National League: Eircom League officials yesterday moved to reassure clubs that proposals to "wind up" the league in its current form at the end of this year and establish a new FAI-run entity in time for the 2007 season poses no threat to their participation in the National League.
Representatives of the National League's 22 clubs will be asked to endorse a one-page document outlining the proposal at a management committee before Saturday morning's league agm in Limerick.
If there is sufficient support for the document it will be brought before a rule-changing egm, probably next month, where a two thirds majority (15 of the 22 clubs) would be required to adopt the scheme.
However, representatives of several clubs have expressed considerable concern over what they regard as the vagueness of what is described by its Merrion Square authors as a "declaration of intent".
By adopting the document clubs commit themselves to take the various legal and other steps required to wrap up the league in its present form and hand the necessary authority to the FAI to establish a new league which clubs would then have to apply to for membership.
Although the move was broadly expected to come at some point in the aftermath of clubs endorsing proposals for radical reform of the league by the consultancy firm Genesis, the lack of detail contained in the single-page document has alarmed some and prompted a majority of those contacted yesterday to call for the provision of much more information.
"I agree in principle that the league needs to be changed," said Dublin City chief executive Ronan Seery yesterday, "but until I see what the criteria are for joining the new league I would find it hard to vote the present one out of existence."
UCD director Dick Shakespeare, meanwhile, questioned the wisdom of pressing ahead with the reforms so quickly when, he said, a more considered approach should be taken.
"In the circumstances it would seem reasonable to take more time to weigh up the best way ahead and maybe tie the changes to the introduction of the new Uefa manual which is due to come into effect here in 2008."
Other clubs, however, expressed an inclination to place their trust in the FAI's leadership despite concerns over the proposal that promotion and relegation be suspended for the coming season.
"We'd be opposed to that," said Nial O'Reilly of Galway United, "but we realise that the league has to change and we might be prepared to buy into the whole thing once we saw the detail."
Acting director of the League, John Byrne, said last night that he could understand the concerns expressed but, he said: "It's not a case of the FAI or anybody else wanting 10, 12 or 16 clubs. We want all 22 clubs and we have made that clear but we also want a better league and the clubs unanimously endorsed the report that prompted this move."
He also said that it is envisaged that the suspension of promotion and relegation would only last one season.
It was suggested last week that the country's leading clubs might stage a breakaway if the proposals are shot down but a representative of a club in such talks last year said that such a move has not been discussed of late.
