Stephen Kenny, manager of St Patrick’s Athletic, has expressed frustration over the club’s ongoing struggle to reschedule their Premier Division match against Galway United. The fixture is set for next Sunday, but St Pat’s have requested its postponement due to a grueling travel schedule linked to their UEFA Conference League campaign.
St Patrick’s Athletic will face Azerbaijan’s Sabah FC at Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third round tie. With the second leg scheduled for the following week, Kenny has highlighted the logistical challenges posed by the Galway fixture, which could force the team to travel back to Ireland, only to immediately depart for Turkey.
“We have requested the Galway game be cancelled due to the demanding travel and match schedule,” Kenny explained after his team’s recent Premier Division victory over Sligo Rovers. “We need to return from Galway, catch an early flight to Turkey, and then deal with long hours of waiting before our next match.”
Kenny has approached both Galway United and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) with this request. While the FAI directed the request to Galway, who have declined, Kenny believes that the FAI’s Director of the League could intervene. He criticized the lack of support for European teams and the mismatch between the league’s mission statements and its actions.
The demanding schedule has already seen St Pat’s navigate a packed fixture list, including matches in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Azerbaijan. Kenny lamented that the current arrangements require his players and staff to endure 21 consecutive days of travel and matches without adequate rest.
“Player welfare is being completely disregarded,” Kenny added. “We’re facing a situation where the players and staff are enduring relentless travel and game schedules, reducing our chances of progressing in the competition.”
Kenny has appealed to his former colleagues on the FAI board, including football directors like Packie Bonner and Marc Canham, to take action. He stressed that administrators must consider the unique challenges faced by teams competing in European tournaments and adjust the scheduling to better support their efforts.
“The league and the FAI need to be proactive and make decisions that truly support teams competing at the highest level,” Kenny concluded. “The current approach does not reflect any genuine consideration for the demands placed on our players and staff.”
As St Patrick’s Athletic continue their European journey, the outcome of their request for a rescheduled fixture remains uncertain, leaving the team to navigate a challenging period in their season.