There are 15 consortiums bidding to join the A-League but National Premier Leagues Queensland side Brisbane Strikers will not be one of them after "pulling out of the expansion process," according to the AAP. The Strikers have withdrawn from the race which will result in two teams joining the competition next year, citing "issues" with Football Federation Australia's process. Club CEO Bruce Dinsdale said that its bid "had well-capitalised and passionate backers but decided against buying in at the eleventh hour." Dinsdale said in a statement, "Many important financial aspects of the expansion process, and the expectations around ongoing criteria, are neither clear nor specific and do not allow for appropriate financial and strategic planning." FFA repudiated the idea that its expansion process "promoted financial uncertainty, pointing to the volume of bids." While the Strikers are the first expansion bidder to withdraw from the formal process, other bid groups have "privately expressed similar concerns." The two successful clubs may not receive annual dividends from FFA until the next broadcast deal, still another five years away, because the existing 10 clubs are "unwilling to split their share any further" (AAP, 5/20). In Brisbane, Marco Monteverde reported the Strikers' proposal also included plans to redevelop their Bowen Hills home ground, Perry Park, into a 15,000-capacity "boutique stadium" (COURIER-MAIL, 5/20).
