KEY POINTS:
It is looming as the longest-running saga in New Zealand soccer but there was still hope last night as the Wellington-based franchise's efforts to have a team in next season's A-League was handed a last chance.
With the Auckland bid out of the race, New Zealand Soccer's hopes
of having a team in the third Hyundai A-League season now rest solely in the capital.
Football Federation Australia operations boss Matt Carroll said he has agreed to a request from NZS chief executive Graham Seatter that they [NZS and the bidders] be given one more week to finalise the matter.
"Graham told us that the Auckland bid had been withdrawn but they would like another seven days to continue working with the Wellington people," said Carroll. "We have basically just taken New Zealand Soccer's advice and agreed to an extension.
"They are confident they can still meet our requirements. They [NZS] now have to be absolutely confident in accepting the licence."
In accepting that licence, NZS will, in turn, have the John Dow-led Wellington franchise as a sub-licensee, with total financial responsibility.
"That's it, timewise," said Carroll who, along with FFA chairman Frank Lowy reiterated at the A-League awards function in Sydney on Tuesday night that having a New Zealand team in next season's league remained their preferred option.
Dow acknowledged that the FFA see $2 million as the minimum start-up investment and that he is confident of meeting that.
"We have a meeting with Graham Seatter planned for Monday," said Dow who along with New Zealand Soccer board member Ian Wells is driving the bid. "By next Thursday I am sure we will be in a position to sign the document."
Asked whether he was just as confident of fulfilling the requirements to see it though for the remaining three years of the initial five-year licence, Dow said: "I hope we will be around for 20 years."
Seatter said he shared their confidence.
"By next Thursday I'm sure we will be able to show the FFA we can do it," said Seatter. "I know the people in Wellington just needed a degree of certainty, which they have now got. I have some leads to point them in that direction.
"March 8 is cool from my point of view," said Seatter.
In confirming the Auckland bid had been withdrawn, spokesman Alan Sefton said his group could have put $2 million on the table right now.
But from the start his people had looked much further than that.
"We said all along we felt we needed $6 million to ensure our viability for three years," said Sefton. "We could have done what Wellington have done but we believed there needed to be a greater degree of certainty.
Sefton said there was a feeling that they needed to be in a position to go to the coach, the chief executive and the players with the finances firmly in place, but they were not prepared to go forward on verbal commitments.
"Absolutely, we are disappointed," said Sefton.
"It is not easy going around with your hand out. A lot of time and thought has gone into this but in the end, the timeframes were impossible."
Dow said All Whites coach Ricki Herbert was still their first coaching choice and he expected to sit down and talk with him sooner rather than later.
Dow said the Westpac Stadium would be their base but games are likely to be played elsewhere, including Palmerston North, Auckland and Christchurch.
The club's commercial arm will be based in the city - possibly at the stadium - with training at Porirua's Ole Soccer Academy.
