Both Sligo Rovers’ men’s and women’s team learned of their fate in the newly named Club Orange FAI men’s and women’s cups. 

Rovers’ men will travel to Limerick to face junior side Janesboro FC in the second round, while our women’s team face the long trip to the RSC to take on Waterford.

John Russell’s side are due to travel to face Janesboro on the week ending July 19th, with a venue and time to be confirmed. 

While Gavin Hughes’ women will go to the south east on the week ending July 5th, with a venue and time also to be decided. 

Men’s FAI Cup second round draw:

Galway United v Crumlin United
Douglas Hall v Castlebar Celtic
Drogheda United v Lucan United
Finn Harps v Bray Wanderers
Ringmahon Rangers v Bohemians
Baldoyle United v Longford Town
St Patrick’s Athletic v Wexford FC
Waterford FC v Cobh Ramblers
Bangor Celtic v College Corinthians
Janesboro FC v Sligo Rovers
Athlone Town v Midleton FC
St Mochtas v Dundalk
Derry City v Tolka Rovers
Shamrock Rovers v Cork City
Treaty United v UCD
Kerry FC v Shelbourne

Women’s FAI Cup second round draw:

Peamount United v Athlone Town
Cork City v DLR Waves
Wexford v Shamrock Rovers
Waterford FC v Sligo Rovers
Shelbourne v Winner of Bray Wanderers v Longford Town / Bellurgan United
Galway United v Treaty United
Bohemians v Winners of Drogheda United v Kerry FC
Winner of Whitehall Rangers/Finn Harps v Ballingarry/Douglas Hall v Winner of Cobh Ramblers/St Patrick’s Atletic v Ballingary/Douglas Hall

Sligo Football and Sport Development Society Ltd t/a Sligo Rovers FC held its Annual General Meeting in the Clayton Hotel on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, with a strong attendance both in person and online.

Thomas Casserly and Mark Cummins stepped down from the Management Committee, with both thanked for their service and contribution to the club.

The club confirmed a budget of EUR 2.9 million for 2026, while accounts for 2025 showed a deficit of EUR 45,000. Income increased by 13 percent and expenditure rose by 11 percent compared to 2024. Financial performance has improved significantly over the past two years, with losses reduced from EUR 299,000 in 2023 to EUR 45,000 in 2025. However, members were advised that the club has operated under financial strain in recent years, relying on a bank overdraft, committee loans, and payment arrangements with key suppliers to maintain operations. The Treasurer received strong appreciation from members following the presentation of the accounts, while sponsors, volunteers, and fundraising efforts were also acknowledged for their continued support.

In his address, Chairperson Tommy Higgins said that Sligo Rovers remains determined to compete at the top end of the table, but acknowledged that the club’s current operating model is under scrutiny. He noted that football clubs, both domestically and abroad, are operating with significantly higher budgets and, in many cases, substantial debt. It was agreed that the Management Committee will examine the club’s funding and structural model in detail over the coming months, with findings to be presented to members at a Special General Meeting.

Outgoing Development Officer Mark Cummins will continue his involvement with the Stadium Masterplan and was thanked for his long-standing contribution to the committee. An update confirmed that the project remains on schedule, with construction targeted to begin in February 2027 and completion projected for September 2028.

The following individuals were elected to the Management Committee:

Kathy Burke, Ryan Davey, Michael Doddy, Shaun Dunne, Lorraine Finnegan, Shona Heffernan, Martin Heraghty, Tommy Higgins, Paddy Houze, Donal Kelly, Brendan Lacken, Dáire Martin, Martin McDonald, Michael Toolan, Anthony Quinn.

Following the AGM, the Management Committee appointed the following officers:

Chairperson: Tommy Higgins

Vice-Chairperson: Shona Heffernan

Secretary: Brendan Lacken

Compliance Officer: Martin Heraghty

Fundraising Officer: Donal Kelly

Sligo Rovers operates as a cooperative society and is directly shaped by its members. Those wishing to become a member of the society are invited to contact the club at info@sligorovers.com.

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce a new partnership with University College Dublin Smurfit Postgraduate Students, delivered through the ENFUSE programme, a collaborative initiative supported by Enterprise Ireland and Dublin City Council.

The ENFUSE programme connects organisations with high-performing postgraduate students from one of Ireland’s most competitive Master’s programmes in project management, giving students the opportunity to work on live, real-world challenges while delivering professional, research-informed outputs to partner organisations.

As part of this partnership, two student groups – comprising 10 UCD MSc Project Management students, will work directly with Sligo Rovers, contributing over 1,000 hours of structured consultancy across the duration of the programme. The work will focus on projects aligned with the club’s strategic and operational priorities following the Annual General Meeting, providing Sligo Rovers with a level of insight, analysis and delivery capacity that would rarely be accessible to a volunteer-led club.

