Jack McKervey, secretary of Athlone Town, is threatening to resign following a meeting between prominent club officials and Sam Hammam, the chairman of Wimbledon FC, in Athlone yesterday.

Accompanied by Owen O'Callaghan, a property developer from Cork, Hammam is in Ireland to lobby support for the oft-repeated proposal to relocate Wimbledon in Dublin.

A similar meeting took place in Limerick three weeks ago and it is understood that later in the day they met representatives of Drogheda in their attempt to dissipate the intractable opposition to their plans at a higher level.

The talks between Hammam and an Athlone Town delegation comprised of Tom Knight, the club chairman, and two directors, Michael Francis and Paddy McCaul, took place in the Royal Hotel in Athlone.

McKervey, who is also the club's delegate to the National League, said that he learned of the meeting only on Tuesday evening. He said that he was opposed to talking with Hammam and others in the club were of the same opinion.

"Both the FAI and the National League have stated their opposition to any moves to bring Wimbledon to Dublin and we should stand in line with them," he said.

"There is a feeling about that Wimbledon are targeting certain clubs - clubs, they consider to be in financial trouble - to bring pressure on the FAI to change their minds. The carrot is that they would provide big subsidies for schoolboy leagues as well as helping senior clubs.

"But many believe that those cash inducements will disappear if they succeed in getting a court ruling that would enable them to play their home games in this country.

"My view is that if they have anything to say to us, they should say it through either the FAI or the National League. I believe that our club officials should not have talked to them and I feel so strongly about it, that I'm thinking of resigning."

Confirming that the meeting had taken place, Knight said that they merely listened to what Hammam and O'Callaghan had to say. They promised to refer the matter back to a meeting of the club's management committee, consisting of nine members, next Monday evening.

Breffni Rowan, secretary of the Athlone Schoolboy League who also attended the talks, said that the FAI should meet with Hammam. "Nothing was ever achieved without discussion and I believe it is a mistake for the association to refuse to meet them.

"Despite what may have appeared in the papers, Sam Hammam is still very enthusiastic about the project. Forget about their move to Merton. For him it's a simple choice - move to Dublin or die.

"He says there is £10 million available to back the project, half of which would go to the senior clubs and half to the affiliates. At the current value of sterling, that would work out at about £330,300 for each club.

"Owen O'Callaghan outlined his plans for a new 40,000 stadium at Neilstown with rail access and generally, they were both very upbeat about the idea,"

Father Joe Young, chairman of Limerick, said that he had met with followers of the Wimbledon for Dublin campaign and while he personally, supported the idea, the club did not share his views.

"I was particularly impressed by Wimbledon's proposals to establish schools of excellence for young people," he said. "I've worked in areas of high unemployment long enough to know that football is the cap and gown for the other half.

"It's an opportunity for young people to advance themselves but I respect the wishes of the majority and accept the club's stance on the issue."