Sligo Rovers can today announce one of the most significant community projects in our history with every baby born in Sligo University Hospital this year offered a Rovers jersey on the day they enter the world.

The project, headed by the club and The Bit O’ Red Supporters Trust in conjunction with Sligo University Hospital, will see over 1,000 Rovers jerseys donated to families of newborns in Sligo and parts of Leitrim, Donegal, Roscommon, Cavan and Mayo.

The jersey is a replica of the 2021 home jersey, featuring all details of the famous Bit O’ Red shirt.

The project is a first for the League of Ireland.

Last season, during the pandemic year, the Sligo Rovers community fundraised €400,000 for the club.

Despite interactions among supporters and friends of the club coming to a standstill, the club remained at the heart of Sligo.

The Bit O’ Red successfully traded through the year thanks to will and spirit of all connected to our club. The club qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League, coming from the bottom to finish fourth in just 14 games.

Ahead of another challenging season in which similar fundraising will be needed with no crowds, this initiative is designed to extend the bond between Rovers and the north-west and Connacht region, this time from the very earliest stage of life.

Sligo Rovers chief executive Colin Feehily said: “Sligo Rovers has existed through 93 years because each generation has passed their love of the club on to the next.

“We are very proud of what Rovers means to our region and how it can form a part of all our lives and connect us as well. We are taking this measure to bring that feeling to even more people.

“Sligo is unique in that, in normal times, when you walk the streets of the county, everywhere you go you see a Bit O’ Red. The crest and the Rovers colours are worn by our loyal and passionate fans of all ages.

“The idea stemmed from our Supporters Trust who helped make it happen. I’d also like to thank our sponsors for being very supportive in allowing us to make it logistically possible and financially viable. As well as our supporters, the business community has constantly backed us this last year.

“Most of all, we’re very happy to be bringing extra smiles to those in Sligo University Hospital. As we pass on these kits to the staff today to give to famliies, we want to express our huge gratitude to all of the employees at the hospital. Their work over this past year has been incredible. They have the admiration of everyone and thanks at The Showgrounds.”

Gerard O’Connor of the Bit O’ Red Supporters Trust said: “We saw a demand for a product like this and thought ‘how can we bring it to as many supporters as possible, as well as introducing Rovers to people who may previously not be fans?’

“The club and the Trust work together on many projects and I’m delighted it has come to fruition.

“We also hope it is something for families not from Sligo and who may be seeking a connection to the area. Now, as they grow their family, they are also Rovers fans as well.”

Sligo Rovers manager Liam Buckley said: “It’s a lovely idea. The community here get right behind the football club. Since I’ve been here, they’ve been absolutely fantastic. There’s an incredible support behind us and we do not take it for granted for one second.

“It’s hugely important traditions are passed down. I’m very proud to represent all of the people at this football club.

“We do miss the interactions with our supporters here and I can’t tell you how much we want them back with us.

“This is a great gesture that will add to the thousands of people who get behind us each and every week.”

Juliana Henry, Director of Midwifery at Sligo University Hospital added:

“This is a very novel idea and will be a lovely memento for the babies born in the hospital this year.

“We are very grateful to Sligo Rovers and the wider community in County Sligo and beyond for their ongoing support of the hospital.”

The project starts today, Monday March 15th and continues until the end of 2021.

By Tommie Gorman

Outside of Sligo, the story of our King Billy is not widely-known. He came south during some of the worst years of The Troubles.

Nobody knows who actually invented the phase ‘make love, not war’ but Billy Sinclair relentlessly carried out his own grafter’ version of the same.

In Billy’s case, the love involved was his passion for football. He was single-minded about it. He was the Protestant who had played with distinction for Linfield and Glentoran (and had a short spell with Chelsea). He then crossed the border – at a time when there were checkpoints and real danger – and he took a job as player manager of Sligo Rovers. He then micromanaged our club to its first League of Ireland title for 40 years.

Last Tuesday night’s BBC NI’s Newsline programme, reporter Michael Fitzpatrick told how Billy Sinclair now has dementia. Just days before it was confirmed the former Scotland, Leeds and Manchester United defender, 68-year-old Gordon McQueen, was diagnosed with the same condition.

Billy is 74 now. His son, Jonathan, is backing calls for diseases like dementia and Azheimer’s in ex-players to be deemed an industrial injury. Two years ago research conducted by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association found that former footballers are three and a half times more likely to die from degenerative brain diseases than non-sporting members of the general public.

