KEY POINTS:
A New Zealand team will compete in next season's A-League but only if New Zealand Soccer are prepared to pick up the licence from Football Federation Australia.
NZS chief executive Graham Seatter, chairman John Morris and board member Phil Johnson will meet FFA chief executive Ben Buckley and
operations manager Matt Carroll in Melbourne on Sunday for key talks aimed at getting a New Zealand franchise across the line for the 2007-08 Hyundai A-League season.
"It would be nice, but we are not expecting them to turn up with a bag full of money," said Carroll last night. "But we are hopeful they will be in a position to show us how they feel they can make it work."
The FFA board met in Sydney yesterday and declared their support for a New Zealand bid, but only if the national body held the licence.
"They [FFA board members] were happy with New Zealand Soccer being offered the licence," said Carroll. "They [NZS] could then talk to anyone in seeking the support they need to make it work."
Carroll pointed to the model Geoff Law was handed before season one, as a way in which the New Zealand bid could succeed.
"We gave him a provisional licence," said Carroll. "He assured us he would then raise the money and get it up and running. Two years on they [Melbourne] are in the grand final."
Carroll, reiterating the determination of FFA chairman Frank Lowy to have a New Zealand team in the third A-League season, said he was confident the requirements could be met.
"I don't know why I didn't do this [offer NZS the licence] months ago. They can now go to investors and not show them fresh air. They have something positive to offer," said Carroll. "They already have a coach in place and have shown us the infrastructure is there to make it work."
NZS have been given a 15-day window to come up with the answers but Carroll says if all goes according to plan on Sunday there is no reason they cannot start crucial player recruiting on Monday.
"To kick it off, they can factor in the A$1.2 million grant they will get from us," said Carroll. "New Zealand Soccer would not be going down this path if they were not committed and confident. I sincerely hope they do make it work. So does Frank Lowy."
Of other prospective bidders, in Australia, Carroll said the New Zealanders were the only ones given the 15-day window. He added that he had written to Wellington/Manawatu bid chief John Dow advising him their submission did not meet requirements and said they should contact NZS in the hope they could work together.
Seatter welcomed Carroll's enthusiasm and said suggestions that NZS should attempt to work closely with the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch city councils - and obviously offer to take games there - would only strengthen their efforts to see it succeed.
"We need to keep working on this, on all fronts," said Seatter. "And we will."