QUEANBEYAN City Football Club will not field a team in next year's Capital Football Premier League after preliminary discussions with the Canberra-based league fell through last month.
Queanbeyan City FC's decision not to apply for the competition in 2010 is believed to be due to the club's inability to meet selected criteria.
The Monaro Panthers are the only club from the region who have submitted a bid for next season, hoping to return to the Premier League after nearly a decade without a senior squad.
It is understood that Capital Football are determined to establish one team from Queanbeyan in the future of the competition, but with Monaro's bid for a spot in the league still undecided Queanbeyan may be left without a club in the league next season.
Monaro are among 11 teams competing for either an eight or 10 team league. A decision by Capital Football has already been reached on which applications have been successful, and they will today seek to notify successful clubs before an official announcement next Tuesday.
Queanbeyan City's Goran Josifovski said while his club would not play in the premier league next season, many options still remained with the club.
Josifovski said the decision made by the league regarding the Monaro Panthers would have a major bearing on Queanbeyan City's course of action.
``Next week we will get a better idea on whether we decide to pursue a future in Canberra or look elsewhere for other opportunities,'' he said.
``Capital Football has indicated to us that they don't want two clubs from the region.''
Earlier this year, a proposed merger between Queanbeyan City and Monaro fell through, with the clubs unwilling to compromise on administrative and junior football operations.
Capital Football Men's League manager Alasdair Grocock said he was disappointed the two clubs were unable to organise a joint club that could have applied for next season.
``I would have hoped that several months ago we could have sat down with both clubs, all bets off, and just pursued a merge at that point,'' he said. ``If that had happened a combined club with Monaro and Queanbeyan City FC would have been a shoe-in for the competition next year.''
Josifovski said that Queanbeyan FC would make their own choices regarding a place for next year once Monaro's fate had been decided.
The Illawara league on the New South Wales coast has Leg 5been touted as one potential option for the club.
``That would be a great opportunity for us but at this stage we want to wait and see what Capital Football are doing,'' he said.
``[If they] give the license to Monaro then we may look to State League or possibly to the Illawara league who we have had discussions with.''
Sources within Capital Football have indicated there will be an eight or 10 team competition, scrapping last year's nine-team format that included a bye.
The Monaro Panthers bid coordinator, John Barilaro, said he could not envisage the league without a Queanbeyan side and said it would be a shame if his club was not included.
``I think it would be a great disappointment if there was no team from Queanbeyan in next year's competition,'' he said.
``I am quietly confident in our own position at this point and I would be very disappointed if we were knocked back.''
Barilaro said Monaro had made preliminary arrangements with several players and a coach who would be willing to join the squad should the team be given the green light.
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