Phoenix match brought forward due to light issues

Concerns about the lights at Wellington Phoenix's temporary home ground have forced officials to bring forward the start time of the A-League match against Adelaide United on Saturday by two hours.

Wellington Phoenix A-League Hutt Recreation Ground

Wellington Phoenix players prepare to take on Melbourne City at Hutt Recreation Ground last month (AAP) Source: SNPA

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The match at the Hutt Recreation Ground, in Lower Hutt, will now start at 5pm local time (3pm AEDT) rather than 7pm local time.

The ground, with temporary seating, is hosting three Phoenix matches while Westpac Stadium is being used for Cricket World Cup matches but A-League officials now say the lights are not good enough for the later kick-off.

The previous two matches have been at 5pm local time.
Phoenix general manager David Dome says it tried hard to get the lights up to standard for a night match.

"We've had lighting experts from around the country assist us over a long period of time, but there just wasn't the lights available in the country."

A-League head Damien de Bohun says many options had been looked at.

"This is not a decision we have taken lightly and it is regrettable that we have had to change the kick-off time in the week of the match as this may cause inconvenience to fans, but we were left with no alternative."

With the main match kicking off earlier, curtain raisers have also been moved forward.


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2 min read
Published 3 March 2015 1:52pm

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