Sligo Rovers are now accepting applications from season ticket holders to attend matches in August.

The games are:

Tuesday 4th August vs Waterford – 7:45pm
Saturday 8th August vs Shelbourne – 5pm
Saturday 22nd August vs Dundalk – 5pm

How to apply:

Click here to apply and submit the form with all details filled out.

Applications will close on Thursday 23rd July at 1pm. We wish to remind supporters that we will be adhering to guidelines from the HSE and FAI.

How we deal with submissions: 

Following the result of the submissions, the club will randomly allocate season ticket holders to each game. Season ticket holders can apply for multiple games but after a successful application, the queue is reordered. This will ensure as many season tickets holders as possible can benefit.

Super Reds will also be included but must tie-in with parental or family season ticket passes. 

Our online submission form will ask what type of season ticket you hold, whether Super Reds tickets are tied in with family or adult tickets, in order for us best to deal with your request.

Inevitably demand will outweigh supply as the number of season ticket holders the club has far exceeds our permitted capacity. 

We feel this is the fairest way to deal with the issue and allow greatest control on hosting safe matches in The Showgrounds. 

What do I do if I’m successful in the ballot?

Supporters will be contacted at least a week from the fixture to see if they still wish to attend. 

Safety guidelines will be published on our website in advance of the game and we will also seek contact info and be in touch on game week.

Streaming passes:

Applications for free season passes for streaming for all season ticket holders will open on Friday afternoon.

Attending matches  – Please note all is subject to change: 

If phase 4 of the government Covid-19 roadmap proceeds as planned, a limited number of people can be in The Showgrounds for our first three league matches. 

These are:

Tuesday 4 August vs Waterford – 7:45pm

Saturday 8 August vs Shelbourne – 5pm

Saturday 22 August vs Dundalk – 5pm

It is hoped that more can attend later in the year. A decision on matches after 31 August will be taken in line with FAI and government advice.

Players, match officials, club volunteers, visiting officials and all personnel key to running a match event at The Showgrounds will be part of the number of permitted attendance.

As a result, in terms of supporters attending for our first three games, the number will be very limited. A final league wide guideline is awaited in line with HSE recommendations. 

How it is distributed: 

The club are extremely fortunate to benefit from many loyal supporters.

Following a meeting of the management committee, it was felt imperative in this scenario to prioritise all 2020 season ticket holders for the division of match tickets for games. 

Other factors will not enter into how tickets are distributed. 

From this week we will ask season ticket holders to apply online to attend our first three games. That portal will open in the next 48 hours. Again we must state there is no guarantee of supporters being allowed to attend.

Season ticket holders who do not apply will still be contacted by the club but we encourage all season tickets holders to use the online method and provide contact details in order to make the process as fast as possible for the club.

We are particularly mindful of those who do not access our media channels so please encourage fellow season tickets holders to log online. 

Only season ticket holders will be eligible to apply to attend matches. 

How we deal with submissions: 

Following the result of the submissions, the club will randomly allocate season ticket holders to each game. Season ticket holders can apply for multiple games but after a successful application, the queue is reordered. This will ensure as many season tickets holders as possible can benefit.

Super Reds will also be included but must tie-in with parental or family season ticket passes. 

Our online submission form will ask what type of season ticket you hold, whether Super Reds tickets are tied in with family or adult tickets, in order for us best to deal with your request.

Inevitably demand will outweigh supply as the number of season ticket holders the club has far exceeds our permitted capacity. 

We feel this is the fairest way to deal with the issue and allow greatest control on hosting safe matches in The Showgrounds. 

What do I do if I’m successful in the ballot?

Supporters will be contacted at least a week from the fixture to see if they still wish to attend. 

Safety guidelines will be published on our website in advance of the game and we will also seek contact info and be in touch on game week.

Streaming:

The club will purchase a streaming pass for all Sligo Rovers home and away matches for our season ticket holders in order to watch the Bit O’ Red in action. This is at a cost of thousands of euro. 

There will be no charge to our season ticket holders for this pass. They must apply for the pass, we will post on www.sligorovers.com this week on how to apply. After Tuesday 28 July, this offer will no longer be available. No exceptions will be made. Households with multiple season tickets will be asked to apply for one pass.

Non-season tickets holders will be able to purchase the pass for a fee, to be confirmed next week.  

Message from Management Committee:

We will try continue to accommodate all our fans as best we can within the current restrictions. That is not easy in the current circumstances but we hope the combination of free streaming for all our matches including away fixtures and limited home attendance will appeal to our season ticket holders.We will continue to operate within the guidelines as the situation changes and will update supporters regularly.

Finally, a huge thank you from the club for the tremendous support for the Gofundme appeal organised by the Bit O’ Red Supporters Trust, it really demonstrates what the club means to people and is a massive help in filling the big financial gap we have been left with. 

