Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that defender Nando Pijnaker will join the club for the 2023 season after the club have concluded a permanent transfer for the New Zealand International from his parent club Rio Ave in the Portuguese Premier Division.

The highly sought after 23-year-old spent the 2022 season on loan at The Showgrounds from Rio Ave and impressed throughout the season with many top-class performances at both right and left side centre back.

Pijnaker is currently a New Zealand Senior International having made 11 caps so far for the All Whites including starting in their recent World Cup Qualifying campaign.

Nando made the move to Europe from New Zealand by joining Swedish side Torslanda IK from Eastern Suburbs. He then joined Swedish giants Grasshopper before completing a move to Portuguese top tier side Rio Ave in 2020.

John Russell and Bit O’ Red officials made Nando a priority signing and the confirmation that the transfer is now concluded having reached agreement with Rio Ave is a welcome boost ahead of the 2023 season which starts in February with a home game against Shamrock Rovers at The Showgrounds.

Rovers Manager Russell is thrilled to have Nando for 2023:

‘’I’m delighted Nando has agreed to sign on a permanent deal. I’d like to thank his agent Bruno Meirelles and his former club Rio Ave for their cooperation in getting this deal done.

‘’Nando is a player of immense quality. He is a current International and he has all the attributes to play at the highest level.

‘’He is a top professional and someone who is very driven and always willing to listen and learn. I feel he can take his game to another level in 2023.

‘’I’m sure the fans will be excited to see Nando back at The Showgrounds’’.

Living in the heart of Sligo Town, Nando has made the switch to Sligo with ease and has settled in well to life in the North-West.

Pijnaker says he is delighted to get the deal done:

‘’I am delighted to be back at The Showgrounds for next season.

‘’I have really enjoyed my time in Sligo so far and I was keen to come back here on a permanent basis.

‘’I wish to thank everyone at Rio Ave for helping me in my career and I am looking forward to my future here at The Showgrounds.

‘’The supporters and the town in general have been so welcoming to me and made me feel at home’’.

Nando and his Sligo Rovers team-mates return to pre-season training in two weeks before a seven-week pre-season training programme.

Season Tickets are available right up to kick off on the opening day and they are best available online at www.srfcdirect.com

It is expected that the opening game of the season will be an all-ticket game with a huge crowd set to come to get behind John Russell and the team.

We are thrilled to announce that goalkeeper Amy Mahon has re-signed for the club ahead of the 2023 SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division season.

Mahon impressed since breaking into the team in 2022 and has been a regular in Steve Feeney’s starting XI ever since.

The Mayo native originally joined the club back in 2020 for our Women’s Under 17 squad before the season was halted due to COVID.

She returned before the start of the 2022 season and is back now until at least the end of 2023.

Manager Steve Feeney:

‘’It is great to have Amy back with us again for another season.

‘’When Kristen Sample got injured last season in unfortunate circumstances, Amy stepped in and was a real positive from the season, showing what she’s made of.

‘’Her penalty save against Wexford Youths at The Showgrounds was a real stand-out moment last season and we’re looking forward to helping her develop more next season’’.

Mahon is also a student at our partners ATU Sligo and is part of their Senior Women’s squad alongside many of her Bit O’ Red team-mates.

Amy has stated her delight at re-signing today:

‘’I’m delighted to re-sign with Rovers for next season.

‘’We had a really good first season and, we hope to build on last season’s results and really compete in the League again in 2023. 

‘’I’m really looking forward to our first game against Shamrock Rovers at home, it will be a good battle for both teams in front of the fans at The Showgrounds’’.

Amy and her Sligo Rovers team-mates return to pre-season in January and will be just seven weeks away from the opening game against Shamrock Rovers at The Showgrounds on March 4^th.

Season tickets for the Women’s team go on sale in January from just €50, which gives you access to every kick of the ball in 2023.

We are thrilled to announce that midfielder Katie Melly has re-signed for the Bit O’ Red until at least the end of the 2023 SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division season.

Melly, from Sligo Town joined the club ahead of our debut season in 2022 and studied Health Science and Physical Activity at our partners ATU Sligo.

Katie played her youth football with local team Strand Celtic and represented Sligo/Leitrim Youths at underage level as well as the Connacht Schools team.

At the age of 16, she joined Castlebar Celtic who were competing in the Women’s National League at the time.

Sligo Rovers Manager Steve Feeney is delighted with his latest addition:

‘’I am thrilled to see Katie with us again next season.

‘’She is from Sligo and knows what it means to represent the club.

‘’She shows great pride anytime she pulls on the Rovers jersey and, she has proven to be an important player for us so far.

‘’We are looking forward to working with her again and helping her development here at the club’’.

Melly wore the number 13 jersey last season and made many appearances throughout the season.

The midfielder is thrilled at today’s announcement:

‘’I am delighted to res-ign for Sligo Rovers today. 

