KEY POINTS:
The Wellington and Manawatu bids in the running for a soccer A-League franchise have merged in an attempt to head off Auckland ahead of a February 12 deadline.
"We've reached an agreement to join and put a more compelling bid together," Wellington bid chief John Dow told The Dominion Post newspaper.
Before the decision to merge, Wellington, Manawatu and Auckland were vying to inherit the New Zealand Knights' licence which was revoked by the Football Federation Australia (FFA) in December.
Dow said the collective strengths both parties could bring to a joint bid were exciting, comparing a regional approach to that of the Hurricanes Super 14 rugby franchise.
"The numbers you can draw from a large geographical area and population base are very positive," he said.
Mark Cleaver, chairman of the Manawatu NZFC franchise, said the merger was a great opportunity to bring an A-League team to the lower North Island.
Dow said the parties had informed the FFA of the move and had received a positive reaction.
The parties had an open mind about where a team would play their home matches, saying they were "quite receptive" towards the possibility of spreading matches to cities such as Auckland and Christchurch and developing relationships in football regions such as Hawke's Bay.
A decision is expected at the FFA board meeting on February 15.
- NZPA
