Euro 2008 Fallout: There was growing speculation yesterday that the Football Association of Ireland Board of Management meeting at which Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton's future would be discussed will take place tomorrow.
A spokesman for the association declined to confirm or deny the scheduling while some of those close to the current process denied any knowledge of an arrangement having been made.
However, others have suggested that the 10-man committee will meet over the next 24 hours.
Two board members, chief executive John Delaney and honorary secretary Michael Cody, travelled to Zurich yesterday in order to meet Fifa officials in relation to the Irish Football Association's attempt to prevent players born in its jurisdiction opting to play for the Republic unless they qualify in the same way as those born outside of the island of Ireland.
The matter came to a head recently when Derry-born Darron Gibson earned his first senior cap for the Republic of Ireland against Denmark.
The Manchester United midfielder had played at under-15 level for Northern Ireland before switching his allegiance.
There appears to be an acceptance in Belfast that the Gibson case is now effectively over and that no sanctions will be imposed on the FAI, but the IFA is anxious that the situation be clarified so that they do not lose any more players in the same way.
The FAI, however, continue to believe that they have acted properly at all times and that players born north of the border remain free to declare for the Republic if they wish to do so.
Their northern counterparts argue that the situation was changed by the Good Friday agreement and, in particular, the dropping by the Irish Government of its territorial claim over the entire island.
Fifa met with the IFA last week but details of the discussions have not been revealed.
The FAI is hopeful that the instructions it received from the international game's governing body in October of last year to the effect that the situation was unchanged will simply be restated.
After today's meeting the FAI's delegation, which also includes legal advisers Sarah O'Shea and Paul Gardiner SC, is expected to return to Dublin thus allowing Delaney and Cody to attend any meetings scheduled for tomorrow.
The board also includes the association's three other officers, David Blood (FAI president), Eddie Murray (honorary treasurer) and Paddy McCaul (FAI vice-president) as well as the League of Ireland's chairman, Eamon Naughton and four committee chairmen, Donal Conway (underage committee), Paraic Treanor (legal and corporate affairs), Milo Corcoran (international committee) and Jim McConnell (domestic committee).
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