Soccer · Other Irish Soccer

Coyle backs Derry return to Irish League

Former Derry City striker Liam Coyle believes the club should return to the Irish League to ensure the club's survival.

The Candystripes are in serious financial difficulty and their players will reportedly be owed up to eight weeks' wages when the season ends.

Those players are now, essentially, free agents with the club unable to honour the terms of their contracts and the club's immediate future in the League of Ireland is uncertain.

However, the club's all-time top goalscorer sees a return to the Irish League, which they left in 1972, as the best solution to the club's current plight.

Speaking to the BBC, Coyle insisted: 'Moving to the Irish League is the only way forward for Derry City if they want to survive. They have to look at it as a way of maintaining their senior status.'

He added: 'If the Irish League was to take them back in it would mean less travelling. It makes sense to go back and play in the country they are in.

'There seems to be a bit of a stand-off between the board and players and at the minute it is a really divisive club.'

Read more here.

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RTÉ.ie Sport: Derry City legend Liam Coyle has backed a return to the Irish League
Derry City legend Liam Coyle has backed a return to the Irish League
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