Club officials described last night’s lengthy All-Island league summit as “overall very positive’ – but questions remain.
Not least over financial packages with clubs on both sides of the border told that nothing can be set in stone until they give a firm commitment that they are on board.
Kieran Lucid, the man driving the league merger plans, briefed clubs from the League of Ireland and Irish League at length for over two-and-a-half hours in Dundalk.
He is to meet the clubs again before Christmas – possibly in late November or early December – for further talks.
In the meantime, a video campaign will be rolled out to promote the plan and engagement with supporters and other stakeholders will continue.
A source inside the meeting said clubs left with more certainty about what an All-Island league could look like.
Dundalk FC chief executive Mark Devlin said: “It was an excellent presentation.”
He added: “Of course there will be challenges, but nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without hard work.
“It is definitely a very exciting project and there is great potential but there is more work to be done.”
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley (pictured) wants an All-Island League but insists it would be foolish to rush it.
“It’s going to take time as everyone has questions and everyone wants to make sure they are getting a fair crack,” he said.
“It’s not about a short-term fix, it’s about how we progress the league long-term and if it takes a year, what’s a year in the greater scheme of things?.”
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