FRAN GAVIN, the League of Ireland director, yesterday described as "very aspirational" a Platinum One document circulated to clubs north and south of the Border over the past week in which the company's proposals for a new all-Ireland league are spelled out in detail.
"To some people the grass will always look greener on the other side," said Gavin, "and I think there's an element of wishful thinking about a lot of this.
"The reality is that I think the timing of this is completely wrong and what is being proposed is unsustainable at this point in time.
"I think that message has got through to quite a few of the clubs too because I think the enthusiasm for what's being proposed has cooled a fair bit recently and that's something I think will continue as we unveil a number of new sponsorships during the coming months."
In the 62-page document titled "Starting the transformation of Irish Domestic Football" Platinum One firms up a number of the proposals discussed with clubs at a series of meetings in recent months.
The league, it is confirmed, would consist of 10 teams, eight of them initially from the League of Ireland and two from the Irish League. Prize money would approach €4 million a year and clubs would continue to participate in their cup competitions.
Promotion and relegation would come in at the end of the third year, the winners of the leagues north and south playing off to replace the side that finished 10th in the all-island competition.
The company acknowledges once again, however, that it hopes to progress the plan with the agreement of the two associations and this continues to look unlikely at present.
The IFA recently wrote to the company insisting it preferred to pursue its own relaunched premier league project, while a joint working group set up by the two associations has been looking at ways of expanding the Setanta Cup.
