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Kia supports Phoenix arena

Posted on 21 January, 2015
Kia supports Phoenix arena

Kia Motors and its Wellington dealership, Brendan Foot Kia, are helping to create a temporary arena for the Wellington Phoenix. The move will see a sports stadium created at the Hutt Recreational Ground in Lower Hutt to host Phoenix A-League home matches from mid-February through to March while its central city home ground hosts the Cricket World Cup. Over the four-week period, the ground will be transformed into the Brendan Foot Kia Hutt Rec with temporary stands for up to 15,000 fans. On match days, events and activities will be held to promote a family festival atmosphere. “We’re very excited to be part of this initiative to take A-League football to the community,” says Matthew Foot, dealer principal of Brendan Foot Kia. “Fans will be close to the action and able to enjoy a day out with the family in a market-day atmosphere. It’s great for football and Hutt city.” Three Phoenix home matches will be played at the Brendan Foot Kia Hutt Rec. They will take on Melbourne City on February 14, the Newcastle Jets on February 22 and Adelaide United on March 7. The temporary arena will also host ASB Premiership football matches during that period. David Dome, Wellington Phoenix’s general manager, says the club is thrilled with the support from Brendan Foot Kia and Kia Motors NZ. “Hutt City Council and the Phoenix are aligned in that we want this to be a family-friendly and carnival-type event attracting a wide audience interested in a fun day out with a match to finish it off.” Sponsorship of the rec is being jointly undertaken by Brendan Foot, which has a strong presence in the region, and Kia Motors. Kia says the opportunity to be involved in helping the Phoenix make the most of its temporary relocation is part of its wider support of football. The marque is also the major sponsor of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup taking place in New Zealand and starting at the end of May 2015.