Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce a partnership with Fit Food Meals, who will supply The Bit O’ Red first-team squad with healthy daily meals to help with their busy training schedule.

Each player will receive a five-day meal plan, with three meals per day provided.

Pre and post exercise nutrition is vitally important in a professional footballer’s lifestyle and Fit Food Meals will help get them the best foods to help them perform.

Manager Liam Buckley expressed his delight at the partnership:

“I am delighted this has come about. Radek and Matt have been a great help to us so far and I have no doubt will really benefit the lads this year.

“We’re trying to make this whole thing better both on and off the pitch and this will only help us add to that.

“The lads will be provided with good food every week, and it’s important to us to get the right nutrients and the right food into the lads to help them be best prepared for training and matches.”

The company are based in Galway and prepare meals from scratch by experienced, qualified chefs with fresh ingredients which include your daily consumption of all nutrients.

Radek Lewandowski from Fit Food Meals explains why they chose to work with Sligo Rovers:

“We are happy to be involved with Rovers this season. Our meals will give them the right nutrients each day and help them perform better overall. We are a growing business and are excited about this partnership. We look forward to watching the lads play in the coming months.”

If supporters wish to enquire about using the services of Fit Food Meals, check their details below:

Web: fitfoodmeals.ie

Instagram: @fitfoodmeals_ireland

Facebook: @fitfoodmealsireland

Everyone at Sligo Rovers wish to thank the lads at Fit Food Meals for their support of the club in 2020.

Sligo Rovers are thrilled to confirm the signing of Finnish defender Teemu Penninkangas for the 2020 season.

The 27-year-old joins the Bit O’ Red after spending all his career in his native Finland where he won several trophies including the league title and both domestic Cups.

He moves from Lahti, having also played for Inter Turku, Tampareen Ilves, SJK and Jazz.

He played Champions League qualifiers with SJK having won the league with them for the first time in their history.

At 6ft 4in, Penninkangas can play at left-back, left-wing back or centre half.

Liam Buckley said: “It’s a signing that is really going to fit in with how we play. Teemu can play as a left-back or wing-back as well as in the middle of defence and I feel we are well-stocked in that area now.

“Teemu has done very well in Finland, he’s won several trophies and played in Europe. He wants to be successful here too.

“He’s tall, physical, he reads it well and he can also come up from the back and score goals which he has done consistently throughout his career.

“But first and foremost I’ve signed him as a defender and someone who will bring even more character to the group. His record in Finland is excellent and this is something he should relish, coming into a new league. We’ve added more height to the group this year as well as experience. We’ve got Garry Buckley, Teemu, and Will Seymore, who I think is going to prove to be a big player for us. That’s important in this league as we have a lot of young players as well.

“As a player I was willing to play in different countries and loved it. Outside of Ireland it’s just normal that you sign foreign players and bring them to your club. We take that approach. As our fans know it’s difficult to compete for every player in Ireland, we have to seek out the best possible value to fit within our remit and I think we’ve done that.

“There isn’t much more business to do, we are looking for a new striker. You’ll find that most clubs in the division are too so it’s not particularly easy. I can say that in this off-season I’ve researched more players than you would believe, along with Dave Campbell and John.

“Teemu arrives today on the back of that because it’s imperative we spend every cent wisely and I think you will find this will be another really positive signing for the season.”

Penninkangas said: “I’m very happy to become a Sligo Rovers player today. It has always been a dream of mine to play abroad.

“This is a very good club in a strong league and a challenge I really look forward to.

“I have had good times in Finland and been part of teams that have achieved great things. I’d like to do that here and help Sligo reach their goals.

“The manager and the coaches convinced me this is the place for me. I can’t wait to play my first game.”

Romeo Parkes has joined USL side New Mexico United on loan for the 2020 season.

As revealed last week, following consultation between the player and club in recent weeks it became clear that Romeo must stay in North America for 2020.

The Bit O’ Red agreed to facilitate this request.

He joins New Mexico as they take over his contract in full for this season.

Rovers retain an option for the 2021 season.

The deadline to have your tile on Bit O’Red Wall for the start of the 2020 season has been confirmed as 31 January.  

The new wall gives supporters and their family members the opportunity to have a permanent place and link with the home of the Rovers – The Showgrounds.

Click to buy tile here

Supporters who have already purchased do not need take action. Around 140 tiles have been sold so far. A limited amount remain.

Alongside the newly-developed outdoor museum, immediately opposite the dressing rooms on the Treacy Avenue side of the ground, the Bit O’ Red wall will be erected shortly with work beginning in the first week of February in time for the first home game against St Patrick’s Athletic on 21 February.

It will be made up of tiles, supplied by the renowned Boyle based stonemasons, Feelystone. Each tile, costing €100, will have space for 3 lines, with 16 characters per line.  

Tiles not bought before 31 January will not be erected until later in the year.

Securing a permanent place on The Bit O’ Red Wall is likely to interest fans who attend Rovers games each season.

It will also provide supporters who are not based in Sligo, including the many who live abroad, with an opportunity to mark their affection for the Rovers.

Another dimension of the project is it will allow an opportunity to remember and celebrate deceased family members and their long association with the club.