Jonathan Sinclair makes the case for people like his father to be entitled to better welfare support. The consultant who diagnosed Billy Sinclair’s condition felt heading the ball during his long life as a footballer was a contributory factor.

I knew Billy Sinclair in his prime. He was meticulously building the components that would deliver a League of Ireland title to a club not used to success. I was a reporter, starting off, delighted to be following his every move.

He was small and stocky. He wore a sheepskin coat and he had the presence to fill a room. He managed Sligo Rovers down to the finest detail. He knew what was needed to survive and prosper.

On the team bus heading for Waterford he gave each set of two players a pound and let them off at the Italian chip shop in Athlone. That night some of the squad broke curfew and were in the disco having their first beers when ‘Wee Sinkie’ pounced. The fines were dished out in his rasping accent and the sorry bunch headed for bed like small boys. The only one to escape sanction was Tony Fagan. He had spotted Sheriff Sinclair from several hundred paces and was gone for dust.

Billy was on the job day and night. He introduced a Golden Goal scheme on match days – a fund-raising venture he’d known in a former club – and it helped to provide much-needed revenue. He persuaded a former Northern Ireland international goalkeeper, Alan Paterson, to come south. He signed young players who had been let go by English clubs from lower divisions and persuaded them they were too talented to give up.

One of his trump cards was a local teenager, Paul ‘Ski’ Magee. Billy had seen enough of football to realise the young striker had the potential to follow his dreams elsewhere.

Under Sinclair’s management Magee became a star and would eventually sign for Queen’s Park Rangers and progress to become a fully-fledged Irish international. Ski and the current Everton captain, Seamus Coleman are Sligo Rovers most famous players of modern times.

Billy could also be fun when he occasionally let down his guard. His wife, Bonnie, was a hoot. He was always trying to make his team the best it could be. One of his most skilful players had a fondness for drink. Before big games, Billy got him access to a concoction known as ‘anti-booze’ that would make him physically sick if he took alcohol.

At one stage Rovers had a serious lack of a creative midfielder. Billy located one up North. He had a huge tattoo on his chest that made it clear he understood the concept of July 12th Orange parades. Politics were set aside inside and outside the dressing room and the said player did his talking, and his marching on the pitch.

The Showgrounds Rising under King Billy took place on Easter Sunday 1977. Deliciously, a victory over Shamrock Rovers was required to pip Bohemians for the title. Children were sitting on the grass inside the fencing of the overcrowded ground. The late Paul Magee, son of the famous RTÉ commentator Jimmy Magee, scored for the visitors but Sligo got three.

The atmosphere of those times is so beautifully captured in the recent documentary ‘Shine’, available on You Tube.

Dreams reached a new orbit that September when Billy Sinclair brought his team behind the Iron Curtain for the first leg of the European Cup clash against Belgrade. He was 30 at that stage. A battle-scarred 30. Nevertheless he selected himself to play as sweeper because he knew the Yugoslav champions, including several internationals, had the firepower to give Sligo Rovers an embarrassing hammering.

Once more borders and politics became meaningless. The late and great man the with magic sponge, James Tiernan, didn’t travel. Billy sent for an old friend from the Linfield dressing-room to help prepare his charges.

The park the bus tactics worked a dream until the 60th minute when Red Star drew blood. But Billy’s side kept going and going. The final score was 3-0. One of the most memorable moments involved Sligo Rovers midfielder, Tony Fagan.

So many times on the muddy Showgrounds pitch, Fago tried a drag back that he learned as a street footballer at the weighbridge near Saint Brigid’s Place. In the Red Star stadium Fago tried it one more time and left two players on their backsides. The huge crowds applauded. Fago was surprised but then delighted. He put his foot on the ball and waved.

That Red Star side included the wonderful winger, Dragan Dzajic; defender Nikola Jovanovic who later signed for Manchester United and Vladislav Bogicevic who was eventually allowed to join the New York Cosmos and became a member of the American National Soccer Hall of Fame.

I had covered most if not all of the games during that League-winning season and the ancillary activities but I had rarely seen Billy let his hair down. He did so that night in Belgrade. There was a party for a few hours in his room. It was behind the Iron Curtain and pre slabs of beer times.

But the drink flowed. The Sash got an airing. Some of the young English lads had a verse of two of Beatles numbers. The Sligo crew chipped in with a few out of tune verses.

It was more than 43 years ago and it was a lovely time to be alive.

Billy Sinclair may or may not remember how good he was then.

