Nick Becker: Auckland FC CEO on team jerseys selling out faster than projected

Merchandise sales have kicked off for new football club Auckland FC.

The introduction of the A-league football club to the city has seen more merchandise sold in four weeks than it was expecting to sell all season.

More is being shipped in before Christmas.

CEO Nick Becker says interest has been overwhelming.

"Auckland was ready for some professional football, I think. Like, the passion that's in those stands - you just see it."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Team nineteen past five on news talks, he'd be the
return of A league football to Auckland has gone better
than almost anyone could have dream. Eyes on referee to
Danascus and he confirms Auckland FC go five from five
and Auckland state at top the A League men's ladder.

(00:21):
I was there, of course, of course I was. Auckland
FC is still undefeated, yet to concede a goal five
games into its inaugural season, and the jerseys have been
flying off the shelves. The club has already sold all
of the merchant was expecting to sell this entire season,
and they're having to ship more in before Christmas. Nick
Becker is the Auckland FC CEO and he's with us
this evening high neck hijack.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Are you doing?

Speaker 1 (00:43):
What's the secret source? How have things been going so well?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
I you know what it's been. Well, it's a few things.
There's no single silver bullet. But the Auckland was ready
for some professional football. I think like the passionates in
those stands. You just see it, like you we came
in at the right time, like we weren't really hard
to integrate ourselves into the community, but the community was
that it was. We're pushing against an open door and
the arms who was wide open and they've accepted us

(01:09):
really well. And you know, we're absolutely loving it here.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah, you know, I've been to a couple of games
now and went to the opening game as well. It
is just an amazing experience. I'm not being paid to
say that, Like, it's a great family environment. Absolutely loving it.
But you know, sports apparel isn't cheap. You must be
amazed people are still shelling out one hundred and seventy
bucks or so for a founding members jersey and a
cost of living crisis.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah well yeah, the founding members jersey was a little
bit more expensive. Was that actually had your name on it?
If you could buy a home jersey for it's about
one hundred and twenty dollars, a little bit cheaper for
a youth. One. The thing that's blown me around is
just a buzz in the community. Like you know, at
that opening game that you were at, we would have
had seven eight thousand kids there, you know, in a
twenty five thousand stadium. That's phenomenal. And I think you

(01:52):
know you're right. The atmosphere is amazing. One end, it's
a family zone, and there's there's a fan zone there
for the kids. At the other end, you've got the
port and the hardcore that they've been amazing. They've been incredible.
They've brought the passion and brought the noise.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, yeah, they've been incredible. So the derby against the
Phoenix this weekend is almost completely sold out. Any chance you.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
Can squeeze a few more fans in, Yeah, well, we've
gone out today with that we're going to put so
every season is sold, but we can put some we've sold.
We're gonna sell about a thousand plus tickets onto the
North bank there, the grass bank, right next to where
we've got the big inflatable side that goes down the bank. Yeah,
we're gonna put about a thousand people onto that. So
those have been selling, and to be honest, mate, they've

(02:30):
been selling like hot cakes today, so i'd expect they'll
be all gone by into play today. But that will
take us up well over the sort of twenty six
thousand mark and probably closer to the twenty seven thousand marks.
It'll be a it'll be it'll be an all time
record for a regular season a league game to be
played in New Zealand. So that's really exciting.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
And I would hate to say this, and of course
I don't want to be doing the commentators curs, especially
is a keen opening season fan. But do you reckon
you're going to be able to keep up the buzz
if we happen to accidentally letting the goal sometime this season?

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah? I think so. I mean the guys that the
guys are brilliant because like the old cliche, they have
to take it game by game, I'm sure, but what
they're actually doing is they're setting themselves a challenge each game.
And I've never been I've worked in football for twenty years.
I've never been around a group of guys who are
so connected and so together. And you see it out
there on the pitch here, they're just working for each other.

(03:20):
Like Steve's got them. Steve Corriker, our head coach, has
got them working a really good certainly really good defensive pattern.
Their press is really impressive. But you've actually got you
see them actually out there and they're talking. They're working
for each other, and that's the sign of a really
good team.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
No, that's fantastic. Hey, good luck this weekend. Nick, Really
looking forward to it. That is Nick Becker, the CEO
of Auckland FC.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
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