Three Dublin clubs may share proposed FAI Abbotstown HQ

The FAI is considering building a 15,000-seater complex in Abbotstown which could house three Dublin football clubs, Shelbourne, Bohemians and St Patrick's Athletic.

The complex would be accompanied by a new FAI headquarters, training grounds and national coaching centre.

The plans are still at an early stage and FAI sources say there has not been contact with the Government over whether lands at Abbotstown would be available for the development.

However, it would allow the Taoiseach to salvage something from his original plans for an 80,000-seater stadium and sports campus at the site in west Dublin.

The provision of the State-owned land to the FAI would also help undo some of the damage caused by the fallout over the Eircom Park fiasco, which led the FAI to abandon its plans for a stadium in favour of the Taoiseach's plans for Abbotstown.

The plans to move the FAI headquarters from Merrion Square and training facilities from the AUL Complex in Clonshaugh have been talked about for some time, although fresh plans for a sports complex for Dublin clubs are likely to prove controversial.

Mr Gerry Cuffe, secretary of Bohemians, said last night: "It's hard to know what's going on. We feel we have something to offer in Dalymount. But until we see what's on table, it's far too early to comment."

All three clubs which could move to a new complex are either in debt or are short of money. Shelbourne had to defer the payment of wages to some players over Christmas, while Bohemians has held several meetings to examine ways of generating additional funds in recent months.

The potential sale of the grounds could free up substantial amounts of capital, however, there is likely to be some opposition to the notion of groundsharing. An FAI source said the plans were at a very early stage. The final shape or location of its planned developments were only at discussion stage.

It is not the first time the idea of the State providing funds or land to the FAI for the development of a second stadium has been mooted.

At the time of the Eircom Park plans, the former FAI chief executive, Mr Brendan Menton, helped broker a deal with the Taoiseach which would have provided Government funding to upgrade Tolka Park or Dalymount as a second stadium for league games or under-21 internationals.