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League of Ireland clubs receive 'behind closed doors' game guidelines

The FAI have presented a working document to all 19 SSE Airtricity League clubs on how games may ...



League of Ireland clubs receiv...
Soccer

League of Ireland clubs receive 'behind closed doors' game guidelines

The FAI have presented a working document to all 19 SSE Airtricity League clubs on how games may go ahead behind closed doors, when football here does resume. 

The FAI have suspended all activities until mid-June at the earliest.

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also imposed a ban on mass gatherings of 5,000 or more until at least the end of August.

The FAI along with the National League Executive Committee (NLEC) have been examining a number of avenues for the league's resumption, one of which includes playing behind closed doors from June 19.

Together with the PFAI, the NLEC and FAI have drafted a best practice document entitled ‘Return To Football – Behind Closed Doors’.

As well as the league clubs, it's also been presented to the elite panel match officials who will be in charge of the games.

An FAI statement says the "document incorporates all elements around the safe staging of games behind closed doors to ensure the health and safety of players, match officials and club employees and volunteers."

They add, "All clubs have been asked to assess the document and return their views to the working group."

Interim Deputy FAI CEO Niall Quinn says they are still examining the possibility of live-streaming games when they resume as a means of income for cash-strapped clubs.

"Analysis of the financial impact of playing behind doors is well underway with our clubs and we are examining potential revenue streams from live streaming and other sources", Quinn says in the FAI's releasae.

"This is a united effort and we look forward to further engagement with the NLEC, the PFAI, the referees and the clubs themselves."

The PFAI input to the document included guidelines from world players' union FIFPRO.

General Secretary of the PFAI Stephen McGuinness said they were happy to be included in continued dialogue around the game's resumption, "Our players are keen to support the efforts of the FAI and the NLEC to examine a return to football in a manner that is safe for all involved be they players, match officials or club staff.

“The FIFPRO document is a high-level recommendation and the FAI have put together the fine details of what playing behind closed doors looks like for all concerned.

"This is very much a work in progress with all stakeholders working together towards the best solution possible for our game in the event of a closed doors recommendation from the HSE and Government."

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Coronavirus Covid-19 FAI League Of Ireland SSE Airtricity League