Venables set to be panel's choice

News broke at the Soccer Writers Association of Ireland awards dinner on Friday night that the three-man selection panel of Ray Houghton, Don Givens and Don Howe were set to recommend that Terry Venables be offered the vacant Republic of Ireland position.

An FAI board meeting is scheduled for 22 January and Venables could be installed then, but the FAI are refusing to comment on the story. 

The awards took place at the Radisson Hotel, at Golden Lane in Dublin, where Paul Doolin of Drogheda United won the Personality of the Year award.