Soccer: Wellington Phoenix at home in Palmerston North and Christchurch

Palmerston North and Christchurch will host Wellington Phoenix matches this season but there are no plans to return A-League football action to Auckland.

The draw for the third season of the league was released yesterday, with Phoenix down to play their first game of the new campaign away against Newcastle on August 9.

Their first home match in Wellington is against Perth Glory one week later.

With new clubs North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United taking part next season, the competition has been expanded to 27 regular season rounds involving 10 teams.

The Phoenix will play 13 of their 27 matches at home, with two of those to be played outside Wellington for the first time.

They will meet Sydney FC in Palmerston North on December 12 and Adelaide United in Christchurch on January 30.

The unavailability of Wellington's Westpac Stadium for the round 18 and 25 home matches had forced the Phoenix to move the games.

Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata said shifting the fixtures created exciting opportunities.

"We saw it as a fantastic chance to take matches to other centres so fans in the lower and central North Island in the case of the Palmerston North game and those in the South Island with the Christchurch fixture can enjoy a top-flight football match," he said.

"Some local fans may be disappointed but our season members will still be able to attend those two matches as part of their memberships and we're confident that many of them will go to one or both of those games and make them fun road trips.

"We are a Wellington club - the capital is our home - but we do want to spread our wings and connect with fans of the Phoenix and of football elsewhere in the country."

Of the 11 matches scheduled in Wellington, four are Friday night fixtures, two Saturday night fixtures and five Sunday fixtures.

"Having the two new clubs involved is really going to spark interest, as will the race for a top-six playoff spot in the 10-team competition," Pignata said.

As expected, the Pre-Season Cup contest has been terminated.

- NZPA