Newshub received footage of the pitch intruder heading onto the field from a source who claimed the incident was a publicity stunt by the new club, which had been given the green light from Eden Park. This admission goes against everything administrators have said over the years about pitch intrusion.
Five minutes later, officials called to retract the story, saying the club and the co-owners mentioned had nothing to do with it. At that point, the incident became a mystery.
Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner denied any involvement in the incident.
“Eden Park strongly rejects any inference that it was aware of or supported yesterday’s pitch invasion,” he told Newshub. “The safety of our players, officials and staff is of paramount importance to Eden Park and our fans.
“We trespassed on that individual for two years and provided details to the A-League Match Commissioner.
“Furthermore, I have personally contacted one of the new owners to express my concerns about the behavior and to say that encouraging dangerous behavior undermines the family-friendly atmosphere and nature of the sports facilities at Eden Park. I was advised that there was a possibility of damage.”
Newshub understands that Kiwi entrepreneur Anna Mowbray is a co-owner and has an interest in the club, along with her partner and former All Black Ali Williams. Neither responded to inquiries from Newshub.