The scale of the collaboration allows for multiple workstreams to be progressed in parallel, creating practical, high-quality outputs that can support the club’s long-term development both on and off the pitch.

The partnership will be led on behalf of the club by Dáire Martin, a member of the Sligo Rovers Management Committee, and a dedicated subcommittee, who will oversee strategic engagement between UCD and the club throughout the programme.

Commenting on the partnership, Dáire said:

“From the outset, we were very deliberate about structuring this partnership in a way that would deliver genuine strategic value for Sligo Rovers while also providing a high-quality, real-world learning experience for the students.

Having two postgraduate teams dedicating over 1,000 hours of professional-level work allows us to progress ambitious projects in a way that simply wouldn’t otherwise be possible for a volunteer-led club. Just as importantly, the partnership reflects what Sligo Rovers stands for, collaboration, community and creating opportunities that benefit the club while contributing to the development of emerging professionals.

With our centenary year approaching and a major development project on the horizon, the timing of this partnership is particularly significant for both the club and the wider region.”

Joe Houghton, Programme Director of the MSc Project Management programme at UCD Smurfit, welcomed the collaboration, calling it “a match made in heaven” and that partnering with entities like Sligo Rovers have always been part of the programme’s ethos. He also remarked that “the passion and commitment of the Sligo Rovers team meshes perfectly with the excitement and drive of our students”.

Paul Corcoran, Project Lead for one of the Student Groups and who was welcomed to the Showgrounds today with his student team said “Sligo Rovers is a club full of potential, and we see it as a great opportunity to apply our learnings to a true stalwart in the League of Ireland. It’s truly a privilege to get the chance to veto work with great people, all so passionate about this magnificent club”

This partnership further strengthens Sligo Rovers’ role as a community-anchored club that continues to innovate, adapt and build meaningful relationships with educational and civic partners for mutual benefit.

Easter Camps are now on general sale.

Bookings are open and available to everyone, with strong demand expected across all age groups. We encourage early registration to avoid disappointment.

For future camps, Super Reds members will continue to receive priority access before general release. Super Red membership can still be purchased, giving families the opportunity to secure early access and enjoy additional club benefits.

You can secure your Easter Camp place below.
To purchase Super Red membership, please click here.

Sligo Rovers confirm the appointment of Shane Crossan as the club’s new General Manager.

Crossan has held several key roles within the organisation in recent years, including Media and Marketing Officer and, most recently, Head of Operations. His appointment represents a natural progression and acknowledges his significant contribution to the club’s ongoing development.

This appointment coincides with Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Feakins, who will leave his position following a planned transition in the coming months. During his tenure, Feakins placed a strong emphasis on enhancing the club’s commercial performance, expanding sponsorship and partnership opportunities, and supporting the growth of the club’s business activities. The club extends its sincere thanks to him for his professionalism, commitment, and valued contribution.

The appointment of Crossan marks an important step in Sligo Rovers’ continued evolution. His leadership and experience will ensure strong continuity across the club’s day-to-day operations, while the ongoing recruitment of a Commercial Manager will focus on driving sponsorship and partnership growth as part of the club’s wider development plans.

Sligo Rovers now turn their focus to preparations for the upcoming season, approaching the future with confidence and ambition as the club continues to grow and strengthen on and off the pitch

Sligo Rovers Football Club invites applications for the position of Manager of our Women’s Premier Division first team. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a senior side competing at the highest level of the women’s domestic game in Ireland and to play a key role in developing the next generation of elite female players in the North West.

Sligo Rovers is a community-based club with a proud heritage in the League of Ireland. Our women’s football pathway extends from academy to senior level and is built on a commitment to player welfare, and high performance on and off the pitch. The successful candidate will work closely with club leadership, performance staff, and academy coaches to deliver a clear and progressive football philosophy across all age groups.

The Role

The Women’s Team Manager will lead all aspects of the team’s sporting direction, daily operations, and performance management. The role calls for a forward-thinking coach who can combine strong leadership with a genuine passion for developing players and growing the women’s game in the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, deliver, and review training sessions to enhance individual and team performance.
• Oversee match preparation, opposition analysis, team selection, and in-game strategy.
• Design and implement long-term player development programmes focused on technical, tactical, physical, and mental growth.
• Collaborate with the Sligo Rovers Academy to identify and nurture emerging talent.
• Communicate effectively with players, staff, and club management.
• Work with the club’s performance and medical teams to monitor player welfare, conditioning, and recovery.
• Represent Sligo Rovers professionally in media engagements, community events, and league activities.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performance environment consistent with the club’s values.

