LIMERICK FC’s long-anticipated return to the Markets Field will have to wait a little longer after the club announced this week that the stadium would not be ready in time for the start of the SSE Airtricity League season on March 7.
The Super Blues had been due to host Bohemians on that date, but with construction work taking longer than initially scheduled on the Garryowen venue, Limerick have been left with no choice but to delay their first game back at the club’s ‘spiritual home’.
In a statement, chairman Pat O’Sullivan said: “I regret that…I must announce that the Markets Field will not be available to the club for the month of March 2015 due to circumstances beyond our control.
“The club is making alternative arrangements to play the games that had been scheduled for the Markets Field. The club will provide further information and clarification as it becomes available.
“We thank our sponsors and supporters for their patience and their continued support while we deal with this matter.
“We must now work to ensure that the Markets Field is speedily brought into use and I look for all and everyone’s support to this end.”
In addition to the Bohemians match on March 7, Limerick’s subsequent home fixtures against Longford Town on March 21 and St Patrick’s Athletic a week later will also be affected.
Rearrangements for these three matches have yet to be made, with the possible ‘Plan B’ scenarios of finding an alternative Limerick venue at short notice or playing at the home grounds of Limerick’s opponents.
Limerick Enterprise Development Board confirmed that the decision to postpone the Markets Field reopening until after March was taken in consultation with “the design team, contractors, the local authority and statutory bodies” owing to “Health and Safety and initial capacity concerns”.
There was better news for Limerick FC earlier in the week when the club secured the signing of 26-year-old defender Sean Harding, who returns to his native country following three years in the southern hemisphere.
The former UCD right-back, who has played under Super Blues manager Martin Russell, had a spell in Australia with the exotically named Ballarat Red Devils and Green Gully.
He was most recently with Waitakere United in New Zealand, a club which has twice been winners of the Oceanian Champions League. He was brought there by Waitakere coach Brian Shelley, a three-time League of Ireland winner with Bohemians and Drogheda United.
In junior soccer, Moyross reached the quarter-finals of the FAI Junior Cup with a history-making 2-1 home victory over Carrick United of Tipperary.
Keith Colbert fired the home side in front after 15 minutes before Daryl Kavanagh equalised in the early second half exchanges.
The dismissal of Anthony Lee could have ruined Moyross but the Limerick men regrouped to force extra time, with goalkeeper Paudie Hickey in inspired form.
In the last minute of extra time, Shane Guerin headed the winner for Moyross to spark wild scenes of celebration and preserve Limerick interest in the competition.
The northside club are now just two wins away from following in the footsteps of near neighbours Ballynanty Rovers, who reached last year’s final at the Aviva Stadium.
