Sligo Rovers have criticised the decision to postpone their weekend game with Dundalk that will make it 11 weeks without a home league match for the club.
The match has been postponed by the FAI to allow Dundalk a week to prepare for their home match with AEK Larnaca in the Europa League next Thursday.
Such postponements are not uncommon, but given the Lilywhites have no travel in the seven days, and Sligo already face a long period without a home match, the Bit O’Red are unhappy with the move.
They say it will create a challenging situation for their club with over two and a half months of no league gate receipts.
In a statement, Rovers said: "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.
"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.
"Recent events in the league have not been welcomed by anybody. We have sympathies for such situations and regret it is the focus of attention on Irish football now.
"As one of the few clubs in the Premier Division reliant on community funding, the support of the Sligo public and beyond maintains our club.
"In future we would like actions to support clubs like ours facing predicaments and 11-week fixture gaps can be avoided."
The club added they have two Cup games in the period, including an EA Sports Cup semi-final with Derry on Bank Holiday Monday 6 August, and appealed to their supporters to attend the game to help ease the pressure on them.
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