It's a common refrain that the Wellington Phoenix feel hard done by and they are now turning their attentions to getting a team in next season's Youth League.
The under-21 competition kicked off this season with the Phoenix the only A-League club not involved. Wellington are the onlyclub without what is effectively a reserve team.
Four over-age players are allowed to play each week, meaning players not needed by the first team or making comebacks from injury get game time.
Costa Barbarouses, for example, has played four games this season and only eight times for the Phoenix in two seasons. Likewise, 37-year-old striker Vaughan Coveny has not played since the 2-1 defeat of Sydney FC in early November.
Wellington players are also prevented from playing for Team Wellington in the NZFC because of registration issues and the fact the national league is an amateur competition.
The Phoenix are also the only club prevented from playing in the Asian Champions League, if they qualified.
"We feel we should be able to have a team in the Youth League," Wellington chief executive Tony Pignata said. "Our argument is that we are part of the A-League and it's our right.
"We were initially happy to miss out because we are a young club and were trying to build a senior squad.
"But we have seen the success of the league and are now in a position to have a team," Pignata said.
Football Federation Australia excluded Wellington from the inaugural competition because of the cost of having a team from New Zealand in the league. Those costs incurred by the national body - estimated to be around $400,000 - are not thought to be much more than backing Perth's youth team.
Owner Terry Serepisos has also committed to meeting Wellington's costs, also about $400,000.
Serepisos and Pignata met FFA officials a couple of weeks ago when the subject was discussed.
"The FFA didn't say yes or no," Pignata said. "They would look at any proposal and we are working on it now. We hope to have this bedded down by the end of March and be involved in the 2009/10 competition."
