Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI general secretary, last night suggested that if the country's senior football clubs continued to fail to agree on a reduction in the size of the National League, then such a move may have to be imposed by the association.

Speaking at a meeting organised by National League United, a supporters' group founded last year, in Liberty Hall, O'Byrne said that it was clear that the market in this country was not big enough to support a league of 22 clubs and that a smaller structure based on an elite of those currently involved needs to be established.

"The nettle has to be grasped by the FAI," said O'Byrne, "because a majority of the clubs there now continue to see voting for these sort of changes as akin to turkeys voting for Christmas."

The statement by O'Byrne was welcomed by Shelbourne Secretary Ollie Byrne who said that if such a lead was not taken a breakaway by the country's big clubs would be a possibility over the coming years.