Top two dominate: Title contenders Cork City and Derry City dominate the list of nominees for the annual PFAI awards which were announced yesterday, writes Emmet Malone.

Four of the six-strong short list for the organisation's prestigious player of the year come from the two clubs and all but two of the Premier division team of the year play at one of the country's top two sides.

Leading strikers Jason Byrne (Shelbourne) and Mark Farren (Derry City) are amongst the nominees for the top award which will be presented at the association's annual banquet on November 27th in Dublin. Byrne has won the award for the past two years running. The pair also notionally partner each other up front in the team of the year, a selection that includes no fewer than six Cork City players in the other nine positions.

The strength of Seán Connor's Sligo Rovers squad is reflected in the first division nominees with goalkeeper John O'Hara making the shortlist for the second tier's player of the year while he and four of his club mates from the Showgrounds make the team selection.

Cork's Liam Kearney and Derry's Pat McCourt, meanwhile, are both nominated for the young player award along with UCD's Gary Dicker whose performances for the students won him a place in Don Givens' Ireland under-21 squad.

NOMINEES. PREMIER DIVISION PLAYER: Jason Byrne (Shelbourne), Mark Farren (Derry City), Joe Gamble (Cork City), Peter Hutton (Derry City), Tony McDonnell (UCD), George O'Callaghan (Cork City).

FIRST DIVISION PLAYER: JOHN O'HARA (Sligo Rovers), Kieran O'Reilly (Cobh Ramblers), Aidan Price (Kilkenny City).

Young Player: Gary Dicker (UCD), Liam Kearney (Cork City), Pat McCourt (Derry City).

REFEREE: Mark Gough, Alan Kelly, Paul Tuite.

PREMIER TEAM OF THE SEASON: Michael Devine (Cork City); Owen Heary (Shelbourne), Peter Hutton (Derry City), Dan Murray (Cork City), Danny Murphy (Cork City); Joe Gamble (Cork City), George O'Callaghan (Cork City), Pat McCourt (Derry City), Liam Kearney (Cork City); Jason Byrne (Shelbourne), Mark Farren (Derry City).

FIRST DIVISION TEAM OF THE SEASON: John O'Hara (Sligo Rovers); Ger O'Brien (Kildare County), Michael McNamara (Sligo Rovers), Aidan Price (Kilkenny City), Kupono Low (Sligo Rovers); Robbie Collins (Dublin City), Tommy Barrett (Limerick), Fahrudin (Faz) Kuduzovic ( Sligo Rovers), Conor O'Grady (Sligo Rovers); Kieran O'Reilly (Cobh Ramblers), Ger McCarthy (Dundalk).

Scotland says no

Plans for a Great Britain football team at the London 2012 Olympics will go ahead without any Scottish involvement, it has been decided. The Scottish Football Association told a meeting of the four Home Nations associations in Belfast yesterday that they have ruled out taking any part in any British football team at the Games. The Scottish FA had been given assurances by Fifa president Sepp Blatter that taking part in the 2012 Games would not affect their separate identity in world football, but that has not been enough to persuade them to be involved. There is a fear in Scotland that Blatter may not be in power in 2012.

Ronaldo takes oath

Real Madrid's Ronaldo has been granted Spanish citizenship, meaning he will no longer take one of the club's three berths for non-European Union players. The Brazil striker, who joined Real from Inter Milan for €43 million in 2002, secured dual nationality after taking an oath to the Spanish constitution yesterday. According to Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) rules, each Primera Liga club is allowed a maximum of three non-European Union players on their books.

Yorke eyes World Cup spot

Dwight Yorke's Trinidad and Tobago aim to clinch a place in the World Cup finals for the first time when they face Bahrain in the first leg of a World Cup play-off tomorrow. Yorke (34), who is now playing in Australia with Sydney FC, has rediscovered his scoring touch with five goals in eight starts after a difficult time first at Blackburn and Birmingham.

Arsenal swoop

Guadalajara's teenage striker Carlos Vela will join Arsenal, according to the Mexican club. The 16-year-old has not yet played for the first team but came to Arsenal's attention after scoring five goals in six games to help Mexico win the under-17 World Cup in Peru last month.

"I asked what plans they had in mind for Carlos and they told me they were planning to loan him out to another team in order to develop him for playing in the Premier League," said club vice-president Nestor De La Torre.