Rovers set to bed down in Drogheda

Soccer News: Just 24 hours after South Dublin County Council (SDCC) refused their request for an extension to the planning permission required to complete their stadium at Tallaght, Shamrock Rovers suffered further embarrassment yesterday when the club officially listed United Park in Drogheda as their home ground for next season in their application for an FAI licence, writes Emmet Malone Soccer correspondent

Having failed to reach agreement with any of their Dublin neighbours on a tenancy for the 2005 season by yesterday's 5.0 p.m. deadline for licence applications to be submitted to Merrion Square, Rovers officials opted to take up an offer of help from their counterparts at the Co Louth club although it still seems unlikely Roddy Collins' side will actually play any games there.

"We're out on a bit of a limb at the moment and while nobody else was willing to provide the help we needed by yesterday's deadline, Drogheda have been absolutely fantastic to us," said Rovers chairman Tony Maguire last night.

"They made a similar offer to us last season and made it clear that if we were ever in trouble they'd be there for us. I can't stress enough about how grateful we are to them for their support."

Despite officially nominating Drogheda's ground, Rovers officials are still in talks with a number of Dublin clubs and the hope is still that a deal can be reached with either Bohemians or St Patrick's Athletic. Maguire declined to confirm what the state of the talks is but, he did say, "a lot can happen between now and March, you can be sure of that."

A meeting has been organised for next week, meanwhile, between Rovers officials and members of SDCC's planning department at which the council's reasons for turning down the planning extension will be explained. It is thought the council is unhappy with the way the low-cost long-term lease they granted in order to facilitate the construction of a major sports facility is being exploited for profit by some early backers of the scheme who now have no connection with the club.

It is likely to emerge next week if the council is in a position to do anything concrete about the situation although its legal department is believed to have considered the matter. Senior council officials have said they remained committed to the basic idea of the project.

Limerick, meanwhile, have also indicated they will be switching grounds next season with the First Division club, recently taken over by a new consortium, having informed the FAI they will be returning to Rathbane. The new owners, who are expected to reinstate former manager Noel O'Connor on Monday, are in the process of purchasing the ground and are said to have plans to extensively develop the facility.

Brian Kerr's agent Fintan Drury has meanwhile expressed surprise at reports that the FAI is set to negotiate an extension to the Republic of Ireland manager's contract early in the new year. The association's president Milo Corcoran is reported to have said that talks would take place in January and that he considered the matter a foregone conclusion.

"This is news to me," said Drury yesterday. "No formal or informal approach has been made to either Brian or myself in relation to Brian's contractual position."

Kerr's contract is due to expire in November, just after the World Cup qualifying campaign.