The new New Zealand club accepted into Australia's 8-team A-League will be known as Wellington Phoenix. Owner Terry Serepisos, who reportedly fronted less than A$1 million in a compromise, three-year franchise payment to Football Federation Australia, said adding "Phoenix" to the New Zealand capital city's name "symbolises the fresh start, the rising from the ashes and the incredible Wellington support that has come out." A concept logo featuring the bird and the words has been revealed, with the Wellington colours of yellow and black prominent.
The Phoenix was a bird in ancient Egyptian mythology that lived in the desert for 500 years and then consumed itself by fire, later to rise renewed from its ashes. The Wellington Phoenix FC replaces the failed New Zealand Knights FC in the A-League which itself replaced the failed Auckland Kingz FC in the previous Australian National Soccer League.
The Phoenix was a bird in ancient Egyptian mythology that lived in the desert for 500 years and then consumed itself by fire, later to rise renewed from its ashes. The Wellington Phoenix FC replaces the failed New Zealand Knights FC in the A-League which itself replaced the failed Auckland Kingz FC in the previous Australian National Soccer League.