Essential Criteria

• A valid UEFA A Licence.
• Demonstrable experience in senior coaching or football management.
• Comprehensive understanding of the Women’s Premier Division and the wider Irish football landscape.
• Proven leadership, communication, and organisational skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience developing and integrating academy players into senior football.
• Previous involvement in elite women’s football environments.
• Strong administrative, reporting, and IT skills.

How to Apply

Applications should include:

1. A detailed curriculum vitae (including all relevant coaching qualifications).
2. A short cover letter outlining your coaching philosophy, leadership style, and relevant experience.

Please email applications to academy@sligorovers.com

All applications will be handled in the strictest confidence.

Sligo Rovers boss John Russell admitted his side’s shock cup defeat to First Division side Kerry FC was ‘unforgivable’ after the Bit O’Red threw away a three goal lead to be dumped out of the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Owen Elding’s hat-trick had Russell’s men well on course for a first FAI Cup semi-final spot since 2020, with just 30 minutes left of the tie.

But an impressive Kerry, managed by Colin Healy, showed real grit and determination to force extra-time, and deservedly slow.

The hosts were by far the better team in the second-half, and Elding’s third was certainly against the run of play.

Cian Brosnan’s first goal on 66 minutes gave Kerry, in their first ever quarter-final, real belief that this tie was there for them.

Healy’s changes in the second-half were a help, with Daniel Okwute proving a real problem for the Rovers defence.

He won a penalty after he was clattered by Seb Quirk in the box, with Joe Adams making it 3-2 on 77 minutes.

It was all Kerry, and Rovers were desperately clinging on their narrow lead.

Then two minutes into added time at the end of the 90, Brosnan’s second forced extra-time, and it was nothing less than Kerry deserved.

Russell made changes of his own, but still they couldn’t contain Kerry, and Okwute found the winner with two minutes to go at the end of extra-time, amidst incredible scenes in Mounthawk Park.

But the manner of the defeat, at least from a Sligo Rovers perspective, will go down as one of the most embarrassing defeats in recent memory.

A stunned John Russell admitted he was ‘in a bit of shock’ afterwards, and was left reeling as his side ‘couldn’t manage the chaos’, with ‘horrendous defending’ leaving him furious.

“It’s unforgivable to be 3-0 up with 30 minutes left and the way the game transpired. The first goal is poor to give away, the second goal, there’s no need to commit the foul in the box. There’s no danger.

“You give momentum when it goes to 3-2. But even still, we didn’t weather that storm and you see the board going up. It’s the 90th minute. There’s four minutes added on. You just need to see the game out and you’re into the next round. And we don’t. It’s horrendous defending.

“It’s come across the six yard box and it’s a tap in. We just have to mark it. It’s schoolboy defending. I’m, to be honest, in a bit of shock. We played well in the first half, in complete control.

“In the second half, we didn’t start great, to get the goal and go 3-0 up. It’s unforgiveable to be knocked out of the tie after being in such a commanding lead. It goes to extra-time, we had chances, they had chances.

“The goal we’ve given away again is crazy. It’s so bad. I have to give credit to Kerry. They beat us. Good young players, they deserve to be in the semi-final, we didn’t manage the game.”

On paper, this is a game that Rovers should have won comfortably, and it was seen as being a favourable tie.

Russell warned all week about the threat that Kerry posed, particularly with Healy at the helm, but even still, few would have predicted this result, although those at Kerry would tell you they were quietly confident in the lead up.

But even still, at 3-0 down, it looked as though the game was dead and buried, and that’s probably the hardest pill for Russell to swallow.

“It’s a crazy result. Especially the way the game went. We were in complete control. We’ve thrown away an unbelievable opportunity to get to a cup final. I said that to he players in there. We are in good form, lads are training well, we’re 3-0 up, we’ve dominated the game, we put ourselves in a commanding position.

“Football’s crazy. We’ve seen that over the years at different levels. Tonight we couldn’t manage the chaos when the game swung on us. I came in after the game and I see that Shamrock Rovers won on penalties, we didn’t even get to penalties, last year Bohs went to extra-time and penalties as well, we just lost the run of it.

“We’ve missed a massive opportunity. I’m gutted for our supporters, gutted for the players and for the staff I have around me because I know everyone is working extremely hard. It’s a shocking result.”

But, why couldn’t Russell’s charges ‘manage the chaos’?

“I don’t understand it. It was just direct play and long balls, and Ollie (Denham) and Paddy (McClean) have been unbelievable for us, and Sean (Stewart) and Edwin (Agbaje), (Sam) Sargeant, they’ve built up a really good understanding.

