The Belfry Gastro Pub will stream Sligo Rovers’ return to football on Friday night in The Brandywell for Bit O’ Red Supporters who wish to watch on.

Book into the Belfry or Lola Montez Supperclub here and in the comments section add a note to say you are in to watch the match so the staff can sit you at the best table to watch Rovers in action.

Kick-off on Friday is 5:45pm. Booking is requested, go here.

Sligo Rovers season ticket holders can gain a free streaming pass here.

Non season ticket holders can purchase on WatchLOI.ie

Illustrator Annie West has teamed up with Sligo Rovers to create an iconic portrait of generations of supporters of the club.

The image shows countless Bit O’ Red characters that created the spirit of Sligo Rovers and show the support behind the club for the coming months.

Annie West is an award-winning illustrator and cartoonist, her work was recently added to the National Library of Ireland’s permanent Cartoon & Illustration Archive.

The image, created in recent weeks, will be available to purchase for €12 in local retail outlets and also available online, plus postage. 

They are available in Barton Smiths, Eason’s, Carraig Donn, The Record Room, Centra Maugheraboy and more to come.

Buy online on srfcdirect.com here

There will also be a signed special limited edition high resolution  museum grade print, signed and numbered by Annie West, which will be processed directly via www.anniewest.com. 

It was unveiled on social media in recent weeks to widespread praise and huge demand to purchase, and will be a souvenir item for Sligo Rovers fans to treasure for years to come.

Explaining the inspiration behind the project, Annie West said: “I’m not really a football fan, I just got a sense of something bad happening for Sligo Rovers because of Covid-19 and I just thought ‘wouldn’t it be nice to do something’. 

“I’ve passed by The Showgrounds after a game and I’ve always been struck by the colour and the energy. And the banners. Lots to work with. 

“I didn’t have a lot of time but with lockdown it was that bit easier to find it. I spoke to Tommy Higgins and he was very positive about it.

“I spoke to some well-known veteran Rovers supporters, discovered more and more about these mad characters, stories I didn’t know. These people were just so committed to Sligo Rovers. I saw all the banners, the flags. It quickly all added up.”

Annie, who has donated the picture to Sligo Rovers as a fundraiser, was taken aback by the response.

“Well what I discovered what was there are Sligo Rovers fans everywhere firstly because I was getting messages from all over the world. 

“And then I just wanted to look more and more into the people who have followed the club and just what an impact it makes. I saw that mural of Nancy Callaghan, but I never really knew the story.

“The more I read, I discovered what an amazing woman she was, with her chair. Johnny Chadda. All the people who dedicated all their time to keeping Sligo Rovers going.  At first I thought we could do this and just post it online for a bit of a lift for people. 

“But with the situation of no crowds being allowed to attend games, I thought let’s do it as a fundraiser for the club. I hope everyone enjoys it.”

Sligo Rovers chairman Tommy Higgins said: “I’d like to thank Annie showcasing Sligo Rovers with her incredible talent 

“This wonderful piece captures so much of our people and our club in a way that only Annie can do. 

“We are simply thrilled to have it available to us and for our supporters to cherish.” 

The Sligo branch of the Arsenal Supporters Club have made a donation of €1,000 to Sligo Rovers to help the club financially for the rest of the season.

A presentation was made to Sligo Rovers to mark the contribution, which the Arsenal Supporters Club said was made on the back of the success of the GoFundMe and to offer support to the Bit O’ Red.

Sligo Rovers chairman Tommy Higgins said: “I want to thank Willie, Robbie, Michael and all of the Arsenal fans in the region for this contribution to the club.

“The funds are extremely welcome in a challenging few months to come for us.

“We are very fortunate to have links with the supporters clubs in Sligo, every football fan is missing being able to go to a match and that is the same all over the world really.

“This gesture from the local Arsenal fans is really appreciated and hugely generous. We know that the Arsenal fans can’t be at the Emirates, but they are in turn helping Sligo Rovers. That does mean a lot to us.

“We can’t wait to see all football fans in Sligo back in The Showgrounds, one day soon.”

Willie Hudson, chairman of the Sligo branch of the Arsenal Supporters Club, said: “We are delighted to make this €1,000 donation today.

