Niall Quinn's growing list of dutties at Sunderland has forced the former international to abandon his commitment to the committee that is to oversee the reorganisation of the Eircom League at the end of the season.
The FAI yesterday announced Richard Collins, a Cork-born surveyor who is a former chairman of Charlton Athletic and continues to sit on the club's board, will replace the Dubliner on the Independent Assessment Group.
The committee will assess the suitability of clubs for membership of the revamped league to be launched in the new year, but Quinn's involvement had looked doubtful since he began to assemble the consortium that took control of Sunderland.
Galway United yesterday signed Mick O'Donnell and Wes Charles as recently-appointed manager Tony Cousins sought to strengthen the side's challenge at the top of the first division.
Charles arrives from Bray Wanderers on a free transfer while O'Donnell was a free agent after the demise of Dublin City.
O'Donnell is one of the first of City's players to sign a long-term deal with another club. Paul Shiels was recruited by Shamrock Rovers late last week. Keith Doyle was yesterday having talks with Bray Wanderers boss Tony McGuirk, Damien Brennan and Dave Freeman seem headed for Longford Town, Stuart Malcolm looks to be on his way to Portadown, and UCD have been linked with Dave McGill.
The Eircom League has agreed with the PFAI that next Monday's transfer deadline be extended by a month for clubs wishing to sign former Dublin City players.
Drogheda have Stephen Gray back in contention for a place ahead of tomorrow's Uefa Cup tie against HJK Helsinki. The game is the only one of this week's European ties for which tickets are available. The FAI, the club and the Oriel Gallery in Navan are among the outlets.
The ground staff at Dalymount were under orders yesterday to narrow the pitch as Drogheda manager Paul Doolin aims for something more like United Park at the club's European home.
"It's nothing too radical but Dalymount is a big pitch and they're a fairly good side so we just want to get it in that little bit so that it feels more like what the lads are used to," said Doolin.
In Derry, meanwhile, where the capacity has been reduced to just 2,400 by Uefa restrictions, it is expected many fans will watch the game from the graveyard overlooking the ground.
"There's a real buzz around the place . . . and we could have sold 8,000 tickets but as it is it seems people are going to see the game whatever way they can," said manager Stephen Kenny.
Kenny said he doubted Killian Brennan would feature after the midfielder picked up a knee injury against Longford, but Peter Hutton is deemed likely to have shaken off his knee problem.
Mike Kerley issued a brief statement yesterday thanking players and fans of Waterford United following his resignation as manager on Monday. The Premier division strugglers have already started looking for a successor; in the interim under-21 manager Derek Browne has taken charge.
