Representatives from clubs, junior leagues and affiliated associations will today get an opportunity to discuss the figures released on Friday by the FAI in relation to advance sales of seats and corporate boxes at the proposed Eircom Park when they meet for the last national council meeting of the year.
Although not one of the association's key decision-making bodies, the meeting is expected to produce some heated exchanges as the more than 50 delegates attempt to clarify the reasons behind the disappointing number of orders that have actually been secured by IMG.
At the FAI's a.g.m. a far more positive scenario was presented to delegates and the fear for chief executive Bernard O'Byrne today will be that, unless he can provide credible explanations for the apparent shortfall, then those representatives who have occupied the middle ground about the stadium project will start to shift against him.
Although those most publicly associated with the campaign to abandon the scheme have come in for criticism themselves at council meetings, one opponent of O'Byrne's said last night he did not expect to come under much fire this time.
"I think what happened last week makes it clear that what we have been trying to do for the last few months has been entirely justified. In the circumstances, I find it hard to imagine how the serious questions will be directed at us."
There is a feeling within the camp that not all of the required answers relating to the various areas of revenue have been provided, and the prospect of further use of solicitors has not been ruled out.
"It is a strategy that has paid off for us so far and so I would not see us simply abandoning it at this point," said the council member.
More critical meetings for the project will be held in January, when the association's directors will meet for the first time since the release of last week's figures, and, later in the month, when a review of the entire business plan, ordered by the directors of the FAI's holding company for the project - Centime Ltd - is completed.