“The money is for the ongoing fundraising drive in these challenging times. We wish Sligo Rovers the best of luck for the rest of the year.”

The GoFundMe page for Sligo Rovers has raised over €84,000.

Sligo Rovers will permit 50 supporters to attend next Tuesday’s SSE Airtricity Premier Division match against Waterford FC in The Showgrounds.

The Bit O’ Red will contact 50 season ticket holders who have applied for the Waterford game and they will be in The Showgrounds for the first home game since the restart.

The 50 supporters will be contacted in the next 48 hours.

A ticketing system will be in operation on the night.

The club will take contact details, a new entrance system will be in place at the Showgrounds office and identification will also be requested.

Supporters must wear masks on entry and in the ground. Strict social distancing measures will be in place.  

The club will also permit the same number of fans for the match with Shelbourne, but it will be a different set of 50 fans in order to satisfy as many fans possible.

A total of 200 people can attend the event but this includes players, coaches, officials and match night events.

That figure is just under 150.

No other person will be allowed access to the stadium.

Season ticket holders who are not successful in the ballot can apply to stream the game for free via a complimentary season pass for WatchLOI.ie

Non season ticket holders can purchase at WatchLOI.ie

Week one of the clubs Summer Camps have just concluded, with children coming to The Showgrounds again for the first time since February.

The club would like to thank the children, parents and coaches for making week one of the camp such a success.

It was evident that all participants were delighted to be back amongst friends again in The Showgrounds.

The club have capped each week of the Summer Camp to 60 participants, with the first four weeks of the camp sold out.

There are only two spaces remaining for week five of the camp (August 17th-21st).

To book the last two remaining spots on our Summer Camp, click here

Sligo Rovers are thrilled to announce the signing of Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, top scorer in the SSE Airtricity League last season, for the remainder of the 2020 campaign.

The striker moves from Israeli Premier League club Hapoel Hadera and will join Rovers pending work permit and international clearance.

Junior scored 14 goals in the 2019 Premier Division with Derry City, impressing throughout the season during a loan move from former club Colchester United.

He moves to Sligo for the remainder of this season, and will join his team-mates following a two-week period of quarantine.

Junior said: “I’m very happy to be back in the League of Ireland. I really liked the league here and I’m excited by the challenge of coming to Sligo Rovers. I know they haven’t picked up the results wanted at the start of the season and there’s only 14 games to play. I’m looking to take it step by step and win a few games as soon as we can.

“It has been a frustrating year for me. I left Israel when the league was stopped due to Covid-19 and I just wanted to be closer to home. When the offer came in to be back in the League of Ireland, it appealed to me.

“I remember Sligo were tough opponents. My time at Derry was great, getting to Europe and there is good football played in Ireland. This spell I hope to get more goals and help Sligo get up the table for the next months. I’m very keen to be back on the pitch as soon as possible.”

Liam Buckley said: “It’s a very good signing for us I feel, we’re looking for Junior to come in and hit the ground running as soon as he’s eligible to be involved.

“We have some good options in the forward area, Junior can play across the front three and he scored some very good goals last season. I remember in particular he did well against us, so we’re very aware of his talent.

“We know he can be a very good player in this league and we want him to have the same impact here that he had with Derry City.

“The Israeli League is a good standard and I think he would have showed his ability there if Covid-19 hadn’t changed the landscape. It is to our benefit that he wanted to come back to these shores so I’m delighted he is a Sligo Rovers player now.

“We’re still in the market, but there is nothing further to say on that right now. We have a friendly on Saturday in Galway and we’re gearing up for next Friday’s game in Derry. Every game is going to be very important and we’ll need to be ready for a hard game.”

Below are some questions that we believe fans will ask following the release of the platform;

Do Sligo Rovers profit from this?

Yes, the club receives a share of the revenue split between all league clubs

Do I get a free pass if I’m a season ticket holder?

Yes, all Sligo Rovers season ticket holders must apply through here between now and Thursday 30 July.

How much is the FAI making from this?

€0, the FAI is covering all production costs and all revenue from the platform will be split between the clubs.

I only want to watch Sligo Rovers; can I just buy a club pass?

No, currently you can purchase a season pass which will give you access to all league matches shown on the platform or you can purchase access on a match-by-match basis for just €5.

Will every league match be shown on the platform?

