THE president of the Football Association of Ireland, Mr Louis Kilcoyne, has no intention of resigning his position, solicitors acting for him said last night.
After further damaging developments for the FAI yesterday when its former accountant, Mr Michael Morris, issued legal proceedings against the association, Mr Kilcoyne's solicitors said it was not and never had been their client's intention to resign as president.
The solicitors, Finbarr Cahill & Co, also said it was untrue to suggest or allege that Mr Kilcoyne was indebted to the FAI in the sum of £20,000, or any part thereof, in respect of ticket money outstanding since the Republic of Ireland's Euro '96 play-off match with Holland at Anfield last December.
Mr Morris announced yesterday that he had issued legal proceedings against the FAI as a result of his resignation two weeks ago. "It has been reported that I was not pressurised into resigning and that I have another job to go to. Neither of these reports is factual," he said.
"Above all", said Mr Morris, "I object to the timing of my resignation " which he claimed was on a date fixed by the association's treasurer, Mr Joe Delaney, who would not agree to subsequent requests by Mr Morris to change she date.
Mr Morris also cited "an incomplete account" given at the FAI press conference last Wednesday week, in response to allegations of a £200,000 shortfall in money accrued from the association's allocation of tickets for the 1994 World Cup finals.
He also claimed that the lists of ticket debtors supplied to the finance committee and senior council of the association were inaccurate and that he was not happy about this.
Mr Kilcoyne's intentions were made clear by his solicitors last night in a letter to the Evening Herald. The letter sought an apology from the Evening Herald for allegations made by it against Mr Kilcoyne yesterday.
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