Speaking on the World of Football program, Bleiberg said the Strikers would be a point of difference from Brisbane Roar’s Dutch heritage and their home ground Perry Park would be re-developed.

The former Gold Coast United coach said the previous NSL side had the financial backing to join the A-League.

“I believe that the people behind this bid and I’m 100% sure they are serious people and there is serious money behind them,” he said.

“The Brisbane Strikers have their own budget and are quite wealthy. It was run by a rich guy Clem Jones who used to be the lord mayor of Brisbane. In his inheritance, he left quite a lot of money.

“So we are still crunching the numbers and we want to be stronger and once we crunch the numbers and the numbers stack and we go to FFA and we say we are ready.”

Bleiberg said his experience with previous A-League clubs meant he would be able to get a club up and running by next season.

“We prove with the Gold Coast and we prove with the Roar that when the A-League started that in seven/eight months that we can prepare a team,” he said. “So if we said next season we can be ready and if we said for more likely for the season after then we definitely be ready and don’t forget that the Strikers have a successful team that is running in the NPL which finished first for a few times in the last few years.”

When the A-League was first formed the Strikers lost out to the Lions and Bleiberg believes many fans in Brisbane do not support the Roar due to ethnic ties.

“I was a foundation coach which came based on one of the biggest clubs in Brisbane which was the Brisbane Lions which had Dutch heritage,” he said. “Hence the orange colour of Brisbane Roar, and like every club South Melbourne or Oakleigh Cannons or whatever that have big clubs and followers there are people that don’t like this club and the same applies to Brisbane Roar.

“So, there is a big chuck of the football community that still remember where the Roar started with and they don’t follow the Roar including the Strikers supporters and Brisbane City so you got the rivalry their and why the rivalry is needed.”

During the FFA Cup round of 16, a crowd of 3571 flocked to Perry Park for Tim Cahill’s Melbourne City debut and Bleiberg said the Strikers would redevelop the ground if they were part of the A-League.

“Another thing to remember about the strikers is that in 1997 won the Grand Final and they played in front of 40,000 people,” he said.

“If only 20% of this 40,000 are still left following the club we already had a good start. Now Brisbane Strikers have the old centre of Brisbane soccer which is Perry Park, if it can be redeveloped I’ve already had the plans on my table that can fit up to 15,000 people and it’s in the centre of the city and close to the train and whatever you need.”