SUPPORT for a two year extension of Mick McCarthy's contract as manager of the national team, was yesterday said to be hardening among members of the FAI Council.

All 52 members of the council, will be asked to support a recommendation by the association's five senior officers, to award McCarthy a vote of confidence in Athlone tomorrow when the a.g.m. will be followed by the first council meeting of the new season.

Barring a sudden withdrawal of support and that is highly unlikely - McCarthy will be offered a new contract which will keep him in charge until the completion of Ireland's programme in the next European Championship.

It follows preliminary talks between McCarthy and a delegation of senior officials, during which the manager stressed the desirability of having his position clarified before the end of the current World Cup qualifying series.

That request was motivated in the first instance, by the need for a public show of approval by the FAI, of the rebuilding programme which the manager has undertaken with such vigour since his appointment in February of last year.

Initially, there were indications that some members of the council were sceptical of a plan which they interpreted as being media driven. In fact, the backing for McCarthy has a much wider base, as was illustrated during last week's talks.

McCarthy, himself, will not be present in Athlone tomorrow. Instead, he is making preparations to travel with Packie Bonner to Reykjavik next Wednesday to watch Iceland in action against Lithuania in an important group eight qualifying game.

More contentious, by far, is another matter on the Athlone agenda - that calling for sanctions to be taken against Louis Kilcoyne, a former FAI president, for his perceived support of the move to relocate Wimbledon FC in Dublin.

This runs counter to the stated policy of both the FAI and National League and at the recent a.g.m. of the League, clubs voted en bloc. for Kilcoyne to be censured by the association.

It ought to be stressed, however, that the colourful Dubliner, no stranger to controversy over the years, has consistently refuted speculation linking him to the Wimbledon campaign and explained a recent meeting with the club chairman, Sam Hamman as an opportunity to spell out the association's implacable opposition to any move to bring English Premiership football to Dublin.

The Wimbledon issue is an emotive one in the game here and for all his protestations of innocence, there is a possibility that moves will be made to terminate Kilcoyne's appointment as the FAI's representative on FIFA committees.