But those of us who saw him going at full tilt will never forget him.

He made such a difference to our club. To our town. To our lives.

Sligo Rovers have spoken with the Sinclair family to offer our support at this time

The 2021 Sligo Rovers Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 22^nd March at 7.30pm.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the meeting is being held online.

The AGM will see the election of the 2021 management committee, a presentation of 12 months of club finances and the chairman and secretary’s report.

Notices have been posted to members today, including nomination forms to join the committee, and details of how to attend the online meeting.  

The meeting and nominations for the committee are only open to members.

Meanwhile the Annual Voluntary Member Contribution of €100 can be made on the night if desired or here for members or non-members.

For more, email administrator@sligorovers.com

The WATCHLOI kick-off pass is now on sale ahead of the start of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division 2021 season.

Kick-off passes went on sale this morning on the WATCHLOI.ie platform at just €59 for supporters in Ireland and around the world.

Sligo Rovers will offer free passes for all our adult, OAP and concession match package owners, in lieu of three passes from a match pack.

This offer does not apply to Super Reds.

To redeem please follow the instructions below:

• Take three tickets from your match pack book (numbers 1-3)
• Post them to: Secretary, Sligo Rovers FC, The Showgrounds, Sligo. (as soon as possible – streaming passes will only be redeemed once tickets have been received)
• Include a note with the tickets with your name and e-mail address (e-mail address is important as your streaming code will be emailed to you)
• We advise you to please send these in without delay as the season starts on Friday March 19th (Friday week).
• Once we receive the three tickets we will send an email with instructions on how to access the streaming service.
• For any enquiries please email shane@sligorovers.com or call 071-9171212

The club wish to thank supporters for their continued support during the past 12 months in particular.

Non match-package owners can purchase a pass for €59 on WATCHLOI.ie.

It is the perfect way for supporters to support their club with revenue generated set to go to each club and with over 60+ matches set to be on the platform, it is also great value.

The 2021 SSE Airtricity Premier Division season is set to get underway on Friday, March 19.

Rovers play their first game against Dundalk on Saturday 20 March at 6pm in The Showgrounds.

“We’re delighted to be able to launch the WATCHLOI kick-off pass today ahead of the new season,” said League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon.

“With over 60 matches set to be on the platform from the start of the season to the mid-season break, the kick-off pass represents excellent value for supporters to enjoy the action when it begins this week.

“As the Covid-19 restrictions continue, the revenue it will generate for the clubs is a key source of income and means supporters can continue to support their League of Ireland club in these difficult times.”

Sligo Rovers manager Liam Buckley has said last night’s friendly with Athlone Town was a good workout for his players, believing conditioning is vital as the management try to prepare the players for the start of the league season.

The Rovers boss oversaw the fourth pre-season game last night in The Showgrounds.

Rovers remain unbeaten, with two wins and two draws, but as Buckley points out, the point of the games is all preparation for Saturday 20 March against Dundalk.

Speaking to www.sligorovers.com, he said: “It’s not results that count in the games. These games are conditioning sessions realistically.

“The four games we have had have all been good from that point of view.

“I’m happy with the players who have been able to play all the minutes we wanted. There are some who haven’t been able to do that whether arriving a bit later or a niggle, it’s a matter of getting them up to speed as soon as we can.

“Fitness is the important aspect of the games and organisation as well. All of the games will stand to us.

“We’ve had one or two disruptions with little injuries but also others have come through it all. We have one more game to come which will help.”

Buckley said goalkeeper Richard Brush will return to the squad next week after picking up a finger injury in training.

Ryan De Vries is also set to join the squad in the coming days after the birth of his second child last month.

Elsewhere the academy players have formed a large part of the squad so far. Johnny Kenny has been the top scorer in pre-season with four goals.

Cillian Heaney and Jason Devaney are the latest to play first-team football.

Mark Byrne also impressed during the second half last night.

Buckley added: “They’ve all been good additions, I’m sure the supporters saw that last night. They will take time and it is important to remember that.

“Johnny Kenny has done particularly well and I have no doubt he will go on to play for us this season.

“But we’re not going to put stupid pressure on these players. They’re part of the squad and they are all making a contribution and adding competition as well.”

Buckley remains in the mix for further squad additions.

Friday is the final pre-season game as Rovers take on Shelbourne in Dublin.

He concluded: “It’s a good game to finish with. Shels have signed well and it’s a good surface in Abbotstown. The focus is on Saturday week against Dundalk and getting the players right for that game.”

