Winger Will Fitzgerald has signed a new two year deal with Sligo Rovers, the club are delighted to announce. 

The deal will extend the winger’s stay at the Showgrounds into his fourth year at the club having signed for the Bit O’Red back in December 2021. 

The Limerick native becomes the twelfth player to commit to Rovers for 2025 just a few weeks after his 100th appearance for the club.

The ex-Derry wide-man made his Rovers debut on the opening night of the 2022 season against St Pat’s in Inchicore and scored his first goal for the club in March of the same year, an unforgettable screamer from 18 yards against Drogheda in Louth. 

Speaking about his new deal, Fitzgerald says he is continuing to relish his time at Rovers, playing under John Russell. He is also fully aware of the strides the club is making off the pitch including the recent news of the LSSIF money confirmed for the development of the Showgrounds.  

“This is a club I have the utmost respect and admiration for, especially the supporters and those who keep the club thriving”, the 25-year-old says. 

“I feel I’m a valued member of the squad and I really want to play my part in what hopefully will be a successful future. 

“When you play under John, you know you’re playing under someone who knows how to lead the club in the right direction. I’m one of the senior players now, even at 25. I enjoy that responsibility and helping the younger lads. It’s good to show them the type of professionalism that is required to play at this level. 

“We were disappointed last season not to get Europe. But the signs are clear, this club is going in the right direction. We have a new kit deal and wheels are now in motion for the new stadium. It’s such an exciting time to be at Rovers and I want to be part of all that.” 

Describing Fitzgerald as a ‘great professional’, Russell welcomed the news of the contract extension. 

“The way Will trains, plays and conducts himself both on and off the pitch is a great example to any player no matter their age”, the Rovers boss says. 

“He is someone who brings tons of energy, aggression and quality. He’s heading towards his fourth season here and his performances keep getting better. 

“He will play a big part in 2025 both on and off the pitch and I know he’s a player the fans love to watch.” 

David Goulden

Umbro and Sligo Rovers FC are thrilled to announce a new five-year brand partnership.

Under this agreement, Umbro will become the official kit supplier for Sligo Rovers FC, providing high-quality sportswear and equipment to the team with immediate effect until the end of the 2029 season.

This partnership marks a significant milestone for both Umbro and Sligo Rovers FC, as they join forces to enhance the club’s performance and presence both on and off the field. Umbro, renowned for its innovative and stylish sportswear, will bring its expertise and passion for football to support Sligo Rovers FC in achieving their goals.

Patrick Peyton of Umbro Ireland said, “We are delighted to be partnering again with Sligo Rovers FC. Umbro is 100 years old this year and throughout that time we have been at the forefront of football apparel design and innovation. We look forward to bringing some great kits and training apparel to the Sligo Rovers teams and fans alike”

Shane Crossan, Operations Manager Sligo Rovers FC added, “We are thrilled to be partnering with Umbro in a deal that will continue for a minimum of five years. Umbro have been magnificent to work with and we are very excited for our supporters to see the exciting new range of kits and training apparel that will be available to purchase shortly”

For more information, please contact: Shane@sligorovers.com

Intersport Elverys is thrilled to announce its continuation as the Official Sports Retail Partner of Sligo Rovers, and to introduce that they will exclusively operate the e-commerce business marking a significant step forward for both organisations. 

This partnership means fans can now purchase official Bit O’Red merchandise, training, and leisure wear at the Intersport Elverys’ Sligo store in the Canopy Shopping Centre and online at elverys.ie, with a permanent retail presence for the club. 

Commenting on the new development, Philip Staunton of INTERSPORT Elverys said “we are incredibly proud to team up with a club that is willing to push the boundaries to continue enhancing the experience for their fans everywhere.”

Sligo Rovers Operations Manager, Shane Crossan, said “we are delighted to continue with Intersport Elverys as the clubs official sports retail partner. Since working with Intersport Elverys, we have seen a growth in demand for our brand and we are very excited for what the future will bring to our club and supporters. Intersport Elverys have a magnificent store located in the heart of Sligo Town which enables supporters to purchase club merchandise at ease. Along with that, their market-leading e-commerce platform offers our supporters across the world access to the Sligo Rovers brand”.”

Intersport Elverys is renowned for supporting sports at all levels, from grassroots to elite teams, and is proud to add Sligo Rovers to its family of partners. 

About INTERSPORT Elverys

INTERSPORT Elverys is a recognised market leader and innovator in sports retail and our store network in the Irish market now stands at over 45 stores, with a fully integrated omnichannel strategy.  

Our people are the core of our business, driven by a commitment to provide an outstanding customer experience for sports enthusiasts. The company remains Irish-owned and operated and is a member of IINTERSPORT – a vertical retail organisation with over 5,000 retail stores in 42 countries, bringing together the latest innovation in sporting goods from top brands around the world, along with an understanding of our local customer like no other.

INTERSPORT Elverys is one of the largest supporters of Irish sport, in sponsoring and supporting various sports teams, individuals and community events across Ireland.This highlights Intersport Elverys’ commitment to promoting and developing sport at both the grassroots and professional levels in Ireland.

A special presentation was held before Rovers last game of the season against Pat’s. Bernard and Teresa Culligan were honoured for their 30 years exemplary service to the Club.

Chairman Tommy Higgins commended Bernard and Teresa for their work in the Hospitality area for Rovers, saying that along with Damian and Mairead Grimes, they were always professional, courteous and reliable.

Club President Ray Gallagher said it was a privilege to know Bernard and and Teresa for many years, they made all visitors feel welcome and in this capacity were excellent ambassadors for the Club.

The presentation was attended by members of Rovers Management Committee, Club volunteers and FAI Match delegate John Byrne

Photography by Alan Finn

Top scorer Wilson Waweru has agreed a deal which extends his current contract to the end of the 2026 season, Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce. 

Waweru signed for the club in the winter of 2023 from Galway United, following an impressive season on loan at First Division side Cobh Ramblers. The 23-year-old made his Bit O’Red debut in the first home game of the season, when he was introduced from the bench, replacing Max Mata in a scoreless draw with Derry City at the Showgrounds. His first goal for the club came against Drogheda United at the same venue in March. 

Waweru went on to play 30 times for the club in 2024, scoring ten goals including a magnificent FAI Cup hat-trick against Cobh Wanderers. 

The Galway native’s season was cut short in cruel circumstances in September when he suffered an achilles injury in the win over Dundalk at the Showgrounds. Waweru is currently undergoing rehab for the injury after successful surgery and is expected to miss the first few months of next season. 

“I’m over the moon to get the deal done”, Waweru says. “The year didn’t end the way I wanted to but the surgery went well and I’m looking forward to recovering and getting back out there. It’s a slow process but I’ll get there.”

The striker paid tribute to manager John Russell who he says showed great faith in Waweru from day one.

“I can’t thank him enough for backing me the way he has”, Wilson continues. “I’ve learned so much from him, Ryan Casey and all the staff. The training is a step up from anything I’ve ever experienced and it’s helped me improve as a player. I’ve also learned a lot from my team-mates and getting game time and what I have learned can only stand to me when I get back out there. Scoring goals is my favourite thing to do and I want to keep doing it once I get back.”   

Speaking on Waweru’s new deal, Russell spoke of the centre forward’s potential and his keenness to see his striker back on the pitch as soon as possible. 

“We’re delighted Wilson has extended his contract with the club”, he said. “Wilson has all the attributes to become a top centre forward in this league. He has scored a lot of important goals for us this season and we believe he will continue to get better and better. 

“We know he will be on the sidelines for a period of time after sustaining his injury against Dundalk but I know from speaking to Wilson he’s determined to come back fitter and stronger. We’re all looking forward to seeing him back next year as he’s an important part of the team and he’s shown that already. 

“It’s vital that we continue to build our team moving into next year and Wilson will play a big part in the future.”

David Goulden

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that no less than four academy graduates have agreed professional deals with the club. 

Daire Patton, Kyle McDonagh, Gareth McElroy and Conor Reynolds have each committed to pro-contracts for next year, further strengthening the Bit O’Red’s commitment to nurturing and developing players from within its own ranks. 

The news comes as a further boost to the club following the news that first team manager John Russell has signed a new two year deal. 

18-year-old Patton has been at the club since he was 13 and was a stand-out talent as he rose through the ranks at both club and schoolboy level for Summerhill. The skillful midfielder has represented the Republic of Ireland at schoolboy level and has featured twice for Rovers’ senior team, making his debut against Bohemians earlier this year. 

McDonagh has played three times for the first team and has also represented his country. The Tubbercurry native made his senior debut against Derry City at the Brandywell when he replaced Stefan Radosavljevic back in May. 

Rovers supporters will already be familiar with Burnfoot born McElroy who has impressed since his first team debut in a win over Waterford at the Showgrounds in September. A commanding centre-half, McElroy has slotted into the heart of the Sligo defence on three occasions this term following the departure of Nando Pijnaker. The 19-year-old also played a key role in the club’s under 20s team this season.

