Shamrock Rovers chairman Tony Maguire resigned from the position yesterday as the club continued to await a decision from the FAI's licensing committee on how they intend to punish irregularities in the accounts submitted to Merrion Square in November.

The committee continued their deliberations yesterday while the club's examiner sought to move forward on the six written expressions of interest received by him on Wednesday. Maguire, however, who was a central figure in the licensing controversy said he felt he had no option but to go in the wake of Wednesday meeting with the association's First Instance committee.

"I got the feeling that that's what they wanted . . . at the very least," he said yesterday. "I've had three hard years at the club and I've done absolutely everything I could to keep it afloat. Hopefully it will come out of the examinership process stronger than it has been for quite some time and I had hoped to get it to that point but I think they (the committee) wanted somebody to accept responsibility and I was certainly involved in making the mistake so I'm holding my hand up."

The club's financial director, Paul Boyle, also decided to depart yesterday leaving Tony Ennis and John Breen as the club's only two directors for the moment.

There was no word from Merrion Square regarding the decision of the licensing committee although there was continuing speculation that there is likely to be a points deduction. What is unclear, however, is whether, if they do decide to impose such a sanction, the association would seek to justify the deduction of more than the five points the club has amassed so far this season.

The club's examiner, Neil Hughes, has declined to comment on the identities of any of the parties who have expressed an interest in taking over or providing substantial investment to the club.

The supporters' organisation, the 400 Club, are the only confirmed party so far but the bids are all reported to be worth more than €500,000 and the likelihood is that two or more of the bidders may be asked to join forces to provide the sort of capital investment required.

Media reports yesterday linking John Aldridge to a consortium aiming to take control of the Dublin club were strongly denied by both the player and his agent.