On the Island of Ireland, all matches apart from those shown live on Eir Sport are available via the platform. Outside the Island of Ireland, every match is available.

If I’m a non season ticket holder, what do I do?

Buy a season pass or a per game at €5 on WatchLOI.ie

Will the matches that are shown live on EirSport be available to watch in Northern Ireland?

Yes, you will be able to watch them via EirSport. They will not be available on WATCHLOI.

Is the current league fixture list correct?

No, the time and day of matches will be reviewed constantly to best suit streaming, live TV and the clubs. Fixtures have been set for the first few weeks and the following weeks will be reviewed in due course.

I am not based on the Island of Ireland, do I still pay €55?

No, you will pay €69 or $79USD as you will have access to more matches than those in Ireland.

How many cameras will be at each game?

Unless the match is also being broadcast on TV, there will most likely be one camera at each match, but some games will have a two-camera setup.

Who are the commentators?

The commentators are being provided by RTÉ and most will be easily recognizable to league fans.

Will matches be available for catchup on the platform?

Yes all matches will be available until after the end of the season.

Can I access my account from any device?

Yes

Can I watch on mobile?

Yes

If I live in Ireland and I travel abroad, can I still access my account?

Yes, you will have access for what you signed up for

WATCHLOI, the SSE Airtricity League’s new streaming platform, is now live.

WATCHLOI was showcased at a media event today in Fuel Studios on Camden Street, Dublin. It is the league’s first-ever streaming service which will deliver SSE Airtricity League Premier Division football to all supporters in Ireland and around the world.

Sligo Rovers season ticket holders can apply for a free pass here, paid for by the club.

Non season-ticket holders can purchase via WatchLOI.ie

The Football Association of Ireland and RTE Sport, in collaboration with GAAGO, have partnered to deliver a world class streaming platform which will guarantee supporters can watch the #GreatestLeagueInTheWorld wherever they are on watchloi.ie.

Each Premier Division fixture, as well as selected Extra.ie FAI Cup matches, will be live streamed with RTE Sport’s cameras and commentary team set to create a fantastic production for supporters to enjoy.

Season passes went on sale this morning on the watchloi.ie platform at just €55 for supporters in Ireland and €69 for the rest of the world. It will be the perfect way for supporters to support their club with revenue created set to go to each club and with over 55+ matches set to be on the platform, it is also great value.

The SSE Airtricity League is set to restart on Friday, July 31 with Derry City v Sligo Rovers to be the first match streamed on the platform, kick-off at 5.45pm.

“We’re absolutely delighted to launch our new streaming service, WATCHLOI,” said FAI Commercial & Marketing Director Mark Russell.

“Working with RTE Sport and GAAGO will guarantee that we will have a best-in-class product which SSE Airtricity League supporters will be able to enjoy around the world.

“Especially with COVID-19 restrictions, this is the ideal time to launch this service but with the revenue it will generate for the clubs, this is also a major moment for the league and a fantastic opportunity to promote and enhance the domestic game in Ireland.”

Declan McBennett, Group Head of Sport, RTÉ said: “In these uncertain times, when dedicated fans are unable to attend games in large numbers, we are delighted to bring the games directly to them via WatchLOI. 

“This is a chance for the whole of the Irish footballing family to get behind the SSE Airtricity League and lend their support in every way to the clubs as the heartbeat of the association.”

Sligo Rovers would like to congratulate Patricia Cryan who has won the Last Man Standing competition.

Following Brighton and Hove Albion’s scoreless draw last night which eliminated Des Kavanagh and saw Patricia Cryan as the only remaining player after her selection of Burnley beat Norwich on Saturday evening.

The club would like to put on record our thanks to everyone who entered the competition which began last February.

Two players still remain in this years last man standing. Patricia Cryan this week has chosen Burnley while Des Kavanagh has gone with Brighton.

	Des Kavanagh	Patricia Cryan
Week 1	west ham	wolves
Week 2	liverpool	liverpool
Week 3	Chelsea	Chelsea
Week 4	Wolves	Tottenham
Week 5	Arsenal	Arsenal
Week 6	Manchester United	Leicester
Week 7	Watford	Manchester United
Week 8	Manchester city	Manchester City
Week 9	Southampton	Everton
week 10	Brighton	Burnley