Bon Jovi steals Phoenix' home ground.

The Wellington Phoenix today announced their plan on how to handle the Bon Jovi concert that had double booked Westpac Stadium for the 5th of December.

Since the stage for the American rock band's gig, taking place on the 4th, will take a few days to dismantle, the club was forced into a venue change. The Phoenix will move their game against Adelaide United to AMI stadium in Christchurch, and the game that was planned here on December 18 will now be played at back at Westpac Stadium.

“Essentially it’s a straight swap of the two scheduled fixtures between the two venues,” said Phoenix interim chief executive Nathan Greenham.

“We were mindful of ensuring the club’s members retained their right to 14 games at Westpac Stadium so we ruled out any thought of taking another match out of the city. We understand that this could cause inconvenience for some members but it was the most supporter-friendly solution to the problem.”

It is a well executed response from the Phoenix, and speaks volumes as to the club's professional approach to their operations. Overlooking the ability for an A-league fixture to be replaced so easily by a rock concert, Wellington have swiftly dealt with the problem with minimum disturbance. This season is shaping up to be a stellar season for the Phoenix, who are expecting membership numbers to soar after last year's terrific finals series, on top of the New Zealand national team doing well in this year's FIFA World Cup.