Phase two of the Bit O’ Red Wall will close on Wednesday, with 190 tiles sold in this section and they are set to be in place for the start of the new season on Saturday week against Dundalk.

315 tiles were erected in phase one, so over 500 tiles will now feature on The Showgrounds Wall, honouring players, friends, family and hundreds of people connected to Sligo Rovers.

Click here to buy and be part of this unique part of The Showgrounds through the Bit O’ Red Wall. The deadline is Wednesday

Over two seasons the Wall has generated €35,000 for Sligo Rovers. Phase two has been over €12,000 alone.

The 500th tile has been purchased to honour a person who has been instrumental in the success of this new and now treasured part of The Showgrounds. 

Tommie Gorman has penned many of the articles you have read on our website about the Wall, telling the stories of some of those honoured and what the tributes mean, as well as successfully ensure those connected to Rovers know about the wall and signed up.

Ahead of his retirement next month after 41 years with RTÉ, the tile is to acknowledge his contribution to Sligo, Rovers and Irish journalism.

Rovers, happily, had a part in the start of his career. While Tommie will be best-known as North-West Correspondent, European Editor, Northern Editor and a blue chip part of RTÉ News, we must acknowledge the Rovers connection.

Tommie, who grew up on Cairns Road, secured his first byline in The Sligo Champion in the form of match reports of Sligo Rovers away games in Dublin in the 1970s while studying in the capital.

In the summer 1977 he sold two pages of advertising to Sligo businesses that financed a trip to Yugoslavia to watch Rovers take on Red Star Belgrade and tell the story. 

He reported in the aftermath of the 1983 FAI Cup final, documenting scenes of jubilation from Sligo, which remain a valued archive of our history.

27 years later he stood on the streets of Sligo as the Cup came home from a third time, this time reporting live to a national television audience.

He also made two DVDs on behalf of the club during our golden period which are must-haves for Bit O’ Red fans.

In 2012 he was convinced by then-chairman Dermot Kelly to join the club’s management committee as the league title came back to the north-west for the first time in 35 years.

That season the club secured funding that led to the development of the Sean Fallon Centre.

He has hosted many events for the club.

Most importantly, as is the case with Rovers, he has been instrumental in countless fundraising campaigns, and none more so than this Wall.

It is easy for the club to list Tommie’s achievements, but his greatest contribution to us is a lifetime of support.

Work commitments had to be balanced when it came to a bi-monthly visit to The Showgrounds.

In retirement, and when our home is open to the public again, we hope a regular seat in the Treacy Avenue stand will be a reward for over four decades of remarkable work.

To quote Tommie’s articulate summation of the end of our 2020 season on the RTÉ News website; The Bit O Red bond is something that cannot be denied.

The bond will only strengthen.

The club’s management committee have purchased the tile for Tommie.

It will read:

Click here to buy and be part of this unique part of The Showgrounds through the Bit O’ Red Wall. Sales close on Wednesday.

Sligo Rovers can confirm that Niall Morahan, Darren Collins, Scott Lynch, James Robinson and Cillian Heaney will combine their football career with the Bit O’ Red and studying at IT Sligo during the third year of scholarship agreement between the parties.

All five players are registered to play for the Bit O’ Red first-team and have been part of the squad for pre-season.

Morahan has established himself as an important player for Rovers, while the remaining four continue to progress and will be first-team squad members this season.

Last year, IT Sligo reached two National Finals in the CUFL & CFAI completions which are both the highest levels in College and University Football.

Collins and Lynch were part of several matchday squads and played first-team football, while Robinson and Heaney have been involved this year following progression from the Under-19 side.

Mark Byrne is also a former IT Sligo student and is now a senior Rovers professional.

Sligo Rovers CEO Colin Feehily said: “We’re delighted to see our link with IT Sligo growing stronger. This season we’ll see a high number of players wearing the Rovers shirt and studying here in Sligo. Education is something we are keen to offer our players. The first two years of the agreement have been very successful for everyone.

“Our target is that by the time the players finish their education, they will also be accomplished senior players. It is possible to combine both and I have to commend the players for their commitment to studying and football, especially during these Covid-19 times. Online learning has brought a different dimension to it.

“We have a couple of rooms where they can study in or attend a lecture before and after training, which is a great help for them to have that on site at The Showgrounds. I’d also like to thank the staff at The Knocknarea Arena who are a great help to us with their excellent facilities. Chris O’ Malley and all the lecturers have been brilliant to work with as well, and are really good to all the lads.”

IT Sligo Football Facilitator and Men’s Head Coach, Colm Jinks, said: “At IT Sligo, we are delighted we have established this link with one of the biggest clubs in Irish football, Sligo Rovers. 

“Behind the scenes, both parties have worked extremely hard to create this elite football scholarship program and put in place a pathway for players to succeed at professional level football and achieve academically with a third level education which is so vitally important”.

 “IT Sligo has established itself as one of the leading sporting, third level institutions in the region and are showing their intent in being one of the best in the country by offering this amazing scholarship program along with all other scholarships available through IT Sligo’s football club.

“We are showing IT Sligo and Rovers are serious about paving a pathway for the younger academy players to see they can stay here along with combining their studies and playing careers. 

“We are going into our third year of the agreement and were really looking forward to welcoming more of these Elite players to IT Sligo in September.”

Sligo Rovers first-team manager Liam Buckley said: “The IT Sligo partnership is very important to us. The five lads all contribute to our group and form a valuable part of the squad and our training every day.

