FAI officials set about selling the country's leading clubs a radical overhaul of the Eircom League yesterday when documents outlining their proposals for what will, in effect, be a new competition were presented to representatives of Shelbourne, Dublin City, Bray Wanderers, Kildare County and Shamrock Rovers at a meeting in Dublin.

ongst the proposals' attractions are a doubling of prize money, substantial investment in facilities and dramatically improved administrative support from Merrion Square. But in return, clubs will be expected to surrender a large measure of control in relation to the competition to the association and agree to much tighter financial restrictions, including a strict limit on the percentage of turnover (65 per cent is suggested) that can be paid to players.

This last proposal may cause problems given Premier Division clubs will also be obliged under the new structure to enter reserve teams in a regional third division that would also include regional representative teams and newly recruited clubs.

At present under-21 teams tend to include senior reserve players but this will no longer be possible as the use of overage players in these sides is to be banned.

During the consultation period that led up to yesterday's launch of the FAI proposals a number of clubs had expressed fears that entrants for the new league would be cherry-picked on the basis of geography with up to four clubs from Dublin in a 10-team Premier Division.

In a move designed to head off opposition to the scheme, however, the FAI have, with the support of Eircom League chairman Paddy McCaul, taken a step back from the most radical proposal in last year's Genesis review. Instead, membership of a 12-team top flight (it will not drop to 10 teams until 2009) next year will, if the proposals are endorsed by two thirds of clubs at a meeting on June 29th, be awarded to those who score highly on a range of criteria, with on-field performance this season and over the last five years accounting for half of the available points in the judging system.

Other areas to be taken into account will include a club's infrastructure, attendances combined with the size of local catchment area, and success in meeting the requirements of the licensing system.

The process will be overseen by an independent panel made up of long time FAI officer Des Casey, former international Niall Quinn, Dublin City (the municipal area, not the club) manager John Fitzgerald and former Sports Council chairman Pat O'Neill.

The committee are expected to complete deliberations on the membership of the two divisions for next season within a matter of weeks of the current campaign ending.

Presenting the document, FAI chief executive John Delaney expressed confidence the process would withstand legal challenges from clubs disappointed by how they have fared in the process.

"We believe that what we're proposing is fair and balanced and that it takes on board the concerns of some of the clubs," he said.