POLL: Who do Derry City fans want to face first next season in the League of Ireland?

Derry City will discover their fixture list for next year’s League of Ireland campaign on Tuesday. 

The Candystripes will be hoping that next season can be better than last after it promised so much, with a double still possible coming into the final week of the campaign; however, it ultimately ended in disappointment as the drought for a league title continued while Drogheda United bested Derry in the FAI Cup final to leave the club trophyless.

This brought to an end the Ruaidhrí Higgins tenure, heralding in a new era with the club appointing Tiernan Lynch as his managerial successor.

Derry fans and Lynch will be intrigued to see who they face first, whether that be at the Ryan McBride Brandywell or away.

The Candystripes know that they will not face either Shamrock Rovers or Bohemians in the opening fixture with the pair facing off at the Aviva Stadium, as Bohs have forgone home advantage for this to occur.

This means that Lynch will not need to worry about Rovers, who are enjoying a successful campaign in the Europa Conference League, with Stephen Bradley’s side expected to make history by becoming the first Irish club to qualify for the knockouts of a European competition, as they are expected to be battle-hardened coming into next season with the target of reclaiming their title.

Fans may wish to welcome the current League of Ireland champions and last season's rivals, Shelbourne, to the Brandywell, hoping to enact revenge as Damian Duff’s side claimed the title in the home of Derry last year.

Lynch may look to welcome a midtable side to the Brandywell to lower the early season stakes and get his first win to allow the club to kick on under his management.

Meanwhile, another option would be facing the newly promoted Cork City, with the club theoretically not used to this level of competition, but this can be a dangerous proposition with the opposition looking to prove they deserve to be in the top division.

Whoever City faces in the opening weekend of the league, fans will hope for a win and that the club move in the correct direction to have them challenging for silverware next campaign.