“Niall has obviously made the biggest impact so far in the first-team, but in time we’ll see more and more from these players. From my point of view it is good to see this agreement growing because it means we keep the best local players here and they also benefit with third level education in IT Sligo.”

Sligo Rovers head of academy Conor O’Grady said: “We are very thankful to IT Sligo and Colm Jinks for their ongoing support.  We want to expand the partnership and have a pathway for our players to play first-team football for Rovers and also gain an education as well.

“Both parties are ensuring football and education is well-balanced. IT Sligo had a great season last year and they will do again when they are back on the pitch with the quality of these additions.

“Even as just one example, we saw Cillian Heaney as the latest academy player to play first-team football having made his first appearance against Galway United on Wednesday.  He has been with us for several years after coming from Westport and will now be a senior player as well as studying in the IT. That’s what we want here. Niall, Darren, Scott, Cillian and James are all doing well and they deserve all the credit for doing so.”

Visit the website at IT Sligo Scholarship for more information.         

View a selection of images by James Fallon from the pre-season friendly game in The Showgrounds as Sligo Rovers drew 0-0 with Finn Harps.

Sligo Rovers will provide a live stream and commentary service for this Sunday afternoon’s pre-season friendly with Finn Harps.

The stream will be provided free of charge for all supporters on the Sligo Rovers YouTube channel.

The link is YouTube.com/SligoRoversTV

The Bit O’ Red take on Harps in The Showgrounds in a behind closed doors game.

Several of the new signings for Rovers will be in action.

The one-camera stream will begin just before kick-off at 2pm.

Commentary will be provided by Darragh Cox.

Sligo Rovers chief executive Colin Feehily said: “We’ve taken this measure so our loyal supporters can see the team in action before the start of the season and to give our fans something to look forward to at a difficult time for everyone.

“We all miss the interaction and the encouragement we receive in The Showgrounds from our supporters, but we’ve still felt an enormous level of support through various remote methods and messages.

“We’re also extremely grateful that the level of fundraising remains so strong.

“We feel it is very important we stay connected with everyone and for our fans to interact with us and each other.

“We hope everyone enjoys the game.”  

View a selection of images from our media team from the 3-0 win over Athlone Town in Athlone Town Stadium.

Sligo Rovers were 3-0 winners against Athlone Town in a pre-season friendly in Lisseywollen on Tuesday.

Goals from Jordan Gibson, John Mahon and Johnny Kenny helped Rovers to the victory.

Gibson scored on his debut from the spot after 30 minutes.

Mahon struck home after a knockdown by Mark Byrne from a corner at the end of the half.

Kenny bagged his first senior goal by beating Michael Schlingermann when one-on-one early in the second half.

Rovers face Finn Harps next up on Sunday afternoon.

Rovers team: Ed McGinty, Colm Horgan, John Mahon, Garry Buckley, Robbie McCourt; Greg Bolger, Niall Morahan, Mark Byrne, Walter Figueira, Jordan Gibson, Johnny Kenny.

Substitutes: Lewis Banks, Trialist, James Robinson, John Russell, David Cawley, Scott Lynch, Darren Collins, Bryan Lynch, Cillian Heaney, Jason Devaney.

Sligo Rovers are delighted with the renewal of a sponsorship agreement with Martin Reilly Mazda which will see the club issued with two 2021 Mazda vehicles for first team manager Liam Buckley and assistant manager John Russell.

The management duo will have the use of the Mazda CX-30 GT Petrol Mild Hybrid and the Mazda 3 Saloon GS-L Sport, finished in Sligo Rovers Red!

Both vehicles are available in Petrol, Mild-Hybrid and Diesel.

The agreement will see Martin Reilly Mazda partner for a second season, after a similar agreement last year.

Speaking at a launch event this morning, manager Liam Buckley spoke about the deal:

“We are really thankful to the guys at Martin Reilly Mazda for coming on board again. They’re one of our key sponsors and their support to John Russell and I is very much appreciated.

“The cars are top of the range and they will certainly help us with our day to day work.”

Speaking on behalf of Martin Reilly Mazda, Brian Reilly says they are thrilled to be involved:

“Martin Reilly Motors are celebrating 36 years in business in Sligo this year and we are delighted to partner with Sligo Rovers in what will hopefully be successful year for both organisations. We wish Liam, John and the entire squad all the best for the year ahead and hopefully we can all be back in the Showgrounds before the end of the year.”

Martin Reilly Mazda is located in Carraroe in Sligo. They are also the local Hyundai and BMW Service centre.

Visit their website on www.martinreillymotors.com.

View a selection of images as pre-season enters week three today.

Sligo Rovers begin pre-season matches next week with five games scheduled overall before the start of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.

Rovers face Athlone Town on Tuesday evening before taking on Finn Harps on Sunday 28^th February.

The Bit O’ Red then face Galway United on Wednesday 3^rd March.

Liam Buckley’s side will meet Athlone again on the evening of Monday 8^th March.

The schedule concludes with a game in Dublin against Shelbourne on Friday 12^th March.

Pre-season friendly schedule:

• Athlone Town v Sligo Rovers – Tuesday 23^rd February
• Sligo Rovers v Finn Harps – Sunday 28^th February
• Galway United v Sligo Rovers  – Wednesday 3^rd March
• Sligo Rovers v Athlone Town  – Monday 8^th March
• Shelbourne v Sligo Rovers  – Friday 12^th March