The bid to bring an A-League and W-League club to the south-east of Victoria has received the overwhelming backing of local football clubs in the region.

A total of 43 clubs have provided Letters of Support to Team 11’s bid, which was conveyed to Football Federation Australia and Deloitte as part of the bid team’s Expression of Interest submission.

The clubs are of various sizes, from Berwick City with more than 900 players to Sandown Lions with about 40.

They come from a wide array of leagues, with the National Premier League, Victorian state leagues, Latrobe Valley Soccer League, Gippsland Soccer League, the Victorian Churches Football Association, Bayside Football Association and Melbourne Chinese Soccer Association all represented.

And there are also clubs from each of the 12 local council districts that have backed the Team 11 bid.

Team 11 Project Officer Matt Windley said the bid would work with these clubs – and others in south-east Victoria – in the coming months to establish what a formal working relationship would look like if and when the A-League push is successful.

“This club will be nothing without the backing of the local football community,” Windley said.

“The support received thus far has been incredible and we can’t thank enough the tireless efforts of the volunteers who run these clubs to help Team 11’s bid.

“We would love to have relationships with all clubs in the south-east of Victoria. The door will always be open to all.

“This is a club that has to be of benefit to its local football community. It goes beyond simply playing A-League and W-League matches locally, it has to be a genuine presence in the community and provide a genuine professional pathway for our young boys and girls.

“These Letters of Support are an indication from our community that we are building this bid in the right way thus far.”

The clubs that provided letters of support are: Afghan Victory, Aspendale, Berwick Churches, Berwick City, Bunyip and District Strikers, Casey Comets, Casey Panthers, Chelsea, Dandenong City, Dandenong South, Dandenong Thunder, Doveton, Endeavour Hills Fire, Endeavour Sporting Club, Endeavour United, Gippsland FC, Hampton Park Sparrows, Inverloch Stars, James Cook FC, Keysborough, Knox Churches, Korumburra City, Langwarrin, Mazenod Victory, Mornington, Mount Martha, Newborough-Yallourn, Old Mentonians, Pakenham United, Peninsula Strikers Junior FC, Peninsula Strikers Senior FC, Sandown Lions, Skye United, South Springvale, Southern United, Springvale City, Springvale White Eagles, Trafalgar Victory, Traralgon City Warragul United, Westernport, White Star Dandenong, Wonthaggi United.