While it remains to be seen if the departure of Paul Lambert encourages Stoke City to make a renewed approach to Martin O’Neill, John Delaney has said the FAI “fully expect” the manager and Roy Keane to see their current contracts through to completion.

When Carrigaline United were named Club of the Year at the FAI’s Festival of Football in Kilkenny last Friday night, chairman Willie Walsh was, he admits, “emotionally ambushed” and, as a result, “stuck for words”.

The ability of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane to complete their mission to deliver World Cup qualification next year could have a bearing on whether the FAI will be rid of its debts by 2020, according to John Delaney.

On Friday night, at the Arklow Bay Hotel, the FAI were handing out media awards, but just the following morning in the same venue, they were warding off attempts by journalists to question chief executive John Delaney.

There was no fanfare.

Today, it all starts again.

THE FAI plan to clear their debt on the Aviva Stadium by 2020.

THE memory of former Cork football goalkeeper John Kerins is to be perpetuated by the organisation of a youth tournament in the four Garda districts in Cork, culminating in a ‘Festival of Football’ in Páirc Uí Rinn on May 15.