Northern Ireland and England fight for FIFA post

The British vice-presidency on the FIFA executive board is being courted by Northern Ireland and England.

Each of the four home nations are allowed to have one FIFA vice-president between them. David Will, from Scotland, who has occupied this position since 1990, retires at next year's FIFA's congress.

Last month the four nations met at the Landmark Hotel in London to decide how a successor should be appointed. It was agreed that the candidate must be nominated by their association and that the election will take place next February.

Jim Boyce, the president of the Irish Football Association, has already been nominated by the IFA. Boyce, who should have the support of the Scots, is likely to be opposed by Geoff Thompson, the chairman of the English FA.

England has not held this position for decades but a problem for Thompson is that he is also on the UEFA executive board, and at the home nations' London meeting it was decided that one person should not occupy two positions.

As a result, should Thompson get elected, he may be under pressure to resign from UEFA which he is likely to resist.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.