Shamrock Rovers chairman Jonathan Roche says that he has been surprised by the level of opposition to a Hoops ‘B’ team participating in the First Division this season.

Gary Owens has said that his and Niall Quinn’s combined salary “is significantly less than anybody has ever taken”.

Controversy continues to engulf the SSE Airtricity League First Division before a ball has even been kicked, after the release of a revised draft fixture list based on an 11-team second tier, including Shamrock Rovers B and Limerick FC.

The FAI announced in a statement today that Shamrock Rovers II will compete in the First Division this year.