‘’Last season was a great introduction to the Women’s National League. This season will produce new challenges for us and, we are looking forward to push on in the New Year. 

‘’Sligo Rovers are a great club and the staff have created a fantastic environment to allow us to excel at this level’’.  

Melly and her Bit O’ Red team-mates return to pre-season in three weeks as Steve Feeney begins preparations for the side’s second season in the Women’s Premier Division.

Season Tickets are due out in early January and are priced at €50. You can get one for half-price if you have a Men’s Season Ticket.

Sligo Rovers are thrilled to announce the signing of defender James Finnerty who joins the club as a free agent following his departure from Bohemians at the end of the 2022 SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division season. Finnerty signs until at least the end of the 2023 season.

Finnerty was on loan at Galway United for the second half of the 2022 season, helping the Tribemen to a spot in the First Division play-offs.

The 23-year-old joined Aston Villa in 2015 from his youth career at Belvedere in Dublin.

Finnerty returned to Ireland for a spell with Bohemians at Dalymount Park where he made over 60 appearances.

Sligo Rovers Manager John Russell is delighted to have Finnerty on board:

‘’I’ve been monitoring James for a while.

‘’He’s a player who caught my eye when he came back from England in 2019.

‘’James is a ball playing centre back who is very comfortable stepping into midfield and creating overloads. He’s quick and aggressive and exactly the type of defender I like.

‘’He comes to us at a really good stage in his career. He’s played a lot of games in this league while also experiencing European football.

‘’We’re all excited to start working with him’’.

The Bit O’ Red return to pre-season in just over two weeks as Russell starts preparations for the season opener against Shamrock Rovers on February 18^th at The Showgrounds.

The Meath born defender Finnerty is excited to join John Russell’s squad:

”’I am delighted to sign for Sligo Rovers.

” I’m looking forward to meeting all the lads and starting pre-season in January.

”I knew straight away after meeting with John the plans he has for the club going forward that this was the place I wanted to play my football next season and, the style of play and having a proper game plan is something I’m looking forward too.

”The Showgrounds was always a tough place to come and I can’t wait to play in front of the fans”.

Finnerty is the 21^st signing ahead of the 2023 season and joins Daniel Lafferty, Johan Brannefalk, and Lukas Browning as new players from last season.

Pre-season preparations are at full pace in recent days and weeks as John Russell and his Management team put together a busy training and friendly schedule throughout January and February.

Season Tickets for the new season can be ordered now on www.srfcdirect.com

The Sligo Rovers Christmas store opens all weekend at Barton Smiths and all the way up to Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow sees a meet and greet session at 1pm in store where supporters have the opportunity to meet members of the Men’s and Women’s teams for photos and autographs.

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that Jessica Casey has re-signed for The Bit O’ Red until at least the end of the 2023 season.

Casey has come through our Academy and made a number of appearances in 2022, mostly at right-back, impressing throughout.

Jessica is a native of Charlestown and attends St. Attracta’s College in Tubbercurry and was part of the school’s Connacht Title winning squad earlier in 2022 who were then narrowly beaten in the All-Ireland Semi-Final.

Casey was a regular starter for our Women’s Under 19 team last season and will continue to play for both the Under 19’s and First-Team in 2023.

Manager Steve Feeney:

‘’It is great that Jessica has signed with us for next season.

‘’She is a real up and coming talent in the club and we are enjoying seeing her progress to date.

‘’Jessica will be an important part of our squad next season and hopefully for years to come.

‘’It shows the importance of the work being done in our Academy that these players can step in for the first team at any time and not look out of place. She had some very good performances for us last year’’.

Our 2023 fixtures were released earlier today and, the team will host Shamrock Rovers on the first day of the season on Saturday, March 4^th at The Showgrounds.

Casey is delighted to be part of the squad again:

‘’I am thrilled to sign for the 2023 season for Sligo Rovers.

‘’We established ourselves well last year and are more than capable of competing against the top teams in the country.

‘’I have no doubt Steve and the Management team will push us to our potential against next season.

‘’It is great for the club to see more Academy players graduate and advance to the first team squad’’.

Rovers have been tasked with a tricky away tie in our second game of 2023 with a trip to Wexford Youths Women on March 11^th followed by back-to-back home games against Peamount United and Treaty United at The Showgrounds.

Women’s first-team Season Tickets will go on sale for just €50 from January which gives you access to every kick of the ball in 2023.

The 2023 SSE Airtricity Womens Premier Division fixtures have been announced today as we head into our second season in the Division, almost one year on from our League debut back in March 2022.

Our first fixture is a game against newcomers Shamrock Rovers at The Showgrounds on Saturday March 4th at 5pm.

5pm on Saturday will become our new kick off time for all home fixtures in 2023. The decision was made to help grow attendances as we felt supporters might have a better opportunity of attending games at this time, rather than at 2pm during the day.

Our second fixture is a long trip to face Wexford Youths Women at Ferrycarrig Park a week later, on March 11th.

