Football: Mount Smart to increase capacity for Auckland FC A-League playoffs

RNZ News

09-05-2025

Auckland FC fans at Mount Smart Stadium.
Photo:
PHOTOSPORT
An extra 2700 seats will be added to Mount Smart Stadium for Auckland FC's A-League play-off games.
The ground currently has a capacity of 24,500.
The extra seats will be added to the north end in time for Auckland's
second leg semi-final
on Saturday, 24 May.
A further 800 seats will be added should Auckland qualify for the A-League grand final and earn the right to host the showpiece event on Saturday, 31 May.
Auckland FC have had strong support from their fans for all of their home games with an average crowd size of 18,000, the highest in the league.
The club sold out four home games, including a record crowd of 27,009 for the derby game against Wellington.
Their crowd sizes were double the league average, contributing to a 9 percent growth across the league.
"The fans in Auckland, and across the league, have been fantastic this season," A-League executive chair Stephen Conroy said "As it stands, we're on track to record the highest attended season since 2016/17."
This weekend was set to surpass 1.5 million total fans through the gates for the first time since 2018/19.
The 2025 Finals Series kicks off this weekend with two cut-throat elimination finals, with the two winners progressing to the semi-finals to face either Auckland FC or Melbourne City, who earned the week off finishing as the top two teams in the regular season.
As premiers
, Auckland FC will play the lowest placed elimination final winner in a two-legged semi-final, with the first leg away, before the return leg at Mount Smart.
The highest-placed team from the regular season that wins through from the semi-finals, will earn the right to host the A-League 2025 grand final.
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