Supporters set for Rovers return with Tallaght Stadium as test venue - Stephen Bradley: ‘I can’t wait. We have missed them.’

When the League of Ireland football returns after its mid-season break, fans finally will also be returning to the grounds around the country as we make the first tentative steps to leave the COVID-19 crisis behind us.

From 7 June, 100 supporters will be allowed into stadia around the league, with an increase to 200 on 5 July (or 500 in stadia with 5,000+ capacity which would include Turner’s Cross and Tallaght Stadium) and in August consideration is being made to allow 25% capacity.

The government announced a number of test events with 600 fans able to attend Cork City v Cabinteely fixture on Friday 11 June.

On the same night Shamrock Rovers will take on Finn Harps at Tallaght Stadium with 1,000 lucky supporters back in the ground – 469 days since 7,522 fans packed the venue to watch the Hoops beat Dundalk 3-2 in February last year.

The Hoops’ other home match in June – against Drogheda United on 25 June - will also have 1,000 spectators in attendance. 

Fan return

“It is brilliant for the league,” said Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley. “It is great to see some light at the end of the tunnel. 

“It is great for Ireland in general because things like this mean we are on the right path and we are going back to some sort of normality.

“I’m looking forward to it but it is going to be strange seeing the fans in Tallaght but it is one I can’t wait for. We have missed them.”

Mid-season break

Bradley’s team go into the ‘mid-season’ break in second placed in the league having dropped off the top of the table after their record league run of 33 games without defeat came to an end against Dundalk and was followed with Sligo Rovers winning in Tallaght.

However the Hoops got back to winning ways last Saturday with a 1-0 win over Longford Town and the Hoops moved to just a point behind table toppers Sligo.

“We were unbeaten in 33 till last week,” said Bradley speaking with extratime.com in Bishopsgate after their late win over Longford Town. “Now that is our first win in four bit the players have been unbelievable and we were never off track.

“We had one bad night against Sligo and we got punished. The Dundalk performance I’ll take it every day of the week. Nine times out of ten you win that game quite comfortably. Against Longford we were excellent and got the win.”

That victory came thanks to yet another late late goal with Rory Gaffney grabbing the winner five minutes into stoppage time.

The Hoops have converted four draws into four wins thanks to stoppage time goals - home and away against Longford Town, and away to Drogheda United and St. Patrick’s Athletic.

They’ve also earned points with late equalisers against St. Patrick’s Athletic (89 minutes) and Sligo Rovers (88 minutes).

“We trust the process of what we do. If it doesn’t quite work out some weeks that is fine. We kept believing, kept probing and when you do that teams get tired and you wear them down and we got our rewards.”

The Hoops will be thankful of the break as it will allow some of their walking wounded to return – although their skipper Ronan Finn is set to be out for a number of weeks following a knee operation last week.

“We’ll give the players a few days off. This starting XI has played a lot in the last few weeks and we haven’t had many bodies to change it. The break will be good mentally for the players as you need to switch off. What we do is demanding each day.

"It demands that they are switched on every day and that can be tough. They will get away and switch off, and they won’t hear from us for a few days.”

Danny Mandroiu

One player who won’t get a break is Danny Mandroiu who is part of the Republic of Ireland camp for the upcoming international friendlies.

Should he be capped he would join Jack Byrne, Graham Burke (both for the Boys in Green) and Pico Lopes (for Cape Verde) as players who have earned international honours during Bradley’s tenure in Tallaght.

“Danny is only getting stronger, better and fitter. You can see he is becoming a real leader in the group. I’m delighted for him. It was a big call for him to come to us as he had options in England. We promised we would make him a better player if he came with the right attitude and he has done that.”

New streaming arrangements announced for Premier Division games https://t.co/q94s36m85epic.twitter.com/76K7dFM8Ec

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) June 1, 2021