Derry assured game will go ahead

Derry City have been given the green light for their Eircom League clash with Kilkenny City at the Brandywell.

Derry City have been given the green light for their Eircom League clash with Kilkenny City at the Brandywell.

The game was thrown into doubt after Kilkenny appealed to the league for the game to be postponed, following two further outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Northern Ireland.

But Candystripes secretary Jim Roddy said: "We have been told by the department of agriculture up here, that we could play the game, and we are planning as if it is still going ahead."

Derry have just two home games remaining in this season campaign and are keen to get the matches played.

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Roddy added: "However, I fully understand Kilkenny's reluctance to play the game. There is no dispute between ourselves and Kilkenny. There is a large agricultural community in that part of Ireland, and I can understand their reluctance to travel here under the current circumstances.

"We have just two home games remaining and we just want to get them over with. This has been a very difficult season for us, with financial troubles and the previous enforced foot and mouth delays."

Derry have almost fully recovered from their highly-publicised financial problems, which dogged them earlier this season, but Roddy says the fixture chaos, caused by bad weather and foot and mouth, is having a negative effect on the club.

"The club is in a healthy state now, but our support has fallen since the return to football.

"There was a great reaction from the fans when there was no money, they came out in droves to support us.

"But many of them have lost interest. The fact that there was no football for so long has left fans frustrated. Games were on, then they were off, so fans didn't know what was going on."

PA