The upcoming Sligo Rovers 2019 Awards and 1994 Reunion night will see two Sligo Rovers greats inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.

Tony Fagan and Joseph Ndo are among the legends already inducted.

The first player can be confirmed this morning. Chris Rutherford will received the honour this year in the Clayton Hotel on Friday 1 November.

A commanding central defender, Chris was a key personality in the team which won the League of Ireland title in 1977, scoring one of the goals in the famous win over Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds on the last day of the season.

Chris went on to win an FAI Cup medal with Rovers in 1983 before a serious knee injury forced him to retire at just 28 years of age.

He joined the coaching staff at the Showgrounds and was a member of Willie McStay’s backroom team when Rovers won the FAI Cup in 1994.

He also served as caretaker manager and assistant manager on a number of occasions.

We look forward to inducting Chris and welcoming his family on the night.

Tickets are on sale for the event which includes a two course meal with tea/coffee, complimentary drinks reception and more.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

This is not a night to miss with the 1994 team returning to Sligo, including manager Willie McStay and a host of players.

To book a table of 10, e-mail administrator@sligorovers.com

Photo courtesy of Alan Finn

This Wednesday at The Radisson Hotel in Rosses Point our World Record Fashion Show Attempt takes place at 8pm in conjunction with EJ Menswear and Cancer Support Centre

EJ Menswear have been busy organising logistics and clothing and have also recruited some professional models and sports stars to be there on the night.

Nathan and Jake Carter will be in attendance, GAA stars Kieran Donaghy and Paul Flynn as well as Sean O’Brien from Irish Rugby.

The 2019 Donegal Rose will take part in the show along with other Roses and Rose of Tralee Escorts.

There will be former Miss Irelands and other popular acts coming along to support this big event.

Our first team squad will be strutting their stuff on the cat walk as well as manager Liam Buckley and club staff.

A key aspect to the night is raising awareness and vital funds for Sligo Cancer Support Centre. Unfortunately, many people in Sligo are affected with cancer and the support centre is a huge factor in people’s recovery and well being and acts as a massive support to those people affected.

If you or someone you care about have been diagnosed by cancer, The Sligo Cancer Support Centre is there to offer you peace and hope. The Centre is located in Wine Street in Sligo Town.

Another organisation involved in the running of the event are Sligo All Stars Basketball Club.

The club continue to work hard in the local community and help boys and girls from young ages learn and develop the basic skills in basketball. Sport is a vital part in the lives of children and it’s important for children to be active and involved and we are delighted as a club to be working alongside another sporting club which keeps children active.

On a more professional scale, the club continue to play in the National Basketball League and enjoyed a win over Portlaoise last Saturday night in The Mercy College. We would recommend taking in a game or two when the Bit O Red season finishes up.

We would like to thank Eamon and the staff at EJ Menswear for helping to organise the event, and wish them the very best in their 25th year of business.

INFORMATION:

PARK AND RIDE SERVICE:

A park and ride service is available from The Showgrounds Astro Turf car park tomorrow for both models and those attending the event. Leave your car at The Showgrounds and take the bus to and from the event and save yourself the hassle of parking as we expect hundreds to attend. The bus leaves at 6pm and will return for another journey at 6:30pm and 7pm. For more information keep an eye on our social media platforms.

MODELS – REGISTRATION:

Have you taken a sponsorship card? If so please return it today to the person who gave it to you. It is important everyone returns their cards as soon as possible.

Registration takes place between 6pm and 7pm so please arrive within that time and go to hotel reception where you’ll see the registration table sign posted.

We thank everyone for agreeing to take part in the show.

Event Tickets:

The event is expected to sell out. Please buy your event tickets from The Showgrounds office today or tomorrow between 10am and 2pm or EJ Menswear between 9:30 and 6pm to avoid disappointment. Tickets are €20.

BEAT IT! MEGA DRAW TICKETS:

You will find it difficult to find a bigger and better draw than this. We are giving away a 25 year season ticket which will give you access, for free, to EVERY Sligo Rovers League match until 2045.

EJ Menswear are giving away an amazing shop voucher worth €25,000. This can be redeemed in store and will be sure to keep you up to date on fashion over the next number of years.

To enter the draw online visit:
https://www.ejmenswear.com/men/beat-it-mega-draw-ticket

Tickets are just €10, and will also be available tomorrow night.

