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Find your frequency‘Anticipating 20,000’: Becker confident Auckland FC can draw crowd despite event clashes
Sport Nation • October 15th, 2026 9:18 am
Auckland FC fans | Photo: Photosport
Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker is expecting a big crowd at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart this Saturday for their season opener against Melbourne City, despite clashes with other events that will draw attention of many Kiwis.
English singer-songwriter Olivia Dean will play in front of a sold-out crowd at Auckland's Western Springs Stadium, while the All Blacks kick off at 6pm in Sydney, during Auckland FC's fixture.
The Black Knights averaged 18,000 fans attending home games in season one, before it dropped to a respectable 13,000 in 2025-26, which still remains the best average attendance in the A-League Men.
"We're looking really good for this Saturday. I think we're anticipating a crowd of over 20,000 and I hate to say it, but we're going head-to-head with Olivia Dean," Becker told Sport Nation.
"It's the same time that the All Blacks kick off, so I'm pretty happy with that as a first match, and then our next home match after that's the derby on the 7th of November."
Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker | Photo: Alan Lee/Photosport
And despite of the state of the economy, Becker believes the diehards will still be filling the stands in blue-and-black.
"There is less disposable income out there than there probably has been in the last couple of years and we've noticed that, and talking to other people across sport and wider entertainment, everybody is sort of feeling it.
"But we've got a good hardcore base. They're going to show up on Saturday and hopefully for the rest of the season.
"I think that atmosphere, that experience, people will come along to it and kind of hopefully they'll go, 'this is something that we want to be part of' and come back."
Listen to the full interview below:
