Our under 17 men’s team faced a tough test in Tralee this evening against Kerry FC in the final of the under 17 Shield.

The game began with a fast pace throughout the first half, with Cillian Heaney going close early on, after some good play from The Bit O’ Red in midfield.

The home side created chances of their own, most notably when Cian Brosnan’s shot from close range was saved by Tommy Scahill in the Rovers’ goal.

Colin Walsh went close for the home side on 35 minutes but his shot was again saved by Scahill.

One minute later however, Rovers were in front. Mayo men Aidan McHale and Heaney combined with the latter finishing well from close range.

It was enough to see Rovers lead at half time after an entertaining first 45 minutes.

The reds started off where they left off as just three minutes into the second half, it was 2-0. Ciaran Jennings was sharpest in the box when he got on the end of another McHale assist to double the lead.

Kerry were not going to give up and when Nathan Gleeson’s shot narrowly missed, they could sense their chance. A minute later, they got their goal when a corner was deflected in off a Rovers defender past Scahill to give the home side some life.

Darragh Reilly cleared off the line to deny an equaliser, and Rossa McAllister almost doubled Rovers’ lead when his shot had the goalkeeper beaten only to rebound off the post.

Kerry finished strong but some calm, assured defending saw The Bit O Red see the game out and claim the under 17 Shield title.

Well done to both sides on such an entertaining 90 minutes, and commiserations to our opponents Kerry who were impressive on the day.

Congratulations to manager Ryan Casey, assistant Packie Lynch and goalkeeping coach Ultan McKenna and all the squad on a fantastic achievement.

We also want to put on record our thanks to the player’s families for their continued time, effort and support in getting the players to and from the football club so regularly each week.

Job Description Summary

Sligo Rovers Football Club are looking for an intern to work alongside their Head Strength & Conditioning Coach.

This will be a temporary position, with an emphasis on educational training and gathering practical experience in Strength & Conditioning from a professional sports organization. The Intern will gain hands on valuable experience working within the Management Team, collaborating in an environment full of learning opportunities designed to help all interns evolve their capabilities, challenge their strengths, and reach their fullest potential.

The Intern will be involved alongside the coach in all the planning, implementation and practical elements associated with Sligo Rovers first Team program. Plus all aspects of developing and implementing strength, speed/agility, conditioning, flexibility, mobility, and recovery protocols for the football program.

This is an unpaid, educational internship opportunity.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assist Sligo Rovers First Team Development in all aspects of developing and implementing strength and conditioning to our First Team football squad, gather team data, take practical gym sessions and liaising with the management Team.

• Assist with performance and strength testing.

• Assist with preparing teams during gym and pitch sessions and on game day. Have a the capabilities to lead team gym sessions on your own and use own initiative to mix things up if necessary.

• Assist Sligo Rovers First Team Development in all aspects of developing and implementing strength and conditioning to our First Team football squad, gather team data, take practical gym sessions and liaising with the management Team.
• Assist with performance and strength testing.
• Assist with preparing teams during gym and pitch sessions and on game day. Have a the capabilities to lead team gym sessions on your own and use own initiative to mix things up if necessary.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Strong organizational, communications and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to organize work effectively, conceptualize and prioritize objectives and exercise independent judgment based on an understanding of organizational policies and activities.
• Self-motivating personality, eager to succeed. Demonstrate high levels of leadership, confidence and innovation.
• High stamina and ability to handle pressure.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with exceptional time management.
• Enthusiastic, energetic and imaginative. Strong passion for the game of soccer.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Have a strong work ethic and desire to become a strength and conditioning professional. Should be enrolled in, or completing their Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Strength & Conditioning, Sports Performance or Performance Coaching, Physical Education, Exercise Science or related field.

Applications

Please send full CV and a cover letter outlining  previous experience and suitability for the role to administrator@sligorovers.com

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.

It’s hard to believe we are almost at the end of term one in the new school year already. With that, we are launching our ever popular camps this Halloween, beginning on Monday, October 28th.

Prices are unchanged from the summer, with 1 child costing €60 or two children from the one family costing just €100. Three kids in the one family costs €135 for the five day camp.

As ever, we are holding a breakfast club on site. This is proving to be a popular option for parents who want to send their children to the camp, but who start work before the usual 10.30am drop off.

We open from 8.30am every morning so you can pre-book your children on our breakfast club, where you can drop them off on your way to work.

You can even get an extra few minutes in bed in the morning as we will feed them for you, and clean up the rice krispies from the floor. (other brands are available).

The breakfast club costs just €5 per day.

To sign up online, click https://srfcdirect.com/kids-camps/

Tonight our under 19 side travel to Roadstone in Dublin to face Shamrock Rovers at the club’s academy facilities in the Enda McGuill Cup semi final.

The Bit O’ Red defeated Cabinteely 3-2 in the quarter final to set up tonight’s clash.

The sides met at the same stage in last season’s competition, with the Shamrock Rovers winning the game 3-0.

Manager Brian Dorrian spoke with us ahead of tonight’s semi final:

‘It’s going to be a tough test for our lads. We done very well in the quarter final, and this is again a tougher test. We know Shamrock Rovers will be strong, they always are at this level, but we go up there with no fear and will give it a good go”.

