The club have been working with Dublin-based property developer, Bill Doyle, on the Euro360m project which includes the construction of a Euro21million road to link the M1 to the old N1, as well as a new Euro35 million stadium.

They have been given a deadline of September by the Football Association of Ireland to have a stadium or at least planning permission applied or they face lose their playing licence.

This prompted club chairman, Vincent Hoey, to ask fans of the club to lobby East Meath councillors to speed up the development, even though no formal planning permission has been applied for yet. This week councillors in East Meath passed a motion to draw up a local area plan for the Drogheda environs and prioritise the stadium.

The Sunday Tribune understands that councillors had asked the developer to apply for planning permission for just the stadium and to exclude the housing for now, so that the stadium issue can be speeded-up.

However senior sources in the club have informed the Sunday Tribune that they are not in a position to break free from the developer. "Where would we get the money for a stadium like this?

There is no way we will be able to apply for separate planning permission, " they said.

"All the councillors would all like to see the stadium issue addressed as soon as possible, " according East Meath independent councillor Jimmy Cudden.

"However as of yet we have nothing to work with and it's such a large developmen to go with the stadium that no local authority could rush into that decision.

It's the size of a small town, " he said.