Scotty Stevenson: Fans' fight for Phoenix all about standing up to bullies

The Phoenix could be set to extend their extension in the A-League. Photo / Getty Images

There's a fight in Wellington, and it's not just a fight for the survival of a local football side, but for all of New Zealand football. It's a fight against bullying, and against a regime that seems impervious to charm - something the Wellington Phoenix and their fans have plenty of.

It's a complicated debate. The Phoenix remain the only club in the world who ply their trade in a rival confederation. New Zealand Football, of course, remain aligned with Oceania, while the FFA quite wisely pinned their colours to Asia some time ago. Say this about the FFA: they can see dollar signs from miles away.

Ultimately, Fifa officials handled the issue of the Phoenix's cross-confederation eligibility - and with typical tyrannical brutality. In their eyes it was no issue at all. But it remains a sticking point.

That aside, there were other things to consider. Football in New Zealand has always struggled for its place in the conversational milieu of Kiwi sport. Although it's had its moments - think 1982 and 2010 - the sport has long lived in the shadow of that other winter code, the one we're particularly good at. Football has never managed to push its well-publicised participation numbers into the professional frontier. Given that rather debilitating disadvantage, it was little wonder the first two iterations of our professional club flopped as fast as a half-baked souffle. And even when the Phoenix was born, there was a sense the entire venture was about teasing the appetite as opposed to satiating a burning hunger. But the club found a fanbase and that fanbase has this week spoken.

It's spoken because the A-League, convinced it's already sitting on a pot of gold in Sydney and in no mood to search for the end of the rainbow across the Tasman, issued via its emotionless chief executive, David Gallop, an ultimatum at once insulting and threatening. To insinuate the Phoenix are "squatting" on an A-League license is about as sensitive as the hide on a rhino.

There was talk about a lack of support from broadcasters and "stakeholders", a code term for New Zealand Football. It all boiled down to cash. He may as well have just played a looped clip from Jerry Maguire, the one in which Tom Cruise shouts "Show me the moneeeeeeeyyyyyy!"

Then he mentioned "metrics", corporate jargon for the number of people who will show him the money.

Presumably, some of those people are the Yellow Fever, New Zealand's finest fan club by some margin. The Fever, renowned for such wondrous hits as Manny Are You Okay? (Are you okay Manny?) and The Referee Is S**t, have been instrumental in trying to prove to A-League bosses the Phoenix are worth sticking with, that there are some "metrics" to be measured.

They have festooned Wellington in scarves, have canvassed the capital for support. They have scaled bridges and statues and even the Cuba St bucket fountain to hang their kit in protest at the shabby treatment of NZ's only professional club. There has been mayoral intervention and deputy mayoral intervention. There have been messages of support from clubs across the Tasman, notably from Melbourne, where fans and administrators are quietly fuming at what they see is an increasing NSW bias in the league.

There has been a rise in membership. In fact, it yesterday claimed members are now at an all-time high. There have been the requisite Facebook likes (from those who have resisted the urge to refresh Richie McCaw's page every five seconds) and there is a genuine feeling Westpac Stadium is ready to welcome one of the biggest crowds in club history this Friday night. How about that for "metrics"?

Alas, none of this is about fans or love for a game that fights hard for headlines here or scarves and chants and goodwill. It's all about cash.

As sad as that reality is, one thing makes it worthwhile. It is always important to stand up to bullies, as long as you don't lose your charm.