Sligo Rovers Management Committee

Sligo Rovers will play in the first game of the resumed SSE Airtricity League of Ireland on Friday 31 July against Derry City at 5:45pm in the Ryan McBride Brandywell.

In a busy opening week, Rovers then play at home on Tuesday 4 August at 7:45pm in The Showgrounds.

On Saturday 8 August, Shelbourne are the visitors to Sligo for a 5pm kick-off.

The new match times are for streaming purposes. Full fixtures are available here.

Sligo Rovers have received a bye into the second round of the Extra.ie FAI Cup.

Rovers were one of the 13 clubs to receive a bye to the second round of the competition, due to the shortened 2020 season format. 

The teams to receive a bye were drawn first. Rovers were fifth out of the draw.

St. Patrick’s Athletic will travel to Finn Harps, Cork City take on Longford Town at Turner’s Cross. 

Dundalk will face Waterford. 

Extra.ie FAI Cup – First Round Draw

Cork City v Longford Town
Dundalk v Waterford
Finn Harps v St. Patrick’s Athletic

Byes

Athlone Town
Bohemians
Bray Wanderers
Cabinteely
Cobh Ramblers
Derry City
Drogheda United
Galway United
Shamrock Rovers
Shelbourne
Sligo Rovers
UCD AFC 
Wexford

Sligo Rovers recorded a 1-0 win over Galway United last Sunday in their first friendly game ahead of the resumption of the SSE Airtricity League season.

The match was played behind closed doors in The Showgrounds.

Rovers were without nine players for the match. Teemu Penninkangas, Will Seymore, Ryan De Vries, Alex Cooper and Lewis Banks are quarantining until Wednesday, while John Mahon, Johnny Dunleavy, Danny Kane and Ronan Murray are injured.

Garry Buckley played at centre-half for the Bit O’ Red – the same role in which he played in the match before the league was shutdown against Shamrock Rovers.

Fit again Regan Donelon played at left-back, while Scott Lynch was at right-back.

Another IT Sligo student, Mark Byrne, started on the left side for Rovers.

Galway started the half the better but it was the home side that created the most chances in the first period.

In the 14^th minute Byrne played the ball down the left side for Coughlan. The striker held his run to remain onside and checked back onto his right side, but the shot was blocked. Jesse Devers took possession, beat his man and crossed for Byrne, but Galway goalkeeper Kevin Horgan was equal to the header.

Five minutes later David Cawley chipped the ball over the top for Coughlan who attempted to lob Horgan in the goal, however his effort went wide of the post as Rovers attacked the Pet Stop stand.

Cawley teed up Darragh Noone when the Mayo man picked up the loose ball from a set piece. Noone pointed to where he wanted the ball 15 yards from goal and it was a fine pass by his fellow midfielder. The shot was just over the crossbar.

The best move of the half came on 22 minutes as Callan-McFadden played a confident pass from halfway which Noone turned and ran towards goal. He found Byrne on the left side, surrounded by Galway players, with Donelon running on to support. The left-back gave it to Coughlan on the edge of the box, who spun and shot and at a second attempt sent an overhead kick just above the crossbar.

Francely Lomboto sent a ball across the Rovers six yard area on 33 minutes as Galway threatened on the break.

Farragher headed a Jesse Devers cross out for a corner when Noone and Coughlan were waiting at the back post three minutes later.

Horgan had to be alert to tip over Donelon’s free-kick which was a cross aimed towards goal.

The best opening of the half came down the right side again with Devers. He slid the ball across the area which couldn’t get a touch on. A Galway defender looked to have made contact with the Rovers striker, but the referee waved play on.

Rovers spent the half-time break on the pitch for social-distancing reasons. Galway made eight changes for the second half, including former Bit O’ Red players Michael Schlingermann and Vinny Faherty.

Darragh Noone was pushing further up the field for Rovers. Galway had the best opening of the a quiet first 15 minutes of the second period.

Carlton Ubaezuonu was causing some problems on the left side and he produced a lovely cross for Faherty to head over. The veteran striker was furious with himself as it was a glaring opening.

Rovers would then go ahead. The move start at the back as Scott Lynch sent it down the channel, Noone showed good composure to see Cawley who dinked it over the United backline for Devers in space.

The former Galway player sent in a sublime first-time cross for Mark Byrne to come rushing on to and he beat Schlingermann from close range for his first senior goal.

Darren Collins of the Under-19s and Darragh Reilly – an Under-17 player and former captain of the Republic of Ireland Under-16s, were introduced for Devers and Lynch on 62 minutes.

Reilly slotted in at right-back to make his senior debut at just 16 years of age.

There was little other incident in the second period. Garry Buckley shot from 25 yards which was comfortable for Schlingermann. Rovers were in retreat for the closing stages and had a very youthful side – as well as tiring – with Liam Buckley unable to make wholesale changes due to so many absentees.