While Reynolds, another centre half, made his debut back in 2023 against Cork City and has gone on to line out for the first team on three more occasions. An unfortunate leg injury cut short his opportunities for senior football after he sustained the knock in the win over Shelbourne at Tolka Park back in May. Although there was good news for the Westport native who continued his recovery with a brief appearance in the mid-season friendly with Celtic earlier this week. Reynolds has also been capped at international level. 

Commenting on the deals, Russell says the news is further proof of how the club’s underage structures are run. 

“Developing players through the academy system and bringing them to a level where they are ready for first team football is what the underage set-up at the club is there for”, he said. 

“Daire, Kyle, Gareth and Conor are each proof of the great work the academy coaches are doing here at Rovers. It shows that the academy structures are in good shape and it’s a huge boost for the first team when we can call on the young lads when needed. All four have reasonable first team experience at young ages and each have excelled when called upon. It’s an indication of how healthy a state the club is in when you have groups of players rising through to sign professional deals. 

“We are always keen to give youth a chance here at the Showgrounds and we will be looking to further develop and sign from our own academy as the years go on.” 

David Goulden  

By Conall Collier

Sligo Rovers will look to extend a three-game Women’s Premier Division (WPD) unbeaten sequence on Saturday when Wexford visit to the Showgrounds for the final game of the season.

Buoyed by the long-overdue first win of the season in Cork last Saturday and draws against Peamount Utd and Shamrock Rovers, the Sligo Rovers players will be determined to take the points tally into double figures.

Neither side can improve on current positions with Wexford guaranteed a fourth-place finish, an improvement on seventh last season, while for Sligo Rovers, a victory on Saturday would see them equal the number of points they achieved last season.

On that basis, there is still plenty to play for and another competitive encounter is definitely on the cards, one that stand-in manager Conor O’Grady is relishing after the determined display against Cork City last weekend.

“I was delighted for the girls last weekend, the conditions were horrendous but we dug in and had a really good second-half performance and it was great to come away from Cork with the win,” he commented.

“It has been a tough few days, we were in Cork on Saturday, some of the girls were playing for the 19s on Sunday and then for the ATU on Monday.

“We also picked up a few injuries, Kate Nugent and Rachel McGoldrick will both miss out while Muireann Devaney is not available.

“It’s going to be a really tough game against an experienced Wexford side, but we want to finish on a high and to do that we are going to have to be at our best,” he concluded.

Last Saturday Wexford surrendered a 2-0 interval advantage, Leah McGrath and Kylie Murphy scored the goals, at home to Shamrock Rovers. They had to settle for a 2-2 draw and they will certainly be well-motivated to address that.

Last May the Bit O’Red conceded three second-half goals in the WPD encounter at Ferrycarrig Park after getting back to parity a minute after the interval as Wexford recorded a 4-1 victory.

The scoreline was a bit unfair on Sligo Rovers who lost the influential Jodie Loughrey on 66 minutes after a challenge from a Wexford player forced her out of the action and also denied what looked like a decent goal-scoring chance.

Wexford hit the front after 16 minutes of a well-contested first-half when Ciara Rossiter created an opening and Ellen Molloy finished confidently to the net.

Kelly Crompton had Sligo Rovers on terms a minute after the resumption, but parity lasted less than three minutes. Some hesitant defending gave Wexford an opportunity and Ciara Rossiter capitalised to make it 2-1 and she went on to complete her hat-trick.

In the last three WPD games Sligo Rovers scored four goals and conceded three, that statistic suggests the defensive frailties have been resolved. There will be an opportunity to demonstrate that on Saturday.

Sligo Rovers v Wexford will be live on LOITV and kick-off at the Showgrounds is at 3pm.

We look forward to welcoming all supporters to our friendly with Celtic this Wednesday 9th October. The game is sold out. If you are attending the game please note the following match-day arrangements which have been agreed in consultation with authorities.

SLIGO ROVERS V CELTIC MATCHDAY NOTICE

1) Car parking for cars at The Showgrounds will NOT be available on Wednesday October 9th.

2) Parking for buses only at The Showgrounds

3) Supporters parking will be available at Nazareth House (limited), and most of the car parks in Sligo town centre, a short walk away from the Showgrounds.

4) Turnstiles open 5:30pm, K.O. 7:30pm. Game sold out, ticket only with no cash/cards taken at the gate.

5) Seating is limited, on a first come basis.

6) Please observe Garda traffic management and be respectful to parking at neighbouring estates. Illegal parking may result in fines or clamping.