League of Ireland football to return in a month's time

In welcome news for Irish soccer fans, it's been announced that the SSE Airtricity League is set to return at the start of the August Bank Holiday weekend, on Friday, July 31.

A statement issued shortly before 1pm today (Tuesday) said the National League Executive Committee had ruled that the league would resume with two rounds of matches in total, and that promotion and relegation would go ahead as scheduled at the start of the 2020 season.

This decision has been sent to the board of the FAI for ratification.

Following a meeting at Abbotstown this morning, the National League Executive Committee has written to all clubs informing them that it has decided on 'option one' of the four options that were available for a resumption of the SSE Airtricity League.

Option one maintains the current position, with the League to resume with two rounds of fixtures, 18 in total, and counting results of matches played to date.

One club will be automatically promoted to the Premier Division from the First Division, with one club automatically relegated.

A play-off will take place between the ninth-placed Premier Division club and the winner of the First Division play-off series involving the teams that finish 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the First Division.

The winner of the play-off will play in the Premier Division of the SSE Airtricity League in the 2021 season.

Athlone Town, under new manager Adrian Carberry, had played just two league matches, suffering defeats at home to Cabinteely and away to Cobh Ramblers, before Covid-19 brought the season to a halt.

It was stated that that the fixture list for the league's resumption would be announced "in due course".