“Those long balls up top, we just didn’t defend those moments well. The penalty as well, Seb doesn’t need to dive in. Defending the moments, being dialled in all the time, we spoke before the game, you can do all the talking it’s action on the pitch and we didn’t manage it.

“That one is going to sting for a long, long time. There’s no getting away from it. The importance of the game, what was at stake, and the position that we found ourselves in. In complete control for 60 minutes, moments of madness have cost us the game.”

On another night, the post match analysis would focus on 19-year-old Elding, who bagged a hat-trick on the night, although the third may well still go down as an own goal.

The much sought after Rovers attacker was visibly distraught at full-time on Friday, with his team-mates consoling him after the game had ended.

“He’s been amazing for us,” Russell added. “From minute one until the end, he ran his guts out for us. He got a hat-trick for us and he was devastated.

“The likes of Will Fitzgerald who was suspended tonight, we wanted to get to a semi-final for him. he’s devastated. Everyone is devastated. What an opportunity we’ve thrown away.

“It’s going to be a hard one to take because I know the group, it’s not that we played poorly, I’ve never experienced a game like it. It’s going to be a hard one to take.”

But Premier Division survival now becomes the sole focus for the remainder of the season, with a double game weekend next weekend when Rovers take on Drogheda United on Friday night before travelling to Galway the following Monday.

And Russell wants his players to use Friday’s shock as fuel for the remainder of the season.

“That’s the focus. We’ve missed the opportunity. It’s gone, it’s done. We have to move into next week. Full focus on the league. Seven games to go, we have to win as many as possible to get ourselves out of ninth.

“We can’t let the disappointment of tonight affect us for the next game, we’ve got to use it as fuel and try and get a win.”

Jessica Farry

Sligo Rovers Football Club is pleased to confirm that its 2025 Annual Draw, held at The Showgrounds during half-time of the home Premier Division fixture against Bohemians on 30 August 2025, has raised a record-breaking total of EUR 153,360 in support of the club. This figure marks the highest amount ever generated by the fundraiser, surpassing the previous record of EUR 130,300 in 2024. That total had itself exceeded EUR 108,300 in 2023, EUR 106,970 in 2022, and EUR 49,660 in 2021. Taken together, this year’s achievement represents an overall increase of approximately 208.82 percent across the past four years.

The winner of the first prize, Jane Gamble (Carndonagh), is pictured above receiving her cheque from ticket seller Gerry Kilbride.

As one of the few clubs competing in the top tier of professional football across Europe that remain wholly supporter-owned, Sligo Rovers relies upon the loyalty and generosity of its fanbase through initiatives such as the Annual Draw to sustain its day-to-day operations.

Each year, dedicated teams of Sligo Rovers volunteers visit homes and businesses across County Sligo and neighbouring areas, selling EUR 10 tickets door-to-door as part of the Annual Draw. Their efforts are vital to the club’s success, not only in raising essential funds but also in strengthening the connection between the club and the wider community. This commitment from volunteers ensures the continuation of a tradition that plays a central role in sustaining the club and supporting its future ambitions.

Club Chairman Tommy Higgins praised the remarkable level of support demonstrated by the community. He stated: “I would like to thank our sponsors who contributed prizes, our wonderful volunteers especially our Development Officer Mark Cummins who drove us on and lastly, you our supporters for being so generous”.

The club is delighted to announce the full list of prize winners from the 2025 Annual Draw:

EUR 5,000 Cash – Jane Gamble (Carndonagh)
EUR 1,000 Cash – Pat McDonald (Ballisodare)
Clayton Hotels – Two Nights B&B – Eddie Grimes (Ballisodare)
Breaffy House Resort – Two Nights Stay – Norman Pugh (Kilmacowen)
Broadhaven Bay Hotel – One Night B&B – Siobhan Loftus (Tubbercurry)
Waterford Marina Hotel – One Night B&B – Dale (Swagman Bar)
EUR 200 Empire Hair Voucher – Con Cullen
EUR 200 Kate’s Kitchen Voucher – Micheal Healy (Ballisodare)
EUR 200 Elverys Voucher – M Dunleavy
EUR 200 Ticketmaster Voucher – Sinead McGee

Sligo Rovers extends its sincere gratitude to all who contributed to the success of the 2025 Annual Draw, from those who purchased tickets to the volunteers who travelled across the north west region and further afield to sell them. The club recognises the commitment and dedication of everyone involved and acknowledges the vital role their efforts have played in achieving this record-breaking total. This support will deliver a lasting positive impact on club operations and sporting ambitions, while further reinforcing the unique bond between Sligo Rovers and its loyal community of supporters.