We then have two home games against Peamount United on March 18th and Treaty United on March 25th.

There is a mid-season break around the Womens World Cup with no games scheduled between June 11th and August 19th.

Our final game before the break will see Galway United, taking over from Galway Womens FC this season, travel to The Showgrounds on June 10th and we will travel to Athlone Town on August 20th in our first game following the break.

The season finale will see the side take on Peamount United at PLR Park on November 11th.

The 2023 Womens FAI Cup starts with first round games scheduled for week-ending August 26th 2023.

Womens Season Tickets will go on sale from January and are priced at just €50 per person or €25 if you bring your 2023 Men’s Season Ticket to our offices to purchase your Women’s one.

The 2023 SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division fixtures have been announced in full this afternoon from the League office.

As announced on Monday, Rovers will host Shamrock Rovers on Matchday One at The Showgrounds on February 18th.

Next up for John Russell’s side will be a trip to take on UCD at The UCD Bowl on February 24th followed by another away game, this time away to Drogheda United on March 3rd.

St. Patrick’s Athletic will then visit The Showgrounds on Saturday March 11th in our second home game before a trip to Derry City on St. Patrick’s Day.

The mid-season break begins after we play Shelbourne in Tolka Park on June 9th and there will be no fixture on weekending June 18th.

The league resumes on Friday June 23rd when we travel to UCD for the second time.

Our final game of the 2023 Season will be away to Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght Stadium on November 3rd.

There are just three mid-week games scheduled at present with trips to Shelbourne in April and St Patrick’s Athletic in May included as well as Shamrock Rovers visiting The Showgrounds on Monday June 5th.

The FAI Cup begins in July with the first round scheduled for weekending July 21st.

Today saw another two fixtures released for both our Men’s and Women’s First Teams by the League of Ireland department.

John Russell’s Men’s First Team will take on UCD at The Belfield Bowl on Friday June 23rd 2023 at 7.45pm in what will be the first round of fixtures following the Men’s mid-season break earlier in the month,

Steve Feeney and his Bit O’ Red Womens team will take on Athlone Town away from home following the break for the Women’s World Cup, with the game taking place at 7pm on Saturday August 20th 2023.

In squad news, Steve Feeney confirmed the signing of versatile player Leah Kelly, who stays at the club until at least the end of the 2023 SSE Airtricity Womens Premier Division season.

Full fixture lists for both our Men’s and Women’s teams are released tomorrow afternoon.

#bitored

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that Leah Kelly has re-signed for the club ahead of the 2023 SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division season.

Kelly was a regular in the Bit O’ Red team throughout the 2022 season before her season was ended late in due to a planned shoulder procedure on an injury picked up earlier in the season.

Kelly, from Templeboy joined the club at the start of the 2022 season having had spells with local club Strand Celtic and Ballina Town in Mayo.

Kelly was also a keen GAA player featuring for her local club and Sligo Ladies GAA.

Manager Steve Feeney is thrilled Kelly has signed:

“I am very happy that Leah has signed with us again for next season.

“Leah was very important to us last year and no doubt she’ll have the same influence on the team next season.

“She is versatile as well as being 100% committed both on and off the pitch”.

Leah is also happy to have re-signed:

“I’m delighted to re-sign with Sligo Rovers and I’m very grateful to Steve and the management team for including me in their plans.

“Last year was a great start but, I think as a team we want to push on and work on the foundations we started to build last season.

“I think there’s been so many positives for women’s football in Ireland this year so, it’s a great time to be involved and build on this momentum.

“Hopefully, my recovery continues to go well and I can get back on to the pitch as soon as possible”.

Rovers will start our season with a home tie against Shamrock Rovers Women at The Showgrounds on March 4th at 5pm.

Season tickets will be available in January for just €50.

You can buy our 2023 Home Womens shirt online with Worldwide delivery via the link below:

www.srfcdirect.com

The League of Ireland today announced another set of fixtures in both the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland Men’s and Women’s Premier Divisions for the 2023 season.

The fixtures are set to be played on St. Patrick’s weekend in March.

On Friday, March 17th at 7.45pm, Rovers Men’s team will travel to face Derry City at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

This North-West derby will be our only derby in 2023 after Finn Harps were relegated from the Premier Division last season and promises to see a large travelling contingent of Bit O’ Red fans make the journey.

The following day, Rovers will take on Peamount United in the Women’s Premier Division at 5pm at The Showgrounds.

This will be the sides second home game of the season after yesterday’s announcement that we will host Shamrock Rovers two weeks before it on March 4th.

Season Tickets continue to sell well ahead of 2023, with all Men’s season tickets available now via the link below:

https://srfcdirect.com/season-tickets-2023/

Our 2023 Womens Season Tickets will go on sale in January and are €50 across the board.

Those who purchase a Men’s season ticket can avail of 50% discount on a Women’s season ticket by showing their Season Ticket in the club offices anytime before the start of the season.