Football Federation Australia will aim to replicate the success of creating the Wanderers by funding and running the new Southern Sydney A-League team which is increasingly certain to replace Wellington Phoenix.
Driven by the imperative to improve TV ratings amid the hunt for a new free-to-air partner, FFA chiefs have become convinced they can adopt a similar model to the one used to build the Western Sydney club, involving community consultation over a name, colours and home ground.
Likely to be seen as a high-risk strategy financially, it will be pursued even if FFA fail to sell Newcastle Jets to Scottish business Stephen Thompson, though he is believed to have given a verbal commitment to go through with the purchase imminently.
Though lobbying of federal and state politicians has been ongoing to procure some form of funding for a new team, FFA are prepared to fund the new club themselves from existing finances if necessary, with the intention – as with the Wanderers – of selling it on for a clear profit down the line.
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