Lanigan’s Ball at FAI AGM as Browne's defeat opens door for other candidates 

“The SFAI will, I'm sure, put forward what they see as the best candidate,” said FAI President Gerry McAnaney afterwards about addressing the vacuum.

Former board member Tom Browne during the annual general meeting of the Football Association of Ireland at Clayton Hotel Liffey Valley on Saturday. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Vladimir Putin’s name will be an unexpected entry into the minutes from Saturday’s FAI annual general meeting but the similarly leftfield Lanigan’s Ball reference will likely resonate deeper.

Tom Browne’s unceremonious expulsion from the association’s board was the standout takeaway from the two-hour summit at the Liffey Hotel, yet the jilted schoolboy/girl representative is up for a comeback battle.