On the field, Shelbourne now look certain to wrap up the title - perhaps a couple of weeks before the end of the season. But off it a great deal of work remains to be done by club officials if anything is to be salvaged from attempts to revamp the current league structure. Discussions on issues ranging from the size of the Premier Division to the timing of the season have shown little sign of producing any real changes and if the opportunity passes these issues could drag on for a few seasons. One of the key reforms pushed by the league's senior management was the introduction of a more centralised power structure, one which could side-step the chronic divisions that plague the clubs here. The idea, in essence, was that they would have a freer hand to make the day-to-day decisions that so often seem to divide club officials at present. Some sort of change along these lines is undoubtedly required, although after last week's debacle over Bohemians' signing of Davie Williamson from Sligo Rovers, it's somehow hard to see the clubs queueing up to hand over more powers to those currently calling the shots in Merrion Square.

An alternative proposal which has emerged over the past couple of months is that of a league "commissioner". This would be an independent authority over the league, who might act with impartiality and could be entrusted to provide the sort of decisiveness and vision to kick-start the league's progression into a far more professional and dynamic organisation. If there are still questions about where the money would come from, then pencil in the prevention of the current once-a-year legal fiasco for a start and you'll find that you're almost there.

The handling of the Williamson affair provided proof that the sort of management structure currently responsible for running the Eircom-sponsored League has had its day. Mistakes appear to have been made every step of the way, from the time Sligo were told not to forward a release for the player in January right up until a deal that might have saved some of the officers' blushes was rejected by a Board of Control meeting last Wednesday night.

Even more bizarre than the events that led to Thursday evening's humiliating climbdown and the agreement to pay Bohemians an estimated £15,000 is the fact that an earlier case of the same four-week rule has been broken. The transfer of Stephen Grant from Finn Harps to Waterford United after the former under-21 international had spent a similarly brief spell in the north-west has not been acted upon. Grant has scored five goals since moving to Waterford during the second month of the campaign and if the club stays up again this season his contribution could ensure their survival.

Had Bohemians actually lost their case last week and the four-week rule had been found to be legally enforcable, then the league would almost inevitably have found itself at the heart of further legal action involving relegated clubs challenging Waterford's entitlement to any of the points they picked up while Grant was playing for them.

In the circumstances last week's defeat at the hands of Bohemians, costly though it was, may well have been a bit of a let-off in disguise.