County Antrim FA official Jim Shaw appears to be the frontrunner after receiving the backing of Irish FA Premiership clubs to undertake the role.
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Villa secretary Steve Stride said the club was obliged to make the switch by an FA Premiership agreement with Sky TV over televised games.
They include twice winning the Premiership and FA Cup double, in 1998 and 2002.
He also won the FA Cup four times, the Premiership three times and the League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup once during his Arsenal career.
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Meanwhile, Charlton's Curbishley, who has been backed by Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, has asked the FA to make their decision following the conclusion of the Premiership campaign.
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Wenger turned his attention to the rest of the season and the likely source of any silverware they may secure - the FA Cup - although he refused to completely rule out the Premiership title.
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It is a vital period in which Villa can turn their season around with successive home games against the Saints then Newcastle and Sheffield Wednesday in the Premiership and the wild-card losers in the FA Cup.
And, much as we've loved working on the FA Cup and England live, we do have the comfort of the Premiership highlights contract until 2010 - and the World Cups in 2010 and 2014.
Freddy Shepherd replaced him, since when, despite twice reaching the FA Cup final, the club has fallen off the pace in the Premiership, even though they have invested heavily in players like Michael Owen and Albert Luque.
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Especially, playing in a league like the English Premiership which includes 38 league games, the Charity Shield, the FA Cup, the Worthington Cup and the Champions League.
"This is a tremendous achievement for Matty Burrows, Glentoran and the Carling Premiership to be catapulted onto the world stage, " said an Irish FA statement.
And despite making more money for the Premiership clubs, many claimed he regularly failed to consult them, or even his own FA officials.
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