Sligo Rovers play Athlone Town in a pre-season friendly in The Showgrounds tonight.

Kick-off is 7.30pm. The game will be streamed live on our Youtube channel Youtube.com/sligoroversTV

The link will appear here later.

Sligo Rovers will host a third online bingo event on Friday following the success of the first two events.

It is open to all players over the age of 18. A single bingo book will be €12, while a double will be €20.

The bingo begins on Friday at 8pm. 

We’ll send you a link to download your books which contain your six bingo games in an email, you can then download them, and either play on your phone or print them off or even write them out yourself.

Click here to buy a single book

Click here to buy a double book

They will contain a serial number integrated with our software and bingo session

What you will need is a device to join our game (laptop, phone or tablet), it’s a free app called Zoom which you will need. All the details to play will be in the e-mail we send you.

What we play for in each session

6 Games of Bingo with a Jackpot of €500 in Game 6

Single Line, Double Line & The Full House in each session with payouts over €1300

Game 1 – Orange

Game 2 – Olive

Game 3 – Grey

Game 4 – Brown

Game 5 – Red

Game 6 – Green

All proceeds go to the club and we are looking to open up to a wide audience and connect players all over Sligo.

We want to have a bit of fun with a few games during the Bingo and also the most important thing is you can see and hear everyone so you know who you are playing with & against. 

Phase two of the Bit O’ Red Wall will close on Wednesday, with 190 tiles sold in this section and they are set to be in place for the start of the new season on Saturday week against Dundalk.

315 tiles were erected in phase one, so over 500 tiles will now feature on The Showgrounds Wall, honouring players, friends, family and hundreds of people connected to Sligo Rovers.

Click here to buy and be part of this unique part of The Showgrounds through the Bit O’ Red Wall. The deadline is Wednesday

Over two seasons the Wall has generated €35,000 for Sligo Rovers. Phase two has been over €12,000 alone.

The 500th tile has been purchased to honour a person who has been instrumental in the success of this new and now treasured part of The Showgrounds. 

Tommie Gorman has penned many of the articles you have read on our website about the Wall, telling the stories of some of those honoured and what the tributes mean, as well as successfully ensure those connected to Rovers know about the wall and signed up.

Ahead of his retirement next month after 41 years with RTÉ, the tile is to acknowledge his contribution to Sligo, Rovers and Irish journalism.

Rovers, happily, had a part in the start of his career. While Tommie will be best-known as North-West Correspondent, European Editor, Northern Editor and a blue chip part of RTÉ News, we must acknowledge the Rovers connection.

Tommie, who grew up on Cairns Road, secured his first byline in The Sligo Champion in the form of match reports of Sligo Rovers away games in Dublin in the 1970s while studying in the capital.

In the summer 1977 he sold two pages of advertising to Sligo businesses that financed a trip to Yugoslavia to watch Rovers take on Red Star Belgrade and tell the story. 

He reported in the aftermath of the 1983 FAI Cup final, documenting scenes of jubilation from Sligo, which remain a valued archive of our history.

27 years later he stood on the streets of Sligo as the Cup came home from a third time, this time reporting live to a national television audience.

He also made two DVDs on behalf of the club during our golden period which are must-haves for Bit O’ Red fans.

In 2012 he was convinced by then-chairman Dermot Kelly to join the club’s management committee as the league title came back to the north-west for the first time in 35 years.

That season the club secured funding that led to the development of the Sean Fallon Centre.

He has hosted many events for the club.

Most importantly, as is the case with Rovers, he has been instrumental in countless fundraising campaigns, and none more so than this Wall.

It is easy for the club to list Tommie’s achievements, but his greatest contribution to us is a lifetime of support.

Work commitments had to be balanced when it came to a bi-monthly visit to The Showgrounds.

In retirement, and when our home is open to the public again, we hope a regular seat in the Treacy Avenue stand will be a reward for over four decades of remarkable work.

To quote Tommie’s articulate summation of the end of our 2020 season on the RTÉ News website; The Bit O Red bond is something that cannot be denied.

The bond will only strengthen.

The club’s management committee have purchased the tile for Tommie.

It will read:

Click here to buy and be part of this unique part of The Showgrounds through the Bit O’ Red Wall. Sales close on Wednesday.

Sligo Rovers can confirm that Niall Morahan, Darren Collins, Scott Lynch, James Robinson and Cillian Heaney will combine their football career with the Bit O’ Red and studying at IT Sligo during the third year of scholarship agreement between the parties.