MC on the night is DJ Scruffy Duffy with Jake Carter assisting him with doors opening at 6:30pm. The event starts at 8pm.

The 2019 Awards night will be held in the Clayton Hotel on Friday 1st November and you can vote for your Sligo Rover senior player of the year.

The night will coincide with the reunion of our 1994 team who famously won three trophies, including the FAI Cup.

There are a number of players nominated for Player of the Year.

Vote here

Tickets are on sale for the event for €50 from The Showgrounds

Vote for the Wehrly Bros Jewellers Sligo Rovers Player of the Month for September

The games included are the wins over Finn Harps, UCD (x2) and the semi-final defeat to Dundalk.

Vote here

Sligo Rovers will host a 25^th anniversary celebration for the 1994 FAI Cup winning side on Friday 1^st November in the Clayton Hotel.

Willie McStay and members of the 1994 team will be guests at the dinner dance event which will include a complimentary drinks reception, two course meal with tea/coffee, music and more.

The 1994 side will all be present except two players who are based in Australia.

The night will also coincide with the Player of the Year awards for this season, from senior to underage and women’s team.

The awards will be presented on the night.

Sligo Rovers legends will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the night as well as honouring a volunteer who has made a massive mark on the club.

Captain on the day of the FAI Cup victory to seal the treble win, Gavin Dykes, said: “It’s fantastic that the club are honouring the team and there is a great deal of excitement among all of us to catch up with the group.

“It looks like we’ll have nearly all the team with us and I know Willie is thrilled to be coming.

“The 1994 era was a special time in all our lives. For us it’s important to celebrate that time and we are delighted the club are organising this event.

“There’ll be a lot of stories, a lot of catching up and we hope to have a really memorable night.”

Tickets for the event are limited and on sale at the Showgrounds.

Tables of 10 are also available for corporate, please e-mail administrator@sligorovers.com

The 1994 team will also be honoured by the FAI at the FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday 3 November.

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland are keen to help Sligo Rovers fans that are visually impaired and provide a service at matches.

If there is any Sligo Rovers fans interested in providing audio description for visually impaired fans at Sligo Rovers matches please contact the NCBI in Sligo on 071-9170007.

Sligo Rovers are thrilled to confirm Ronan Coughlan has signed a new contract with the club.

The striker, who turned 24 last week, has had an impressive season at The Showgrounds including scoring eight league goals and putting in a number of man of the match displays.

Coughlan signed on the eve of the Premier Division season and had just one training session before his first start.

He struck up a dynamic partnership with Romeo Parkes as the duo contributed 19 lleague goals in total.

Coughlan’s performances saw him become a real favourite among Showgrounds fans and today he has signed a deal for the 2020 season – the 11th player now tied down.

Liam Buckley said: “We’re delighted to get Ronan signed up today. There was some interest from other clubs which didn’t come as a surprise after his performances this season. 

“He came in late in the day, when you consider he didn’t do any pre-season here.

“Ronan’s contribution overall has been excellent, his work-rate is terrific and what we wanted to add to his game over the course of the seasonhas been for him to get into areas to get more chances and as a result score more goals.

“He has certainly improved on that and we want more of it next season. He can get better and better.

“Ronan knows how valued he is here and altogether it gives him a strong platform to take into next year and make a big, big impact in this league.

“We have a good core group signed so far and we will build a very competitive squad. We want to take the progress we’ve made into next season because this year has been about getting us to a level to kick on.

“I want as many supporters as we can to row in behind us because the more people we have on board with us, the easier it makes it for the club behind the scenes and getting the players we want over these coming weeks. The board and the CEO are doing great work from that end. 

“We are going to continue our work on that and we have two more games to try to finish this year in the right manner. I expect the players to do that. 

“But we are also moving our focus towards 2020 as well. There’s a great opportunity for any player that comes here or that we re-sign.

“We’ve got a group of players here that are developing a mentality that gives you achance of achieving something.” 

We’ll hear from Ronan shortly.

Republic of Ireland Under-19 Head Coach Tom Mohan has named his squad to play Denmark on Friday in The Showgrounds.

After last season’s fantastic campaign that concluded with a Semi-Final appearance in the UEFA Under-19 European Championships, Mohan’s side will use the Danish double-header in preparations for the upcoming Qualifying Round games against Switzerland, Austria and Gibraltar.

