Canberra's A-League soccer vehicle bid is sitting on a $400,000 war chest it refuses to hand back to its foundation members.
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That's even after a Federal Government report recommended to Football Federation Australia to put a halt to expansion of the men's national soccer competition for at least the next two to three years.
The 2000 people who paid $200 each nearly three years ago could have to wait another 12 months to see their money again.
Under the terms of the Canberra A-League bid, it can legally hold on to the funds in a trust account until December 31, 2012.
But the resolution stemming from the Smith report issued on Thursday underlines the perilous financial state of the A-League.
The report called for player salaries to be slashed in order to lay the groundwork for any expansion.
Canberra bid chief Ivan Slavich said the funds were accounted for and interest earned would be put back into the ACT soccer community.