All five players are registered to play for the Bit O’ Red first-team and have been part of the squad for pre-season.

Morahan has established himself as an important player for Rovers, while the remaining four continue to progress and will be first-team squad members this season.

Last year, IT Sligo reached two National Finals in the CUFL & CFAI completions which are both the highest levels in College and University Football.

Collins and Lynch were part of several matchday squads and played first-team football, while Robinson and Heaney have been involved this year following progression from the Under-19 side.

Mark Byrne is also a former IT Sligo student and is now a senior Rovers professional.

Sligo Rovers CEO Colin Feehily said: “We’re delighted to see our link with IT Sligo growing stronger. This season we’ll see a high number of players wearing the Rovers shirt and studying here in Sligo. Education is something we are keen to offer our players. The first two years of the agreement have been very successful for everyone.

“Our target is that by the time the players finish their education, they will also be accomplished senior players. It is possible to combine both and I have to commend the players for their commitment to studying and football, especially during these Covid-19 times. Online learning has brought a different dimension to it.

“We have a couple of rooms where they can study in or attend a lecture before and after training, which is a great help for them to have that on site at The Showgrounds. I’d also like to thank the staff at The Knocknarea Arena who are a great help to us with their excellent facilities. Chris O’ Malley and all the lecturers have been brilliant to work with as well, and are really good to all the lads.”

IT Sligo Football Facilitator and Men’s Head Coach, Colm Jinks, said: “At IT Sligo, we are delighted we have established this link with one of the biggest clubs in Irish football, Sligo Rovers. 

“Behind the scenes, both parties have worked extremely hard to create this elite football scholarship program and put in place a pathway for players to succeed at professional level football and achieve academically with a third level education which is so vitally important”.

 “IT Sligo has established itself as one of the leading sporting, third level institutions in the region and are showing their intent in being one of the best in the country by offering this amazing scholarship program along with all other scholarships available through IT Sligo’s football club.

“We are showing IT Sligo and Rovers are serious about paving a pathway for the younger academy players to see they can stay here along with combining their studies and playing careers. 

“We are going into our third year of the agreement and were really looking forward to welcoming more of these Elite players to IT Sligo in September.”

Sligo Rovers first-team manager Liam Buckley said: “The IT Sligo partnership is very important to us. The five lads all contribute to our group and form a valuable part of the squad and our training every day.

“Niall has obviously made the biggest impact so far in the first-team, but in time we’ll see more and more from these players. From my point of view it is good to see this agreement growing because it means we keep the best local players here and they also benefit with third level education in IT Sligo.”

Sligo Rovers head of academy Conor O’Grady said: “We are very thankful to IT Sligo and Colm Jinks for their ongoing support.  We want to expand the partnership and have a pathway for our players to play first-team football for Rovers and also gain an education as well.

“Both parties are ensuring football and education is well-balanced. IT Sligo had a great season last year and they will do again when they are back on the pitch with the quality of these additions.

“Even as just one example, we saw Cillian Heaney as the latest academy player to play first-team football having made his first appearance against Galway United on Wednesday.  He has been with us for several years after coming from Westport and will now be a senior player as well as studying in the IT. That’s what we want here. Niall, Darren, Scott, Cillian and James are all doing well and they deserve all the credit for doing so.”

Visit the website at IT Sligo Scholarship for more information.         

Sligo Rovers will host a second online bingo event on Friday following the success of the first game last week.

It is open to all players over the age of 18. A single bingo book will be €12, while a double will be €20.

The bingo begins on Friday at 8pm. 

We’ll send you a link to download your books which contain your six bingo games in an email, you can then download them, and either play on your phone or print them off or even write them out yourself.

Click here to buy a single book

Click here to buy a double book

They will contain a serial number integrated with our software and bingo session

What you will need is a device to join our game (laptop, phone or tablet), it’s a free app called Zoom which you will need. All the details to play will be in the e-mail we send you.

What we play for in each session

6 Games of Bingo with a Jackpot of €500 in Game 6

Single Line, Double Line & The Full House in each session with payouts over €1300

Game 1 – Orange

Game 2 – Olive

Game 3 – Grey

Game 4 – Brown

Game 5 – Red

Game 6 – Green

All proceeds go to the club and we are looking to open up to a wide audience and connect players all over Sligo.

We want to have a bit of fun with a few games during the Bingo and also the most important thing is you can see and hear everyone so you know who you are playing with & against.