Limerick on course to return to Markets Field

LIMERICK CHAIRMAN Pat O’Sullivan says the club is on course to start next year’s Premier Division campaign back at the Markets Field with a planning permission due to be submitted next month and everything in place for the work required to be started.

“With all due respect, people would be entitled to object but we don’t anticipate any problems,” he says. “It’s not exactly a controversial project and people are excited about the club getting back there; it will be very good for the city. A lot of the work we need to do to get the team back playing there doesn’t need permission anyway. So we’re confident we can start the season there and very hopeful about the impact the move will have on the club and sport in general in the city.”

The plan, he says, is for Gaelic games and rugby to be played at the venue too. “It will be a real coming together of sport in the city, says O’Sullivan who has received considerable support from JP McManus for his effort to get Limerick FC back to a venue so closely associated with many of its greatest days. On the playing front, he insists, he doesn’t anticipate any dramatic overhaul of the squad that clinched promotion on Friday night when Waterford United lost at home to Mervue but then showed themselves to be worthy champions on Saturday by beating third-placed Longford Town thanks to late goals from Shane Tracy and Seán Brosnan.

“We’ll sit down and look at everything, including the squad, over the coming weeks with Pat (Scully) and if we need a couple of players then we’ll look to bring them in. I think the approach we’ll take will be cautious, though, because we believe in the players we have at the club – we think because of the style of football we play, they’ll benefit from playing at the higher level.

“We’re keen too to continue the process we’ve already started of bringing young local players through to the first team and we’re well aware of how many of the league clubs that have gone belly up in the last few years were sides that had recently won promotion back to the Premier Division.”

The team has a backbone of experienced players who would be expected to cope fairly easily with the step back up to the top flight but Scully will want to add depth. Returning to the Premier Division ends a long spell in the wilderness for a club that has had to battle extinction in recent years.

“I’m delighted for the people of Limerick,” said O’Sullivan “because with all of the austerity that’s going on this is something that will provide a real lift to everyone. I’m delighted for those who . . . put their hands in their pockets to keep the club going.”