
One-off strips can be amazing or awful. The one the Phoenix trotted out against Melbourne Heart (now Melbourne City) last February was as bad as it gets. It looked like a Chiefs training jersey and the Phoenix matched their shirt with their worst performance of the season, as a Heart side that would finish last hammered them 5-0 at Westpac Stadium. Dishonourable mention to those yellow Retro Ricki T-shirts, although they were popular among the club's fanbase.
Traditions
No matter the weather, if the Phoenix are leading in the 80th minute, their loyal fans, known as the Yellow Fever, will remove their shirts. The Yellow Fever also indulge in 'The 12 Pubs of Lochhead' pub crawl before Christmas as a tribute to former left-back Tony Lochhead.
Talent spotting
Photo / File
From 2007-10, the Yellow Fever raised money for a talented young Kiwi to trial with the Phoenix. They hit the jackpot in 2009 with Marco Rojas, who earned a full-time contract and turned in some fantastic performances before leaving for Melbourne in 2011 to join the Victory, where he won the A-League Player of the Year award for the 2012-13 season.
Memorable matches
In 199 fixtures, the Phoenix have only once scored six goals. On October 25, 2009, they hammered Gold Coast United 6-0 in an impressive display at Westpac Stadium.
You also can't go past their pulsating 3-1 extra-time win over Newcastle in the minor semifinal in 2010 as the Phoenix moved to within one game of the grand final. Paul Ifill was at his best during this one at a sold-out Cake Tin.
Shirts off with 10 minutes to go quickly became a club tradition. Photo / Getty Images
The Phoenix have beaten the Melbourne Victory only three times in 22 meetings but last January registered their most emphatic win, with a 5-0 rout. It may have been the most complete Phoenix performance of all.
The founder
Terry Serepisos is a polarising figure but there's no denying that, without him, the Phoenix wouldn't exist. His money got the club off the ground and there are players who should be grateful for their inflated contracts paid with what would later be referred to as 'Terry Money'. Financial problems forced him to give up ownership of the club in 2011.
Little club, big ideas
The Wellington Phoenix don't lack ambition. They have hosted David Beckham and the LA Galaxy and English Premier League clubs West Ham and Newcastle United. Not bad for a club that is seemingly under pressure to maintain their place in the A-League.
Total football
The Phoenix are owned by the Welnix consortium, and economist Gareth Morgan is their most outspoken owner. In a radio interview in December 2012, he said the club needed an overhaul in their playing style. "We are trying to go towards what they call 'total football'," Morgan said. The off-the-cuff comment sparked its share of jokes and drew the ire of the players, while then-coach Ricki Herbert tried to remain positive. Morgan was later spotted at a Phoenix training session with a clipboard, as many questioned whether he was trying to impose himself too much on the club and their tactics. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Morgan has rarely been quoted in the media on Phoenix-related matters in the past few months as the team have climbed up the table.
Captain fantastic
Photo / Getty Images
No wrap on the history of the Phoenix would be complete without a nod to long-time skipper Andrew Durante. The centre-back arrived in Wellington ahead of the 2008-09 campaign having claimed an A-League title the previous season with the Newcastle Jets, while the Phoenix finished last in 2007-08. But Durante hung tough and has since made a club-record 167 appearances for the Phoenix. The Sydney-born 32-year-old, who made Australian squads but never played for the Socceroos, also satisfied residency requirements in New Zealand in 2013 and has collected nine caps for the All Whites.
Quotes
"It's a physical style of play. When you look at the Phoenix play, we just run our asses off. It's a very fit team. Some of the South American players aren't used to that. Maybe that's a reason."
• Brazilian Diego Walsh, who was mainly a flop at the Phoenix, gave his assessment of the club's playing style when he left in 2011.
"Fans are a cross-section of the public. A lot of them don't know much about the game anyway and they certainly, in my view, think only of themselves and not the future of the club."
• In January 2013, club part-owner Gareth Morgan questioned whether fans had the patience to embrace the long-term plans of the Phoenix.
"So with the need for a fresh look, along with the fact that this year is an extremely important one for the All Whites, I felt I needed to step down as the Phoenix head coach. I've had a long and very successful tenure at the club and will always be proud of what I have achieved. But all good things must come to an end and it's time for new coaching blood and for me to move on to new and exciting challenges."
• Phoenix foundation coach Ricki Herbert resigned in February 2013 but only ever discussed his departure via a press release.Marco Rojas earned a Phoenix contract in unusual circumstances.
