The heat at Football Federation Australia headquarters over governance and the direction has intensified, after international controlling body FIFA imposed a November 30 deadline to expand the number of members in the voting ‘congress’.

An increasingly bitter stand-off has developed between the FFA, state-based powerbrokers and A-League clubs about the blueprint for the future.

At its heart is how and when the A-League will be expanded, as the Association of Australian Football Clubs – an organised representing interests of National Premier League teams – push to introduce The Championship, a second-tier league, likely to involve an end-of-season promotion-relegation playoff game.

The FFA will hold an extraordinary general meeting in Sydney on Thursday afternoon, in a bid to determine a new voting system and avoid a FIFA ‘normalisation committee’ being established to take over the game’s operation in Australia. Wolves chief executive Chris Papakosmas said the club is continuing to build its case to be part of a 12 or 14-team league.

“Our mission hasn’t altered since the beginning,” he told the Mercury.

“There’s no doubt the Wolves will be front and centre when the expansion talks are getting serious.

“We’ve introduced a whole range of improvements in terms of pathways for men and women and community engagement for the Illawarra and South Coast.”

The Wolves also have a partnership with the Illawarra Stingrays National Premier League women’s team.

A-League expansion talks have become a turf war in the Illawarra, as rival bid Southern Expansion, backed by former Socceroos player Craig Foster, aims to establish an A-League club which includes support from the St George, Sutherland and Illawarra areas. 

With a plan to build a new training base at Loftus, Southern Expansion last week announced former NSW premier Morris Iemma will be the new chairman, following the passing of legendary broadcaster Les Murray. 

AAFC chairman Rabieh Krayem said in a statement “a financially viable true second tieer will be an exciting addition to our game nationally, while alleviating the burden presently carried by many NPL and WNPL clubs across the country and reducing the cost of junior participation”.

Illawarra’s governing body, Football South Coast, has established a new entity, called the South Coast Flame, which will compete in the NSW state league next season.

“The reality is why are we not providing those players [who might not make a team] with the opportunity to play against Sydney competitions. We took destiny into our own hands and created the South Coast Flame,” FSC chairman Eddy de Gabriele said earlier this month.