Sligo Rovers are now accepting expressions of interests from the parents/guardians of boys born in 2010 to attend our Academy Assessments, which start in July.

These assessments will give players the chance to showcase their talents in front of the Sligo Rovers Academy staff.

The assessments are by invite only and each person selected will receive an invite in due course via email.

To register your interest of attending the assessments, you must fill out the form below:

https://forms.gle/rwMqDsL5DMDQmQqB9

Closing date: June 30^th 2023 (born in 2010 only).

Home advantage for a historic game as Sligo Rovers host Bohemian FC in the opening round of the Avenir Women’s All-Island Cup on Saturday at the Showgrounds, 5pm, writes Conall Collier.

Apart from the history attached to the opening weekend of action in an innovative competition, this game also marks the return to action in an All-Island competition by a team from the last club to win a similar event.

The Sligo Rovers men were the last winners of what was the All-Ireland Setanta Sports Cup with a victory against Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium in 2014.

The club has a good tradition in what were different formats of All-Ireland competitions and some 53 years ago, back in 1970, Sligo Rovers played Coleraine in what was then the Blaxnit Cup – a final that was played over two legs.

The first leg was at Windsor Park in Belfast where Sligo Rovers recorded a famous 1-0 victory, but the team slumped to a 4-1 defeat (4-2 on aggregate) in the second leg at a packed Dalymount Park.

While it’s not exactly a case of ‘fast-forward’ 53 years, it’s somewhat appropriate that the first opposition for Sligo Rovers in this Avenir All-Island Cup is the team from Dalymount Park because back in 1970 there was a tremendous tussle in the FAI Cup final of that year against Bohemian FC.

Alas, Sligo Rovers didn’t win on that occasion, but gained some compensation in 1983 when Bohemian FC provided the FAI Cup final opposition and on that occasion Sligo Rovers won.

Against that type of background, the first round contest between the women of Sligo Rovers and Bohemian FC will have a special place in the annals of the perennial survivors from what has often been described as a ‘soccer outpost’ in the North West of Ireland.

And it’s almost (not quite) ordained that this could be the game that will bring the battling qualities out of a Sligo Rovers team that is finding the going tough this season and is still searching for a first home win of 2023.

The formbook suggests that this will be a leisurely stroll for the Dalymount Park women who are pushing for honours at the top end of the table and currently sit in fourth place following what was a hard-earned 2-1 victory against Cork City last weekend.

In complete contrast, Sligo Rovers remain anchored in the bottom two, just two points ahead of the aforementioned Cork City, a side the Bit O’Red defeated at Turner’s Cross earlier this season.

However, this encounter is the first of three group games and the only home tie for the Bit O’Red as 16 teams in four groups of four set out to claim qualification places with each group winner advancing to the semi-finals.

It appears to have been a missed opportunity on behalf of the administrators that they just didn’t take the opportunity for subsidiary competitions for the four second-placed, third placed and fourth-placed teams.

It would surely have enhanced the competition and would have provided eight teams with final opportunities instead of the two that will eventually emerge.

And promotion of the cross-border competition is surely important regardless of the grade of the second, third and fourth tier finals that could have been slotted into the schedule.

However, the Sligo Rovers players will be well aware of the challenge that Bohemian FC will provide.

Last May at Dalymount, Lisa Murphy’s 20^th minute goal was the difference between the sides as the Dublin women managed a 1-0 victory.

That result suggests that there won’t bee too much between the sides after 90 minutes on Saturday, but a winning start is what Sligo Rovers require and they might just have learned enough at this stage to tighten up at the back, batten down the hatches and grind out a result.If they can manage that, and with players of the calibre of Emma Doherty, Casey Howe and Lauren Boles driving the team forward, that elusive first home win of the season might be achieved ahead of trips to Strabane next weekend and Belfast the following week.

Over the past few months, Brenda Kearins and her team of sellers from Bit O’ Red Supporters Trust have been out and about selling Lucky Envelopes as a fundraiser for the club.

The campaign raised €5,000 and Brenda and her friends presented a cheque to the club at the beginning of July.

