KEY POINTS:
Wellington bidders must demonstrate they have a minimum A$2 million in the bank by today or the end of the week at the latest.
Townsville, with Wynton Rufer as coach, seen as the franchise most likely to succeed if the New Zealand bid fails.
New Zealand Soccer boss Graham Seatter continues to say "never say never" in his last-ditch efforts to keep a New Zealand team in the A-League - even if the odds have now stretched close to breaking point.
Even talk of a deadline today does not deter Seatter as he continues to support the Wellington-based bid to get a franchise across the line by fronting with the A$2 million Football Federation Australia sees as a starting point.
After talks with FFA chief executive Ben Buckley yesterday, Seatter said suggestions of today's final deadline might be premature, saying it was, he felt, more a case of "first up, best dressed" as New Zealand and Townsville go head-to-head for the Hyundai A-League licence.
"The do-or-die situation we [NZS and the Wellington bidders] have found ourselves in has helped galvanise the situation," said Seatter last night. "But, realistically, the thing can't be allowed to drag on for more than another day.
"At the end of the day, if we can't demonstrate to the FFA we can stay in the race then the decision will be in their hands. But we are not giving up. It is far too important for that."
A couple of things were still in the pipeline but the one crucial thing was still missing. "The sad thing is that no one has come up with the big investor needed to really kick-start the bid," said Seatter. "That is unlike Australia, where every franchise has a big backer and has gone from there.
"People here don't want to commit to an entity that doesn't exist. In Melbourne they had a backer who had heaps of money and fronted up and quickly had 60 or 70 small investors who got in behind the club."
Meanwhile, Seatter said unless there was a firm indication from New Zealand Soccer's appeal committee over Auckland City's appeal against their docked New Zealand Football Championship points by 5pm today, Sunday's planned NZFC preliminary final was unlikely to go ahead.
"We must be seen to be fair so the matter has to be considered by the appeals committee," he said. "If they come back and say there are no grounds to rehear the matter, then it is likely Sunday's game between YoungHeart Manawatu and Auckland City will be played."
If they rule the matter should be reheard then Sunday's game (3pm kick-off in Palmerston North) will not proceed and the grand final put back possibly until mid-April as City and Waitakere United have O-League commitments.
