20 Sep 2011

Future of Phoenix team still up in air

7:40 am on 20 September 2011

Football Federation Australia says it has yet to make a decision on the future of the Wellington Phoenix Football Club.

The federation holds the licence for the team to be part of the A-League and has been in talks with the owner of the club and property developer Terry Serepisos about its future.

New Zealand Football said it understood that the deadline to prevent the team's licence being revoked was on Monday.

However, a spokesperson for Football Federation Australia, Mark Jensen, says it never set a deadline but hopes a resolution is reached before the competition starts on 8 October.

Mr Serepisos has been battling to avoid bankruptcy. In August, he submitted a plan to the High Court to sell most of his remaining property portfolio.

Players at the club have previously been paid late.

A spokesperson for the team's Yellow Fever fan club, Guy Smith, says he understands Mr Serepisos presented a plan to get overseas funding. He says if the money can be secured, he will continue as owner.

Mr Smith says there is a back-up plan in case that does not happen, under which a consortium of prominent Wellington people would take ownership.