There were lots of lucky winners who are all listed below:

Jade McLoughlin

Margaret Foley

Mags

Philip Lynott

James Blake

Marian Jones

Edward Keane

Jack Scanlon x 2

Lexi Doyle

Lisa Mc Cormack

Gerard O’Connor

Gerry Ryan

Enda Gilmartin

Isabelle Duffy

David Goulden

John O’Connor

Alana Hynes

John O’Dowd

Kieran Mc Garry

Colm Mc Guinn

Victoria Perry

Ryan Scanlon

Mia Hynes

Jimmy

Jack Elliott

Catherine Quinn

Trisha Cawley

Jimmy Lynch x 2

Ciara Shannon

Mary Joe Cawley

Emma Horkin

Joe Finn

Jessie Doyle

Micheala Scanlon

Kayleigh Divers

Alana Hynes

Adrain Kearns

Stephen Scanlon x 2

Enda Scanlon

Billy Scanlon

Kelley Kenny

Jerry  kelly

Enda Mc Gowan

Victoria Scanlon

Rosaleen Moloney

David Gilmartin

Ronan Loughrey

Peter Moran

Michale Quinlan

Alan Mc Garry 2x 2

Bobby Kearins

Ciaran Gunning

Micheal Feehily

Sinead

Clodagh Mc Donagh

Trevor Hunter

Paul Kelly

Hillary Sproule

Dervilla Donaghue

Mary Ferguson

Cassandra Farrell

John Scanlon x 2

Ann Marie Doyle

Fergal Mc Hugh

Chantelle Mc Loughlin

Irma

Mick Kelly

Jerome Kearns

Connor Finan

Rosie Mahon

Darragh Quinn

Kelly Chapman

Fiona Eames x 2

Kevin Mc Nelis Lee

Ethan Kilgunn

Meabh De Faoite

Brian Scanlon

Derek Dwyer

Billy Cawley

Congrats to all those who won a prize and again, thanks to Brenda and The Bit O’ Red Supporters Trust.

Our Summer Camp in Enniscrone, which takes place from August 14th to 18th is now open for bookings.

The camp starts at 10am each day and will end at 1pm.

Sligo Rovers are keen to get out more in our North-West region and this is one of three 2023 Summer Camps (as well as Westport and Boyle) that are taking place.

To book a space please visit the link below:

https://srfcdirect.com/kids-camps/

Spaces are limited and the price of the camp is €75 with each child receiving a Sligo Rovers top and getting a chance to meet members of our first teams.

Our 2023 Summer Camp at Boyle Celtic’s Celtic Park will take place from August 7th to 11th from 10am to 1pm each day.

This new campaign will see the club host camps with three football clubs across the region with Boyle Celtic’s camp expected to sell out fast with a strong contingent of Rovers fans in the area.

Bookings are open now via the link below for kids aged 7 to 13.

BOOK HERE: https://member.clubforce.com/memberships_cart_m.asp?LL_ID=3561&intMF_ID=12581#topp

Places are limited and the camp will cost €75 per child and will include a Free Sligo Rovers top as well as a chance for each child to meet the Sligo Rovers First-Team players.

We look forward to getting out more in the Region this Summer.

Our summer camps sold out in the Showgrounds in record time this year, with 8 weeks in total taking place from July 3rd.

As part of our aim to make Sligo Rovers accessible to all supporters across the Region, we are pleased to announce we will have a limited number of camps for children this Summer in the following locations:

✅ Westport     31 July to 4th August

✅ Boyle                 7th – 11th August

✅ Enniscrone      14th – 18th August

The camps are in partnership with our friends at Westport United, Boyle Celtic, Kilglass-Enniscrone United.

The camps will run from 10am to 1pm each day and are open to all children between the ages of 7 and 13 years.

Booking is essential as places are limited. A booking link for each of the camps to follow on our socials soon and here on our website.

Stefan Radosavljevic has joined up with the Faroe Islands squad for upcoming EURO 2024 Qualifiers against Czech Republic and Alabania.

They face Czech Republic at 7.45pm on Saturday evening in Torshavn and then host Albania on Tuesday at the same venue, also at 7.45pm.

We wish Stefan all the best with both games.

Nando Pijnaker and Max Mata are currently on International duty with New Zealand for two upcoming friendlies with Sweden and Qatar.

They face Sweden on Friday at 6pm in Stockholm and three days later, on Monday face Qatar in Austria at 5pm.

We wish the lads the very best of luck.

Our Womens team host Bohemians this Saturday at 5pm at The Showgrounds in the first group game of the All-Island Cup.

This competition will see teams from Northern Ireland compete with the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division teams for this new competition over June and July.

The League campaign now takes an extended break until August 20th.

Rovers are in Group B along with Bohemians, Sion Swifts and Cliftonville.

Turnstiles will open at 4pm on Saturday with admission €5 as always.

There is now a huge discount of 20% off all Joma gear on our online store in advance of Father’s Day this Sunday.

Buy something for your Father that he’ll love.

Shop here www.srfcdirect.com

Sale ends on Sunday.