Capacity crowd at Go Media Stadium witness Auckland FC's winning A-League debut

Capacity crowd at Go Media Stadium witness Auckland FC’s winning A-League debut

October 20, 2024

A sell-out crowd at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium yesterday evening witnessed A-League newcomer Auckland FC secure their first ever competitive win.

Almost 25,000 fans packed the venue to watch the home team secure a 2-nil tin against Brisbane Roar.

The venue was decked in blue for the game with the 24,492 attendance vindication for the Australian Professional League’s decision to expand the competition.

The crowd number was close to Sydney FC’s record for the largest first-game attendance when 25,208 showed up at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium in the League’s inaugural season.

The last two expansion clubs to join the A-League drew just 10,128 (Western United at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium) and 7,723 (Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Sports Stadium) for their first games, with both clubs continuing to struggle to attract healthy attendances.

New Zealand’s other team, Wellington Phoenix, attracted 14,421 to their first game against Melbourne Victory in 2007, and last season, set a record for a club match held in New Zealand, when 33,298 attended the semi-final at Wellington’s Sky Stadium, also against the Victory.

Last season, the A-League drew an average attendance of 8,589, with Sydney FC topping the league with an average of 14,107 across 14 home matches at Allianz Stadium. Western United had the lowest at just 3,274 per game.

The NRL’s NZ Warriors have also experienced healthy attendances at Go Media Stadium in recent seasons, attracting an average crowd of 23,758 across its 10 NRL home matches during 2024.

The introduction of Auckland FC marks the return of a professional football team to New Zealand’s largest city for the first time in 17 years, while it marks the first time two New Zealand teams have competed in an Australian sports league.

The New Zealand Knights, the successor to the Auckland Kingz (who competed in the old National Soccer League), participated in the first two seasons of the A-League, but struggled to attract crowds to home matches at Auckland's North Harbour Stadium, with an average attendance gate of less than 4,000.

The new club promises to be far more successful, thanks to its American billionaire owner, Bill Foley, who also owns English Premier League team Bournemouth AFC.

Images: Auckland FC fans at Go Media Stadium yesterday evening (top) and the venue decked in blue (below).

17th October 2024 - Go Media Stadium artwork celebrates stadium’s legacy

4th October 2024 - A-League Central Coast Mariners partners with GambleAware to stand against betting advertising

26th September 2024 - Upgrade works completed at Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium for A-Leagues season

19th September 2024 - Auckland’s Go Media Stadium attracts record-breaking NRL attendance

12th September 2024 - SharkNinja secures naming rights for extended A-League Women’s season

11th September 2024 - Dwight Yorke secures $290,000 compensation for sacking by A-Leagues’ Macarthur FC

10th July 2024 - Auckland Stadiums announces multi-year deals with Go Media and the Auckland FC

20th June 2024 - Fans at AFL, NRL and A-League games fail to report racist incidents

14th June 2024 - Expansion team Canberra United’s entry to men’s A-League delayed until 2025/26 season

17th February 2024 - Pelligra Group announced as new owners of A-Leagues Perth Glory

12th February 2024 - A-Leagues Chairman pens open letter to fans

6th January 2024 - Western United parent company announces latest plan for A-League stadium

4th December 2023 - New Auckland A-Leagues club names Terry McFlynn as Director of Football

22nd November 2023 - Auckland expansion team secures full A-Leagues Licence

3rd November 2023 - Australian Professional Leagues announce eToro as official A-Leagues Partner

18th October 2023 - Sydney secures A-Leagues debut Unite Round in 2024

16th May 2023 - Naming rights sale sees Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium rebranded as Go Media Stadium

15th March 2023 - A-Leagues announces plans for expansion teams in Canberra and Auckland as of 2024

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