Well, if someone from the FFA or NLWG were to come out and say that "Wellington Phoenix will remain in the A-League until the leagues governance structure decides otherwise", then that would be all there is to it.
But all I'm seeing in this document is: the A-League clubs will own all their commercial and intellectual property. The A-, W- and Y-leagues will be run by a committee of the 12 licence holders, with the FFA having certain veto rights.
Nowhere does it say that WPFC will be one of those 12 licence holders after the end of the coming season.
The only exception is the reference to "the 12 member clubs of APFCA", which does include us. But this wouldn't be the first time that an agreement was reached that meant one thing to one side of negotiations, but something utterly different to the other.
(As a sideline: if we do have a future under this document, I look forward to the Nix getting a W-League team together.)
Have you listened to the latest podcast Doloras? If not fast forward to about half way in.
Dome talks about how Welnix are very keen to get an W League team up and going. Plan is a team of young Kiwis, but based in Australia. Something about FFA not allowing a W League to be based in NZ. Costs?? W League is only about 10 weeks long, so I think plan is players would be in study, or part time work (coaching?) which would hopefully allow them the flexibility to relocate to Aussie for the 10 weeks. I guess be some plan that a few of them would get full time pro gigs overseas, if spotted in the W League.
Anyway they have been doing a lot of work on this project, and have already found a base in Aussie to setup etc.
What is really disappointing is that (according to Dome anyway) NZF have been a major obstacle to this whole project. Too worried about protecting the women's regional federations, and NZ women's national league - which obviously would be weakened if 20 of the best young players were in Australia at the same time as the national women's league. All sounds very short sighted, political BS by NZF.
Of course there are always two sides to a story, but Welnix are even saying they will finance the whole thing. Hopefully something can be worked out.
Anyway congrats to Rob Morrison on today's news. Sure it ain't over yet, but that man is owed a big thanks from all Nix fans.