A plan for an All-Ireland Premier League, with prize money of nearly €4m (£3.2m) a year, has been drawn up by Fintan Drury of Platinum One, a sports marketing group.

At a time when most football clubs on both sides of the border are losing money and some are on the verge of financial collapse because of poor attendance and sponsorship, Drury wants to start the league in August next year. It would be run along the lines of the Premiership in England and the Scottish Premier League.

The businessman, who is chairman of Paddy Power and a director of Anglo Irish Bank, has sent a 62-page proposal to the 10 clubs he wants to join — seven from the republic and three from the north.

Drury effectively wants to remove the running of the domestic game at the highest level from the two football associations, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Irish Football Association (IFA).

“Those charged with the stewardship of the game have failed in their responsibility to clubs despite the dire warnings of the Genesis report in September 2005,” he said.

“It is our belief that circa 80% of the clubs in the domestic leagues are in dire financial difficulties and the majority are technically insolvent.”

The teams in the republic invited to join are Bohemians,Drogheda United, St Patrick’s Athletic, Galway United, Limerick 37, Cork City and Shamrock Rovers. They would join Linfield, Glentoran and Derry City.

The league would run under an initial five-year licence granted by the two associations, who would be paid an agreed sum annually. Drury plans to finance the league through sponsorship and television deals, and to unlock government grants for stadium development.

Both associations have so far reacted coolly. The FAI was willing to hold discussions but their northern counterparts declined. The IFA wrote to Platinum One last month stating it did not want to meet because it was busy establishing an invitational league.

Drury believes he has the support of government figures on both sides of the border, and the top clubs have also come out in support.

“The clubs have met and we are in agreement that we want this to happen,” said Gerry Conway, Bohemians’ honorary secretary. “It would be good for football throughout the island, though it can only happen with the consent of both associations. It would take the financial burden off a lot of smaller clubs trying to compete with the top clubs.”

Howard Wells, IFA chief executive, said the timing was not right as his association was revamping its own league.

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