KEY POINTS:
A Wellington-based New Zealand team will play in soccer's third A-League season.
Football Federation Australia will name the eighth team for the 2007-08 Hyundai A-League today or, at the very latest, tomorrow with the John Dow-led Wellington franchise set to get the nod.
While FFA operations manager Matt Carroll last night refused to confirm the New Zealand bid will "get across the line", the strong indications are that is now the case.
Carroll and FFA chief executive Ben Buckley met in their Sydney offices last night and later called chairman Frank Lowy, who is overseas. There was no statement after that meeting but it appears there continues to be a strong backing for New Zealand's bid.
"If Frank Lowy agrees with our recommendation then there will be an announcement on Friday," said Carroll. "If he wants it referred to the board it will need another 24 hours."
Lowy has always strongly supported a New Zealand team playing in the league.
The Wellington-based bid had been pitched into a two-horse race with Townsville-backed Tropical Football, with both consortiums given the opportunity to plead their cases.
The strong change of opinion in favour of Dow's bid follows a meeting in Wellington on Wednesday between New Zealand Soccer chairman John Morris and chief executive Graham Seatler, at which the initial funding of $1.2 million was guaranteed. This suggested a new investor had appeared.
"A key element is having the money up front," said Morris. "It is no good just having promissory notes. We still have some of those, but they will be chased up once the licence is granted. We do not want to risk another Knights fiasco and that is not the case now."
The New Zealand bid's chances of succeeding were further underlined yesterday with a story in the Townsville Bulletin which said: "Wellington could be set to win the race for the vacant A-League licence after securing a financial backer." The story went on to say: "and in further bad news for Townsville, the Gold Coast is set to launch an audacious last-minute bid in the unlikely event New Zealand loses its licence."
Carroll dismissed any suggestion of Gold Coast staking a late claim.
Seatter said in discussions he had had with the FFA there was a pretty clear message that the licence was there for the taking and that it "looks like we have got up".
Provided New Zealand could meet the deadline and fulfil all requirements - which now appears to be the case - there was a feeling from Seatter last night "we are in".
There is now some urgency for coach-in-waiting Ricki Herbert, who is aware that at least one Australian-based All White has been given until today as a deadline to sign a new contract.
Herbert, keen to sign as many New Zealand players as possible, needs an answer to ensure he is not left any further behind in the all-important recruitment race.
