Media release from American Express Queenstown Winter Festival 18 June 2009

International football clash kicks off winter festival

Football fever is running rampant in Queenstown ahead of the resort’s first ever top-flight professional football game next Saturday (27 June).

The game will see some of Australasia’s top football players go head to head as the star-studded Wellington Phoenix takes on current Hyundai A-League champions the Melbourne Victory in an epic trans-Tasman clash.

Billed as one of the highlights of the 2009 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, the game is expected to draw football fans from near and far.

Phoenix CEO Tony Pignata says the match is an important element of the Phoenix’s pre-season build-up to the Hyundai A-League 2009/10 season.

“We’ve just signed former Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Reece Crowther and English striker and top scorer Chris Greenacre, so together with our seven All Whites, there’s plenty of firepower in our squad.

“This game is a great opportunity to see how they work together in a pressure situation. The Victory are the reigning Hyundai A-League champions but we were able to beat them last year and are aiming to do it again.

“You can’t get a better backdrop for a match than Queenstown and the Remarkables mountains, and we’re rapt to be part of the Winter Festival buzz,” he says.

American Express Queenstown Winter Festival Director Sally Feinerman believes that with plenty of Australians in town for the festival, the match will have universal appeal for locals and visitors.

“The atmosphere will be electric. Phoenix supporters will be decked out in black and yellow and we’d love all the locals to get into the spirit and dress up too,” she says.

Gates open at 11.30am with a Queenstown Rovers versus Grants Braes (Dunedin) curtain raiser and the Phoenix game kicks off at 2.30pm. There’ll be pre-match and half-time entertainment, bars and vendors, and a family zone with plenty of entertainment for kids. A special ‘Fever Zone’ will be set up for travelling Phoenix supporters.

Lakes Leisure CEO Fiona McKissock is delighted the Queenstown Events Centre has secured such a high profile event and hopes it will continue to attract more events from different sports codes.

“It’s quite a coup for Queenstown to get this match and it will give people a chance to get a taste top-flight professional football in action. It’s a really cheap afternoon’s entertainment for football lovers and families at only $5 for kids and $20 for adults.”

The day before the match (Friday 26 June) schoolchildren from around the region will get a chance to meet their Phoenix heroes at an open training session starting at 3.30pm at the Queenstown Events Centre.

For more event information, including public transport, parking, or the new gold coin donation park’n’ride service from town and Lake Hayes, please visit www.lakesleisure.co.nz.

Tickets are on sale through TicketDirect online at www.ticketdirect.co.nz, by calling 03 450 9005, or by visiting the Queenstown Events Centre or Queenstown i-Site.

ENDS

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