IT'S BACK to the drawing board over the future structure of the Insurance Corporation All-Ireland League and an All-Ireland Cup is on hold following a meeting yesterday between the senior clubs and the IRFU.

At the end of a meeting that lasted for over three hours, the clubs voted down any change in the structure of the league or in the number of clubs in the four divisions next season, so the status quo will obtain. The current structure was put in place only at end of last season and some felt it should be tried before being rejected. Their views eventually prevailed.

The tenor of the meeting was a classic example of the difficulties of trying to please even some of the clubs some of the time, not to mention trying to satisfy all of the clubs. To a large extent, a club's perspective was decreed by its divisional status. It was, I suppose, an exercise in democracy, but not the best possible advertisement for the philosophy.

It was all a delicate exercise for the IRFU president, Bobby Deacy, who quite correctly told the clubs that it was they who had asked for a new blueprint for the league, and that the union had produced a format based on what they had been told from their soundings at branch and club levels.

And at the end of a meeting where the division of opinions about what constituted the best way forward were pronounced, not even a good financial package of aid for the clubs met with unanimous agreement on the balance of the distribution of £750,000.

There was a touch of the Oliver Twist request for more about the statements made by a few club representatives when the IRFU honorary treasurer, John Lyons, announced the deal. And he did so with a thorough outline, illustrated by slides, of the distribution of finances. It was a presentation that did not get the reception it deserved.

The financial aid is being given because of the difficulties clubs faced this season by the delayed start to the AIL and the disruption of their season at short notice.

Each first division club will receive £20,000; second division clubs will receive £16,000; third division clubs £13,000 and the fourth division £10,000 each. In addition, the IRFU is doubling the travelling and hotel allowances for the clubs in the league, which means an additional outlay of £150,000.

The announcement of those measures drew a negative response from Cormac O'Herlihy, chairman of Old Belvedere, who felt it was not enough to meet their needs for player development and other elements. A few of the clubs in the lower divisions believed that all clubs should be given the same amount, irrespective of divisional status.

Deacy and Lyons emphasised that the IRFU had to provide for all the clubs and schools under its jurisdiction. The president said that the reason for the variation in the money from division to division was because the first and second division clubs were hit most severely by the demands on players and other factors.

The discussion on the proposed revision of the league structure brought many contributions, including complaints that the meeting came too soon after the document laying out the proposals had only been sent out at the beginning of the week. But as was pointed out, it was sent out as soon as possible in the wake of the continuing discussions and meetings, and that it was imperative that a decision in such crucial issues of promotion and relegation be decided before the league starts.

After a protracted debate, the president suggested that the best course of action was to take a poll. He asked if they wanted it division by division or on an overall basis, and the delegates voted that it be taken as a whole.

The proposals were that the league structure for this season be kept in place for two years, or, alternately, that plans be put in place to amend it for next season. He called a 10-minute break for delegates to discuss the issues and suggested that each division have a separate meeting.

Thus we had four huddles in the hall. After the first vote was taken, on a show of hands, there was some doubt about the exact figures. It was then decided that a vote would be taken club by club, with each club having one vote.

The proposal to retain the present structure for this season and next was passed by 27 votes to 20. Only five of the 14 first division clubs voted in favour of the proposal, the 14 second division clubs voted en bloc in support and opinion was divided in the lower divisions, with a Yes vote coming from eight of the clubs. The Creggs club was not represented at the meeting. The first division clubs who voted in favour were Ballymena, Dungannon, Instonians, Old Belvedere and Young Munster.

Some strong views were expressed that the clubs should have direct representation on the AIL committee. Following the vote, the president said that he would set up a committee from the clubs, consisting of two representatives from each of the divisions with the AIL sub-committee chairman, Peter Boyle, as chairman. The committee would also have one or two other representatives from the union.

Deacy told the clubs that it was now up to them to appoint their representatives and they had the responsibility of bringing back specific proposals to the union based honestly on the views of the clubs they represent.

And there it rested.

"Bear in mind," said the president, "that the decision on the structure of the league is your decision, not ours. Your views have been accommodated in the document that was presented to you."

Those views as of now have been rejected. It is back to the drawing board.