Rovers face Derry in first game

SLIGO Rovers will take on Derry City on Friday July 31st as the SSE Airtricity League gets back underway for the first time since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rovers have just 14 games to try to avoid relegation having lost all four games that they played prior to the season coming to a halt.

They travel to Derry on Friday week before hosting Waterford at The Showgrounds on Tuesday August 4th.

They will be home again on August 8th as Shelbourne travel to Sligo.

The Bit O’Red will then travel to Cork on Friday August 14th.

It is like that all games before August 10th will be behind closed doors.

There is a maximum of 200 people currently allowed at outdoor events, but when the country does move into phase 4, that figure will rise to 500.

Rovers had made arrangements for fans to apply for a ballot to attend the first three home games of the restart, but that is unlikely to happen now at this stage.

The FAI last week released their safer return to football document, which outlines how clubs should go about the return to football in a safe way.

Social distancing must be adhered to within dressing rooms, while the dressing room showers should not be used for the time being.

Team benches and technical areas must be extended to allow for social distancing.

Teams travelling for games must allow for social distancing on the team bus, while they must strategically plan their pre-match meal.

No spitting is permitted during the warm up or the game, and no handshakes are allowed.