Derry City chairman Pat McDaid and three other board members stepped down from their positions last night.

Mr McDaid, Joe W Doherty, Peter Leonard and Francis Houston all handed in their resignations after a series of meetings in the city yesterday leaving Stephen McCarron as the sole surviving director.

In a statement released late last night Mr McDaid said his personal relationship with FAI chief executive John Delaney had reached a point where it was clear that for the good of the club, he had to go.

“It’s my view that it would not be in the best interests of this football club for me to continue in light of the stance taken by the FAI and I need to take into consideration the players, fans, office staff, coaches and volunteers of the club.

“Personalities have to be a secondary consideration and the sole focus of efforts must now be turned into securing our senior status in Irish football

“Without prejudice to all that has happened, or allegedly happened, Derry City Football Club must survive and I feel, despite my desire to remain and be part of a solution to move this club forward, that the best interests of the club are being served by this decision.

“On a personal level I feel I have always acted in the best interests of this magnificent club and it has been a privilege and a huge honour to have been chairman for this past two years.

“Derry City is a big part of my life and four different generations of my family have supported this historical club and I take this decision to resign with a heavy heart.”

A delegation of Derry City players last night travelled to Dublin in an attempt to convince the FAI that they were not aware of the duel contracts which have resulted in the club's expulsion from the League of Ireland.

Speaking last night before the talks, PFAI chief Stephen McGuinness insisted the players believed they were signing registration forms, which later transpired to have been separate contracts.

There was no announcement forthcoming late last night as the Association listened to the players' case for defence but a central figure in the situation, goalkeeper Darren Quigley, defended his part in the surfacing of the separate contracts.

“I find it hard being branded a whistle-blower because there are 20 other players up there who I haven't spoken to,” he said.

“They could assume I've opened a can of worms purposely because I wasn't getting paid, which I wish to state is not the case whatsoever,” he said.

“I went chasing my money because Derry chairman Pat McDaid would not answer his phone or reply to letters and I asked Fran Gavin ‘I'm owed this much money' and he said ‘you're not on that money' and that's the first I heard of a second contract,” added the Dubliner, who has spent the season on loan at Sporting Fingal.

Delaney has given the 20 Derry players he believes to be involved in having dual contracts until noon tomorrow to provide details of their pay to either the FAI or the players’ association or face not being registered to play next season.

Delaney claims that Derry have withheld details of payments to players over a period of years.

The Derry board held meetings yesterday afternoon and again last night to discuss the situation facing the club.

On Monday evening they held talks with supporters when club solicitor Des Doherty outlined the club’s position.