WIN Corporation and South Coast Football Club have rejected rumours that billionaire Bruce Gordon has agreed to underwrite a Wollongong-based A-League franchise.A story appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday claimed Gordon, the owner of WIN Corporation, had agreed to bankroll the South Coast bid after personal encouragement from FFA chairman and Sydney FC chairman Frank Lowy. However, WIN Corporation executive chairman Andrew Gordon and South Coast Football Club chairman Eddy De Gabriele yesterday both denied any agreement had been made."WIN has looked at every option but unfortunately we are not in a position to provide financial assistance to the South Coast A-League at this time. Although we do pledge our interest in supporting them through sponsorship," Andrew Gordon said. "WIN Corporation confirmed while the company had investigated the possibilities, it has never committed to and nor will be providing financial assistance to the South Coast A-League."De Gabriele also denied any knowledge of a pledge by Bruce Gordon to underwrite the South Coast bid."I need these people ... we would never do anything to jeopardise any potential support from WIN," De Gabriele said. "I know nothing about it - I have not had a conversation with Andrew Gordon or Bruce Gordon for three months."Even if Bruce Gordon, who splits his time between Wollongong and Bermuda, did pour some of his estimated $1.2 billion fortune into South Coast club, the franchise would still need a commitment from the State Government to upgrade WIN Stadium's western grandstand. "If we don't get a commitment about the western grandstand, we're not going to get an A-League licence," De Gabriele said.In August, Premier Morris Iemma indicated he would look favourably on WIN Stadium's western grandstand bid if the region secured an A-League team.In the meantime, Mr Iemma resigned and was replaced by Nathan Rees, leaving the consortium trying to bring A-League football to the region "back at square one"."We have to start from scratch," De Gabriele said. "All bets are off - the Wollongong Sportsground Trust are trying to set up a meeting with Nathan Rees as soon as possible."In the meantime, De Gabriele expects to receive a report card from the FFA in the next two or three weeks about the strengths and weaknesses of the South Coast bid.A foundation membership and corporate sponsorship drive will be rolled out in the near future.The rumours of Bruce Gordon's commitment to bankroll the South Coast franchise came just days after the FFA granted exclusive negotiating rights to a Melbourne-based consortium headed by businessman Peter Sidwell.That move gave the second Melbourne club - provisionally known as Melbourne Heart - the inside running to be the A-League's 11th team in 2010-11. The 12th and, for time being, final spot is expected to come down to South Coast, Canberra and Western Sydney.The FFA is expected to make a decision early in the new year.