THERE is to be no replay of the infamous Ireland-England game, abandoned after serious rioting at Lansdowne Road in February 1995, in Dublin in the short-term future.

It was agreed at talks between FAI officials and their English counterparts in London yesterday that the next game in the series would be staged at an English venue, almost certainly Wembley Stadium.

That fixture is unlikely to materialise until the spring of 1998 at the earliest but it could, conceivably, form an important part of both countries' preparations if, as hoped, they qualify for the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

The inference from yesterday's talks is that the Lansdowne Road game, halted after just 27 minutes when a section of the England supporters rioted, is now regarded as a completed fixture.

The point was further substantiated when Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI's chief executive, who accompanied the president of the association, Pat Quigley and Michael Hyland, one of the association's vice-presidents at yesterday's meeting, confirmed that outstanding financial details from the abandoned game had now been satisfactorily resolved.

Garda authorities will be among those relieved by the news that there is to be no immediate return by England supporters, some of whom precipitated some of the worst crowd disturbances at a sporting fixture in Dublin in living memory.

Neither was there much enthusiasm among FAI officials for a fixture, one of the most attractive for Irish soccer fans but now, unfortunately, designated a major security risk.

High on yesterday's agenda in London was the question of the proposed move by Wimbledon Football Club to Dublin, a topic which in spite of steadfast opposition on this side of the Irish Sea, refuses to go away.

Irish officials sought the backing of the FA in having the move finally vetoed and after yesterday's discussions they are confident that the necessary support will be forthcoming from Lancaster Gate.

"On the basis of the talks we had today, I am aware of the potential support in the FA for our case," said O'Byrne."We outlined the reasons for our, stand and, stressed that opposition to the proposal was steadfast among the 22 National League clubs.

"We have been requested to forward a detailed written submission for consideration at the next meeting of the FA's executive committee in a fortnight's time and I am confident that it will be received sympathetically." The FA delegation, led by the chief executive Graham Kelly and Philip Carling, the association's commercial manager, was also informed of the FAI's view that there is a need for greater financial compensation for the impact of English televised football on the Irish domestic game.

The four British associations, together with the FAI, are due to meet with UEFA officials in London next Monday to discuss the implications of Article 14, which governs the transmission of television signals to another jurisdiction.

Yesterday's talks were designed to lay the groundwork for that meeting, but Irish officials made it clear that they will be looking for a bigger share of the money accruing to the FA from the Sky television deal.

The current contract, which is due to yield £1.5 million over a five-year period for the FAI, is regarded as unsatisfactory by the association and the hope is that, a significant increase will be forthcoming.