Rooney could be on the way out

Growing speculation that a move will be made over the coming weeks to oust Fran Rooney from his position as chief executive of the FAI looks like being fuelled further by reports from within the organisation that a specially convened board of management meeting will discuss his position this weekend.

The possibility of any serious challenge being mounted to Rooney so soon is remote but such a meeting could provide the chief executive's opponents with the opportunity to further undermine his authority at a time when several senior figures within the organisation, including former ally John Delaney, are believed to have lost faith in him.

Rooney has previously seen off a number of rivals in clashes within Merrion Square, with the likes of Brendan Dillon, Kevin Fahy, John Byrne and Eddie Cox all departing after falling out with the former Baltimore Technologies chief.

Delaney, however, has previously been instrumental in the forced resignations of Bernard O'Byrne and Brendan Menton and sources close to the association suggested yesterday that the organisation's treasurer has now turned against the man he supported so strongly in last year's clash over the chief executive's remuneration package.