Rovers have lost a number of players throughout the season as they make the step up to first team football. Liam Kerrigan, Jack Keaney, Ed McGinty, Niall Morahan & Luke McNicholas have all been part of the senior set up throughout 2019, offering them little chance to play at under 19 level.

With a trip to Cork on Friday for Liam Buckley’s men, Luke McNicholas may miss out tonight, with summer signing Cormac Henry expected to continue in goal. Defender Scott Lynch made his senior debut on Saturday night and will be part of tonight’s squad, however Niall Morahan misses out with a knee injury.

‘It’s hurt us a little bit results wise, but we don’t mind as long as lads are progressing into the first team squad. That’s what it’s all about for us. We’re looking forward to the game and the chance of getting into a cup final’

We recently paid a visit to The Cranmore Soccer Camp at Sean Fallon Park in Cranmore, which is ran by the Cranmore Co-operative society supported by Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership (SSRP).

SSRP develop sport and recreational opportunities as part of the Cranmore Regeneration Project’s East City Cranmore and environs plan. This has been in place since 2015 and attracts up to 70 children each year.

Based on the popularity of soccer in the community, the Cranmore co-operative society has piloted their first local soccer camp for 30 young people from the area delivered by SSRP community coaches.

We sent Darragh Healy and Scott Lynch to visit the camp recently to put on a coaching session for the kids.

It’s important for us to help out in our local community and we were delighted to be part of this initiative. Thanks to the SSRP coaches and to all the children who participated.

There are just over 24 hours remaining until the English Premier League kicks off at Anfield tomorrow night, with Liverpool facing Norwich, in game one of our Last Man Standing competition.

We have had plenty of picks so far for Liverpool, who are ‘red’ hot favourites to pick up three points on opening day. The other top picks are reigning champions Manchester City who have a Pep in their step recently, and take on West Ham United.

Tottenham Hotspur are also proving popular, with newly promoted Aston Villa the visitors to the new White Hart Lane.

Arsenal away to Newcastle United has also been a popular choice so far, with some hoping to save their top two for later in the competition. All other games seem to be too hard to call, although Manchester United fans will be hoping new signing Harry Maguire can prove his worth with a goal to see them past Chelsea on Sunday. Seamus Coleman’s Everton face a tricky test at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace, at time of printing, no one is sure if winger Wilfried Zaha will be the home dressing room, or the away one, which will probably make our participants decisions even harder.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has entered so far and for those who haven’t, what are you waiting for? €1,000 is up for grabs if you think you know your football better than anyone.

To enter, visit LastManStanding today and you will receive a text message or an email asking for your choice.

For those who have entered, you will have received a message from us. If you haven’t received it yet, don’t worry, we’re working through all entrants and we will have all messages sent today. In the mean time, you can email your choice to ‘lastmanstanding@sligorovers.com’

Remember, the competition closes tomorrow, Friday and we urge all supporters to help the club with this important fundraiser.

This weekend’s English Premier League fixtures:

Liverpool V Norwich, West Ham V Man City, Bournemouth V Sheff United, Burnley V Southampton, Crystal Palace V Everton, Watford V Brighton, Spurs V Aston Villa, Leicester V Wolves, Newcastle V Arsenal, Man Utd V Chelsea.

The club have been advised that no tickets will be on sale on the gate for Friday night’s EXTRA.ie FAI Cup match against Glebe North.

There are a number of ticket outlets where tickets will be available between now and kick off, on a first come, first served basis. The outlets are as follows:

Supervalu, Balbriggan
The harvest Bar, Balbriggan
Pappagilanos (beside harbour)  , Balbriggan.

It has been advised that all supporters purchase their tickets as early as possible on the night to avoid disapointment.

To help our supporters as best we can, we have managed to obtain a limited number of tickets for the game, which are now available from The Showgrounds office (cash only).

They are priced at €10 per adult and €5 concessions and OAP.

To buy your ticket, visit our Showgrounds office from 9am-5pm tomorrow, Thursday or 9am -12 noon Friday morning.

For enquiries, call 0719171212.

We wish to advise supporters to purchase your tickets from The Showgrounds if you are travelling to the game.

Our under 19 side travel to Ballybofey this evening to take on Finn Harps at Finn Park (KO 7:45pm).

Brian Dorrian’s side progressed to the Enda McGuill Cup semi final last Saturday with a 3-2 win over Cabinteely at The Showgrounds, and now face two games against North West neighbours Harps in the next four days.

Dorrian: ‘We enjoyed the game on Saturday. I think the team played well and were delighted to get through to the last four. We await to draw now to see who we face but we need to park that and focus on the league again. We have two very difficult games against Finn Harps coming up and all our focus needs to be on on those’.

Rovers will most likely have to plan without Niall Morahan & Luke McNicholas who continue to be involved in the first team squad, and may be involved in Friday night’s cup match in Dublin.

The home side are in fourth position in the table and will be looking to maintain their spot in the top four and qualify for the quarter finals.

The sides meet again this Sunday at The Sean Fallon Centre at 2pm.