Doubts are growing that the FFA board, to be elected late next month by a newly-minted Congress, will sanction expansion because - as one source put it - “every bid is flawed” and “time is running out”.
Should the new board share that view, then the hopes of the six remaining bidders would be dashed until 2020-2021 at least.
All the bidders agree that would be a retrograde step, with Southern Expansion CEO Chris Gardiner insisting: “All of the stakeholders are now saying this has to be resolved in November because we need to grow the league without further delay.
“I’m pretty comfortable that we’re going to get a decision in November from the new board, with the existing shortlist that has been presented to them by the current board and Deloitte.
“I think the biggest risk the board could take would be to hold off now, and jeopardise all the momentum that’s been built up.
“If you don’t do it for next season, you lose another whole season with everybody left waiting.
“It would be a cloud over this season and next.
“The question of ‘why?’ would be raised. If it’s a case of them saying there’s not enough information then that’s wrong. Of course there is. There is all the information you need.
“I think the biggest gamble would be to not go ahead because everybody is expecting expansion and everybody thinks it should happen immediately.”
Gardiner challenged football’s new rulers, in the post-Steven Lowy age, to eschew caution and grow the competition to 14 clubs within two years.
“I think a big question for them is to be more adventurous and expand and to say: ‘We’ve got two teams coming in next year and two more the following season,’ he said.
“That, in my view, would be the best way forward.”
With in excess of $20 million in the bank, Chinese-backed Southern Expansion, who aim to play out of two venues in Sydney’s south and one in Wollongong, have put more money on the table than any other bidder.
“The FFA are going to have an a huge unbudgeted windfall if anybody else is able to put up the money we have,” Gardiner said.
“But it’s not just about the money. We wrote a letter to the FFA last week to remind them of the strength of our bid.
“It stated that on the assumption they're objective about this - and don’t take any club in fear or favour - and accept that the league needs an immediate success, then we're the best club.
“Sydney FC are opposed to us but Western Sydney have every reason to be just as opposed to the Sydney South West bid. So I think they neutralise each other.
“Our bid is based on football logic. We have the best governance, the biggest player base (40,000 registrations), three stadia (Jubilee Oval, Shark Park and WIN Stadium), four local councils, and three associations (St George, Sutherland and South Coast) all behind us.”
