Bohs boss Long calls on LOI clubs to get on board with Leinster Rugby’s pilot scheme for return of fans

Bohemians manager Keith Long is pictured at the announcement of MG as the club's Official Vehicle Partner for 2021

Aidan Fitzmaurice

April 13 2021 04:04 PM

Bohemians boss Keith Long wants League of Ireland clubs to get on board with a pilot scheme, planned by Leinster rugby, which could see a return to crowds being admitted to games in the coming weeks.

While some clubs admitted a small group of supporters, limited to 50, for a brief spell last season after the initial lockdown due to Covid, Bohs have played behind closed doors since last March of last year, with no indication on when fans will be allowed back in to games, though the FAI have discussed holding a trial game, with limited access to fans, with government officials.

And Long is keen for Leinster's proposal to allow 2,000 fans (11 percent of the capacity) attend a match at the RDS, based on a pilot which would see those attending go through antigen testing, with social distancing and other Covid protocols in place, to be adapted to the League of Ireland.

"The sooner we can get back to some sort of normality, the better," says Long after Bohs announced a sponsorship deal with MG Motor Ireland.

"It's an important step, the antigen testing that Leinster have planned, that could provide a plan for the government and HSE to approve.

"All we want is for supporters to be back at games but we can't do that unless it's safe and compliant with the regulations. I am sure if the Leinster trial is successful, then it hopefully shows the wider sporting industry that people can attend games and we'd all embrace that, we all want fans back in, in whatever capacity.

"There will be a financial cost to that but that shouldn't be seen as a problem, we want to see people back in the stadiums, so let's see how the Leinster plan works out."

Bohs, who travel to play Waterford on Friday, have taken just one point from two home games this term and Long feels the absence of fans hurts his club. "We need that atmosphere back in the stands as it's badly missed," says Long.

"I feel we have suffered more than most, because of the atmosphere that's generated in Dalymount when the place is buzzing, and to not have the fans there has gone against us, other clubs might say the same but it's definitely a different game without supporters and we're waiting for the day when it's safe to have fans, even in limited numbers, back in."

After a testing start to the season, with one point from three games, Bohs responded with a 1-0 win over Dundalk last weekend, Long impressed by the rise of Scottish import Liam Burt.

"Liam hadn't played much football since he left Celtic so it was always going to take him a bit of time to get up to speed with a new league and a new environment but he did a lot better on Friday, he covered a lot more distance and was effective, especially in the second half when he came into the game a lot more," Long says of Burt, who had two spells with Celtic and also played for the first team at Rangers.

"We're four games into the season and I am positive that Liam can do well for us over the course of the campaign, we're looking forward to seeing what he can do going forward on a more consistent basis

"He can play in a number of positions, he has pace, has good end product and can score a goal out of nothing, he's a player who can affect a game in a positive manner. His first touch is good, he has great delivery, has good game intelligence and I have no doubt he will create chances for us, he's a talented lad, it's just a case of getting that out of him."