Borussia Monchengladbach’s Conor Noß is called into an Ireland squad for the first time. The German-born attacker has been part of recent first-team squads with the Bundesliga side in domestic and European games.

Mohan said he is looking forward to seeing 18-year-old play in Sligo.

“Conor plays at number 10. He was in our last training camp. He impressed a lot and is technically a very good player. He’s doing very well in Germany and we’re excited by him.”

Mohan is hoping the Sligo crowd come out and support the side as preparations to qualify for next year’s Finals in Northern Ireland move up another level.

“There’ll be an honest approach from the players. It’s an opportunity for the players to impress. We’re looking forward to a good crowd in Sligo for the games.”

The opening match takes place in The Showgrounds on Friday, October 11 at 7:30pm, followed by the second game on Monday, October 14 at 1pm.

Republic of Ireland Under-19 Squad
Goalkeepers: Sean Bohan (Bohemians), Jimmy Corcoran (Preston North End), Bobby Jones (Wigan Athletic)

Defenders: Ronan Boyce (Derry City), Ben Greenwood (AFC Bournemouth), Oisin McEntee (Newcastle United), Mark McGuinness (Arsenal), Mazeed Ogungbo (Arsenal), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Lewis Richards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Timi Sobowale (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Jamie Bowden (Tottenham Hotspur), Barry Coffey (Celtic), Dawson Devoy (Bohemians), Donal Higgins (Galway United), Conor Grant (Sheffield Wednesday), Harvey Neville (Manchester United), Armstrong Oko-Flex (Celtic), Tyreik Wright (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Tom Cannon (Everton), Ryan Cassidy (Watford), Festy Ebosele (Derby County), Alex Gilbert (West Bromwich Albion), Conor Noß (Borussia Monchengladbach), George Nunn (Chelsea), Thomas Oluwa (Shamrock Rovers), Ross Tierney (Bohemians)

Sligo Rovers face Waterford on Tuesday in a re-arranged SSE Airtricity Premier Division match at the RSC.

The game has been brought forward because of the Blues being involved in the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Cup on Friday.

In team news, Daryl Fordyce, Kyle Callan-McFadden and Ronan Murray serve suspensions.

Murray is serving the second of a three-match ban. Dante Leverock is on international duty with Bermuda they prepare to face Mexico.

Romeo Parkes is out for the rest of the season (medial ligament) and Ronan Coughlan is doubtful and will undergo a late fitness test.

Fordyce, used as a midfielder throughout the season, served as a striker last Saturday against Shamrock Rovers so it means another rejig for Liam Buckley’s side if Coughlan does not make it but he could yet feature.

Liam Buckley said: “I was delighted with the effort last Saturday. I was proud of them because if our players are going to do anything in their careers, they have to put in that type of performance every week. We had the blow of losing the semi-final and were down a lot of players and we went out and showed something.  

“If you have that determination, focus and expectation to get results, no matter the situation, you have a chance. I can’t fault the lads over the Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers games.

“We want to build a dressing-room here that takes pride in every performance and you can’t pick and choose when you do it. We have to turn up and make sure we’re extremely competitive in every game.

“It’s going to be difficult after a hard game on Saturday night. We’ve just been trying to recover from Saturday and then having to travel such a long distance midweek at this stage of the season makes no sense whatsoever. We just have to get on with it.

“It is hard on the players we do have available as we are working from the same squad minus a few so there is very little we can do to change things.  

“We’ll have a lot of academy players to make up the bench because it is down to that.

“That said, the lads will put everything in to get a result. We want to finish off the season as best we can and get that points total up. We’ll be involved in key games for the rest of the year overall in the league so there’ll be no let up from that end.”

Sligo Rovers are currently taking expressions of interest in becoming our main sponsor for the 2020 season and beyond.

It is the first time the sponsorship has been available since the end of 2011 following the hugely successful sponsorship by VW Connolly’s.

Becoming the main sponsor of Sligo Rovers offers national and local profile through means to TV, digital and matchday along with brand recognition of a growing football club at the heart of the community.

There is a proven track record of receiving value for sponsorship investment with Sligo Rovers.

For more e-mail colinfeehilysrfc@hotmail.com