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Crowd at first match, against Melbourne Victory.

Wellington Phoenix are a football (soccer) team based in Wellington, New Zealand. They are the only fully professional side from New Zealand, and will begin participation in the Australian A-League competition as of the 2007-08 season, replacing the now-defunct New Zealand Knights FC. The Wellington franchise was confirmed on March 19, 2007, and the new name announced on March 28, 2007.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) granted the licence to New Zealand Football who then sub-let the licence to the new Wellington-based franchise. To retain the right to keep a side in the A-League – largely due to multiple extensions of a pre-decided application deadline – New Zealand Soccer had to compete with a promising bid from a Townsville-based expansion consortium in Queensland, a group called Tropical Football Australia (TFA).

The club's colours and badge were revealed on March 29, 2007. The colours are black and yellow, the traditional colours of Wellington, while the badge is a shield with a phoenix rising above the shield.

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