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League of Ireland’s only Northern Ireland-based club kick off their season on Friday uncertain what the future holds

You need wander only yards from the Brandywell Stadium to recognise Derry City’s position as no ordinary football club in no ordinary area. Slogans in support of the IRA, the INLA and a united Ireland feature on the short journey towards the Bogside Inn. Likewise, a large mural making plain what some of those in the vicinity feel the Northern Ireland assembly has delivered since its inception in 1998: poverty, unemployment, enforcing British government cuts and food banks feature on the list.

Derry City and Derry’s city – scarred by sectarian division, which still exists – are intrinsically linked. The old adage that sport and politics cannot mix is nonsensical in this electoral constituency where the vote to remain in the EU was the fourth-highest returned, at 78.3%. Derry City, the only Northern Ireland-based club in the League of Ireland, will kick off their season on Friday while – through no fault of their own – caught bang in the middle of political chaos. Little over a month into the season, the reality of Brexit means they will play every away fixture “back in” the EU, be it at Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk or Cork City. On Brexit Day, 29 March, they are due to host Sligo Rovers.

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from Football | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2GGz4SV