The lively Byrne played a brilliant ball through for Coughlan, who saw his attempt to beat the final man thwarted as it was sent out for a corner which Buckley just missed out on.  

Schlingermann was injured later on, hobbling on his ankle, so striker Faherty had to go in goal for United for the closing stages as they finished with 10 men.

The teams could meet again in this pre-season, with Liam Buckley’s men set to play two more games.

Sligo Rovers team: Ed McGinty, Scott Lynch (Darragh Reilly 62), Garry Buckley (Johnny Dunleavy 75), Kyle Callan-McFadden, Regan Donelon; David Cawley (Kailin Barlow 81), Niall Morahan, Darragh Noone; Mark Byrne, Jesse Devers (Darren Collins 62); Ronan Coughlan.

10 players remain in contention to win €1000 as we go into week 8 of the last man standing. The mid-week games seen 4 players eliminated after Tottenham were held to a goalless draw away to AFC Bournemouth.

This weekend Leicester are the standout favourites for the remaining contestants with 8 players selecting them. Leicester faces off against relegation battlers AFC Bournemouth.

Manchester City is the team chosen by the remaining two players. They come up against Brighton and Hove Albion .

Entries for week 7 of Last man standing have closed. Week 6 seen no players eliminated with 14 still in contention for the €1000 prise.

Relegation battlers Watford are the most picked team this week with half of the remaining players beliving they will beat bottom of the table Norwich. Neither team have won a game since the restart.

Tottenham is the second favourite team this week with 4 players picking them. They travel to 2nd from bottom Afc Bournemouth.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool make up the remaining selections.

Sligo Rovers defender Kyle Callan-McFadden says there is a feeling of relief and anticipation after the Bit O’ Red returned to training last week and now begin preparations for a restart on 31 July.

Rovers have been training for 10 days and now work in two groups of Irish based players and the five that return from outside of the country in the past week.

They will gather as one group from the middle of the week beginning 13 July.

Danny Kane, Johnny Dunleavy and John Mahon are currently not training due to injury, while Ronan Murray also suffered a muscle strain last week and will receive treatment over the next fortnight.

Regan Donelon is fit again after being injured at the start of the season in a boost.

Lewis Banks is back in light training also, a further assessment will come when his quarantine period ends.  

The squad will play some closed doors friendly matches in the next three weeks and league fixtures should be announced this week.

The Rovers captain said just being back on the pitch meant a lot of all of the squad: “It was great to be back in and see all the lads.

“It was a long few months for everyone. To be back with the boys and training brings a bit of normality and it is something we all couldn’t wait for.

“We were all buzzing to be back in and get started. The rust wasn’t long being shaken off, the lads have come back in good condition and we’ve been able to hit the ground running in the last week or so.

“We’d all been working on a fitness programme since the league shutdown so it isn’t like a normal pre-season where you have to work a lot on fitness at the start.

“The gaffer and John Russell will probably monitor it and judge what we need over the next few weeks.

“Obviously we’re not all together yet but when we get that we’ll be in good shape. I think we can be ready to start well 31 July.”

Rovers restart the season with no points and just 14 matches remaining in the season.

It means the Bit O’ Red must turn their early form on its head over the coming months.

The defender does not believe the additional pressure will affect the group.

“The mood is good; like I said we were just happy to be back in and we’ve been in a lot since. We know there are only 14 league games, the format has obviously been spoken about a lot.  

“From our point of view, we didn’t have the start to the season that we wanted, we had a lot of players out injured. We’ve got a couple of them back and hopefully more to come.

“We have this short season, where we have to win matches sooner rather than later. I don’t think that is a massive pressure weighing down on us. There isn’t much room for error but it’s time to show what we’re about I think and it was time regardless of what the format was because we were all disappointed that we didn’t start the year well.

“We have enough about us to get up the table and start off quickly and it is in our hands. One or two wins could give a very different look on things. The sooner we get them the better of course. We’ve got to be positive from the start.”

Last week the Bit O’ Red Supporters Trust GoFundMe was started and has raised €67,000 so far. The remarkable response has drawn widespread praise and raised spirits around the club.

The Rovers players have also played their part, reaching an agreement with the club that helped make it financially feasible to return.

Callan-McFadden added: “Yes we did that. We’re not going to shout it from the rooftops or whatever, we all had to do something to help the club. Everyone understands that, maybe it is something people should know, I’ve lived in Sligo for a few years but even the new lads know what the club is about here.

“We were all willing to do our bit to get back playing.

 “The money that was brought in these last few days speaks for itself. What can you say? It’s unbelievable, only Sligo Rovers could do it really I think.

“The fans here are different class and I know they’ll be behind us for the rest of the year whether that is in the stadium, around the town or through the fundraising.

“There’ll be lots of ups and downs in the next few months I imagine so we have to stay in this together.”

Sligo Rovers senior and Under-19 players competed in a match in The Showgrounds on Saturday.

Photos by James Fallon