On Soccer: This could be an eventful week for the FAI-backed scheme to get Dublin's four biggest clubs to ground-share. Shelbourne and Bohemians are set to meet, probably on Thursday, with a view to continue their negotiations some 24 hours after a group of St Patrick's Athletic supporters gather to discuss ways in which they might oppose the possible sale of Richmond Park.

A deal on the northside looks a distinct possibility in the not too distant future, with the pragmatists in both camps having apparently won the day. At Bohemians, there is said to be a realisation that the only serious options for the club are to allow Shelbourne in or to sell up and move to the suburbs. Long-time club secretary Gerry Cuffe feels while there is caution about any deal most of the club's members are primarily concerned with what is on offer. He believes, he says, a mutually beneficial arrangement can be reached.

Rumour has it the terms discussed involve Shelbourne investing €3 million in the ground and paying €5 million to their neighbours. A new company would be established to take charge of the ground with each club owning 50 per cent and Bohemians members attending their recent AGM were given assurances that an unnamed Shelbourne director would have not have a prominent role in this new joint venture. But doubts have been expressed about the wisdom of the deal given it would generate neither the required cash to satisfactorily redevelop Dalymount nor to secure the future of Bohemians in the long term given the club lost €720,000 last year alone (Shelbourne officials are said to have conceded during talks with their Bohemians counterparts that their figure was some €220,000 higher).

The ground requires an enormous amount of work and even allowing for the substantial support that would be expected to flow from Government the two clubs might quickly work through their combined reserves if they were serious about building a high-quality stadium.

Estimates of the stadium's real estate value vary from €30 million to around twice that figure and there are some fans who argue that selling up and using the cash to establish a new stadium and training facilities in the suburbs makes more sense. The FAI and Government would look dimly on such a move as, it seems, would Shelbourne at this stage given they own a lease on Tolka Park rather the ground itself and cannot, therefore, hope to raise as much money by having the developers around.

The scenario across the city might be more complicated but there are striking similarities, with those in charge at St Patrick's Athletic said to be weighing up an offer of €26 million for Richmond Park. Club officials deny any specific offer has been made and insist there are binding agreements in place that would prevent the money leaving the club, but a sale looks to be the only way that those who have loaned substantial amounts of money will ever be repaid.

Things are more complicated because the club has never exactly owned Richmond Park which was always made up of several difference parcels of land, but a number of leases have been bought out of late and members of the Patrons Club were told in January that about 80 per cent of the property had now been consolidated with negotiations well under way to acquire the rest.

The fragmented nature of the old structure was always reassuring for fans who are suspicious about the sudden determination to assemble such a prime piece of real estate and are concerned about the intentions of Gerry Mulvey and his wife, Sharon, who own just over 50 per cent of the club after acquiring most of Tim O'Flaherty's stake as well as a number of smaller holdings such as that of former club administrator and PRO Gary Brannigan.

Mulvey, who has kept a low profile since first becoming involved with the club a couple of years back, made comfortably in excess of €10 million from a previous sale of land and taking sums paid for the 75,500 shares acquired in the club last year as a guide, he and his wife have spent around €635,000 on their stake in the club. Other shareholders include chairman Andy O'Callaghan with about 29 per cent and 14 others with much smaller stakes like Brian Kerr, Pat Dolan and Phil Mooney.

O'Callaghan has long signalled his willingness to discuss a move and preliminary talks have taken place about a ground-share with Shamrock Rovers - a move that is, once again, backed by the FAI and Government. The timing of any such move would appear to be poor from the point of view of Rovers, whose long overdue arrival in Tallaght will be more beneficial if they have the whole area to themselves, while supporters of St Patrick's fear they would end up being secondary tenants at the new stadium.

Given Rovers are effectively getting something for next to nothing here, they wouldn't appear to be in the strongest possible position to argue but there are other factors too with local GAA clubs still threatening legal action over the decision to exclude them from the stadium development and council officials having to weigh up whether their stated aim of developing a community soccer stadium will have any meaning if two clubs are playing up to 80 games a year there. Another possibility is a move by St Patrick's to a green-field site where, like Bohemians, those who favour the idea suggest they could not only build a stadium but also establish a high quality training facility and academy.

"I seem to remember much the same sort of talk from Louis Kilcoyne when Rovers were leaving Milltown," observed one alarmed fan yesterday. "And I don't want us to become the new them."