Meissner has taken over ownership of NSW Premier League club Penrith Nepean United in the last six months. He also owns Gabbie Stadium, home to Blacktown City Demons who also play in NSW's elite competition.

The sprightly 66-year-old hopes this approach will rub off on the FFA when, in around a month, a decision will be made on whose bid will be awarded an A-League licence from 2010.

With two other bids said to be in the mix, the race is hotting up. But Meissner also needs the local football associations on board to power the bid at grassroots level.

He's hoping for a unified approach that offers the region's players a pathway to the top.

"I believe the local youth associations has to be in one, I don't think it will work if I don't get the full backing of the local associations, which has around 25,000 kids," he told au.fourfourtwo.com after Penrith drew 1-1 with Blacktown on Sunday.

The area includes Southern Districts Association, Nepean Association, Blacktown and Districts and potentially Granville Districts. Add the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury and it's an impressive reach.

"Normally, associations have to back up the higher levels so to speak much the same as, say, Football NSW have to adhere to FFA on a number of matters," said Meissner.

"And I expect the higher the level of the club, the more opportunities the local players have. Why would you want to play in an association if you have no chance of going any further?

"You have to have some aspirations - otherwise there's no point in playing football. Go overseas."

Aside from corralling the masses of grassroots players and families, Meissner's cautious approach to the business side of the bid may also be ticking boxes at FFA HQ.

He's already demonstrated that with the way in which he's running a tight ship at previously debt-ridden Penrith United.

Meissner has already had to fork out "substantial" sums of money to balance the books at Penrith after poor management had the club in debt to the tune of around $250,000.

He then had to pull a team together. Using sensible business practices ("I have a financial line and I don't cross it") he's stabilised the club. And on the park, coach Ian Gillan was installed and he has the side playing attractive football.

"It has to be done on a business basis," he said of an A-League club. "It can't be done for the love of the sport only.

"But I think there are enough people out here, from my investigations, who'll bring bums on seats. And that's the most important part.

"If we can get crowds of 15-20,000 like Melbourne Victory do, we'll be okay. If we get crowds of 5,000 and below, we'll be in trouble."

On the surface, he's got a point about crowds. Sunday's west Sydney derby between his two clubs pulled barely 250 punters (a number were also children who entered for free).

And while that crowd figure may say more about the half-hearted promotional campaign apportioned to the NSW League, it's also signals a cautious note.

So, where will the fans congregate? Meissner's preferred stadium option is CUA stadium in Penrith (about 50kms from the centre of Sydney and about 10kms further west from St Marys). He's also looking at Parramatta Stadium but CUA appears to have the inside running.

"CUA I've spoken to and they're delighted to make a move on that," he said. "Parramatta I've not spoken to, that is yet to come. CUA is also close to the Blue Mountains, and a lot of Mountain people won't travel too far.

"But Parramatta is not bad."

Meissner has former NSL football identity Bertie Mariani part of the bid in a spokesperson role. He's keeping his operation lean.

"You don't need too many bosses [in a bid]," Meissner said. "It's always the undoing of businesses where there are too many chiefs."

As for corporate support, Meissner is quietly confident that despite these tough economic times, he has the money-men ready to boost the bank balance.

"It is tough, but I already have the support so I'm not concerned about that at the moment," he said of his investors, reportedly from China and France. "It's enough to last us. I'm absolutely confident.

"I don't want to pre-empt the future, there are two other Western Sydney bids, I don't think either have merit. But that's not for me to say."

What can be said is that Sydney will have a second franchise in the not too distance future. And the thought of a blockbuster Sydney derby against the sky blues sparks a glint in the eye of this former Karate champion.

"It would be a happy day for me," he added. "It would be my retirement present."