The project was devised by a working group including clubsecretary, Brendan Lacken; CEO Colin Feehily, committee members Mark Cummins & Paddy Houze and supporter, Tommie Gorman.

Their objective is to raise funds to help with the running of the club but also to organise a scheme that builds the infrastructure of the Showgrounds and enhances the club’s bond with supporters.

Finbar Feely of Feelystone participated in several meetings at the Showgrounds during which the proposal was developed.  

The plan is to create a structure that will last and will serve as a reminder of the community-based values at the heart of Sligo Rovers FC.

Sligo Rovers can confirm two friendlies later this month as part of our pre-season programme.

In the first outing of 2020, Rovers will take on Galway United in Solar 21 Park, Castlebar (formerly known as Milebush) on Saturday 18^th January.

Kick-off is 1pm, admission will be €5. It is a repeat of the fixture at the same venue last year.

The following Friday, 24^th January, Rovers will meet Drogheda United in Dublin.

The game takes place at 7pm at the FAI campus in Abbotstown. The game is not open to supporters.

Liam Buckley said: “Galway United have strengthened this year so they should provide a good test in Mayo, while Drogheda United came close to promotion last year and will be a leading contender again this season.

“We have made the commitment to travel for various reasons as I explained last week.

“It’s worth it and this will be a good start to the matches for pre-season.”

Sligo Rovers can confirm Romeo Parkes will leave the club this month for personal reasons.

Following consultation between the player and club in recent weeks, it has become clear that Romeo must stay in North America for 2020.

The Bit O’ Red have agreed to facilitate this request.

He will shortly join a club in the US, who will take over his contract for 2020.

Rovers retain an option for the 2021 season.

Liam Buckley said: “This decision relates to an important aspect of Romeo’s life, his long-term future,and while he is under contract, we have to look at it from a human level.

“He was looking forward to building on his fine first season and we’ve been in contact throughout the off-season in relation to this matter. We had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Unfortunately it has.

“We hope to see him back in Sligo one day and we wish him well. Now our focus turns to a replacement.

“The staff and I have already been pursuing that. A new striker will not arrive immediately but we hope to line something up later in the month. When we can, we’ll speak about that further.”

Romeo Parkes said: “I’d like to thank the manager and the club for facilitating this. I am sad not to be returning to Sligo in 2020 because I really enjoyed my year.

“I want to give my appreciation to the fans, they were very supportive all year and I’m sorry I won’t be back next season. I have obligations to fulfil where I am.

“I want to wish all the guys good luck in the 2020 season, I’ll be supporting Sligo and hope one day to wear the jersey again.”

With 2020 upon us, it’s time to get planning your Sligo Rovers season.

Download the fixtures for the first-team to your smart phone and Outlook account here.

Click on the link below and add to calendar

iPhone: www.sligorovers.com/calendar/first-team-fixtures?feed=sp-ical

Android: www.sligorovers.com/calendar/first-team-fixtures?feed=sp-ical

Google: http://www.google.com/calendar/render?cid=webcal%3A%2F%2Fwww.sligorovers.com%2Fcalendar%2Ffirst-team-fixtures%3Ff

Get your Sligo Rovers season ticket here

Sligo Rovers are set to return to pre-season on Friday as our 2020 squad assemble for the first time.

Rovers have six weeks of build-up to the first league game – a meeting away to Finn Harps on 14^th February.

Speaking to www.sligorovers.com, Buckley said: “As I’ve mentioned the players have been ticking over in the last couple of months with their programmes and they return formally tomorrow (Friday). We’ll have a couple of meetings and do a light session.  

“That will continue into the weekend. We’ll be assessing the players and go from there. The management staff and I have formulated the plan over the next six weeks. We have to be fit and ready to go from that first night in Ballybofey. It’s also a long season ahead and you see by the fixture list that the games come thick and fast. It’s all factored in and we’re excited to get going.”

Buckley said he will give an update on the group he is working with before the weekend, adding it will take a bit more time to finalise the squad, although much of the recruitment has been completed.

“Behind the scenes there is a lot of activity, that hasn’t really stopped. We’re exploring all avenues.

“We’re trying to squeeze as much as we can out of the budget. We’ve gone for quality in terms of recruitment and to finish that off we need the right players. We’re confident it will come off in time.”

In terms of pre-season friendlies, the Rovers boss said he hopes to add formal dates soon with games lined up and awaiting approval before announcement.

“Yes, the schedule is pretty much locked in. One change you’ll see this year is we’re going to play some pre-season games in Dublin at the FAI facility in Abbotstown.

“It’s not easy getting games in the region, you’ll find that teams in the Dublin area won’t always travel as they have plenty of potential opposition around them. More so we don’t want to use our pitch at this time of year as well.

“We want to give it a complete break and we looked after it in the closing stages of last year so there will be an improvement. I can’t stress how important that is to us going forward because we want the surface to be in the best possible condition. There is a lot of work going into it.

“There’s the facility in Dublin where we can play on grass against First Division sides and if the weather is inclement, then there is an astro pitch as well so the game will definitely go ahead.

“Our first game will be in Mayo in a couple of weeks and there’ll be another one or two in places close to us. Again the dates are tailored around our training. We hope to announce them all soon.”

Look out for more pre-season content over the weekend