Sligo Rovers have hit out at the postponement of their fixture with Dundalk FC this weekend.

The Bit O Red were due to face Stephen Kenny’s side at The Showgrounds tonight but this was never going to happen as a result of Dundalk’s Europa League involvement.

The game was subsequently rescheduled for Sunday evening but only on the basis that the Lilywhites were knocked out of Europe. Dundalk’s 3-1 aggregate victory over Levadia Tallinn means their clash with Sligo has been postponed again to allow the Lilywhites prepare for next Thursday’s Europa League second qualifying round first leg fixture against AEK Larnaca.

While good for Dundalk, it means that Sligo will go 77 days between a home league fixture stretching from their game with Waterford FC on June 30th to their next game against St Patrick’s Athletic on September 15th.

In a statement issued by the club’s management committee today, they said this length of period without a home league game was too much.

“Eleven weeks is simply a remarkable period to go without a home league fixture.

“We wish to add we have the Derry City EA Sports Cup semi-final on the August Bank Holiday, Monday 6th August, at 5pm in The Showgrounds and the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup with Longford Town on Saturday 11th August in The Showgrounds in the meantime.

“However, the lack of home league gates creates a challenge for the club. As always we understand our supporters will be concerned, firstly knowing they cannot enjoy watching the team in league action for 11 weeks, and then the clear financial strain it puts on us without gate receipts for such a time.

“The Bit O’ Red committee were aware we would face a number of weeks without a home league game when the fixtures were announced. We also then agreed to switch our Derry City fixture to accommodate work on the new Brandywell.

“The gesture was made in good faith and received as such. It added to the timeframe but ultimately we played our two home games with Derry and believe it was the right thing to do when the request came, given the predicament they faced when their ground was not yet fit for purpose.

“It was our hope that no league games would be postponed in the July period because of European football.

“We have competed in Europe in the recent past and recognise the difficulties of playing Thursday-Sunday-Thursday.

“However, given the importance of the game to our club, for gate receipts, for bridging the gap of lack of home games, we refused numerous requests from Dundalk FC to postpone the game. The FAI were made aware we refused to postpone the game.

“Several games have been played in the middle of European fixtures in recent years, including involving ourselves.

“It is clear that a free weekend will give Dundalk FC an additional help in Europe and we understand the benefit. We respect it and wish them well next week.

“Dundalk played at home last night (Thursday) and will do next Thursday so they face no travel issues. It was our belief the game could be played. It must be said our circumstances too were acknowledged by Dundalk FC in discussions.

“Last Saturday, league officials opted that any team that progresses in Europe would have a free weekend regardless of circumstance. We were very disappointed by this decision.

“Sligo Rovers have conveyed our disappointment to the FAI and the long period between home league games which has been added to now.

“These concerns will be reiterated and that it is not just clubs in Europe that need to be given priority in order to be successful. Clubs in our position simply cannot function with such logic.

“We wish to say to our supporters who have told us their feelings on this Sunday’s game possibly being and now being postponed that we share those feelings and voice their opinion. The decision to postpone the game is the wrong one in our view.”

Read the statement in full here.