Sligo Rovers can today confirm that Danny Kane has signed a new contract for the 2020 season.

The former Cork City and AFC Fylde player joined Rovers in July having spent the first half of the season overcoming a serious ankle problem.

Kane secured a place in the team over the last two months, putting in impressive displays featuring at the heart of defence and in the full-back positions.    

He becomes the 12^th player to sign for the 2020 campaign.

Danny Kane: “I’m really happy to sign. I was without a club and glad to get the opportunity at Sligo. It was months before I could get to a position to sign which was tough but I’ve loved it here. The lads are brilliant and so are the people around the club.

“I don’t think you’ve seen the best of me to be honest. In a selfish way I don’t want the season to end because I’m loving being back playing. But I also think it’s probably good to get the rest and start pre-season in top knick and be ready to go.

“We’ve done okay, the Cup semi-final showed some potential and next year we’d like to kick on and really go for that top four. There’s a lot of talented lads in a great dressing-room here. We’re not willing to settle for going close to something next season. We want to win.”

Liam Buckley said: “I think Danny is a very good addition for next season. We worked with Danny for a lot of this year to get him back to fitness and we’ve seen what a good player he is in the last number of weeks. As well as being a good defender, he is excellent with the ball at his feet which is important to us.

“His versatility is also very useful because we’ve already seen him in a number of positions and I think he has done really well.

“It’s going to be a big season for him. He is good to enough to nail down a starting place in the team and be a brilliant player in this league.

“I know he has the hunger to become that so we’re looking forward to working with him next year. As the season end draws closer, we want to get our business done in terms of the players that are here already and we are doing that. From where we were this time last year, it’s going to be much more beneficial and easier all around.

“We have two more games to finish off the season and this group of players have been excellent in their application all year. I can’t fault them and we’d like to get two good results. We’ll look to finish it off well and our plans for next year will become more apparent as time passes.”

The upcoming Sligo Rovers 2019 Awards and 1994 Reunion night will see two Sligo Rovers greats inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.

Tony Fagan and Joseph Ndo are among the legends already inducted.

The first player can be confirmed this morning. Chris Rutherford will received the honour this year in the Clayton Hotel on Friday 1 November.

A commanding central defender, Chris was a key personality in the team which won the League of Ireland title in 1977, scoring one of the goals in the famous win over Shamrock Rovers at the Showgrounds on the last day of the season.

Chris went on to win an FAI Cup medal with Rovers in 1983 before a serious knee injury forced him to retire at just 28 years of age.

He joined the coaching staff at the Showgrounds and was a member of Willie McStay’s backroom team when Rovers won the FAI Cup in 1994.

He also served as caretaker manager and assistant manager on a number of occasions.

We look forward to inducting Chris and welcoming his family on the night.

Tickets are on sale for the event which includes a two course meal with tea/coffee, complimentary drinks reception and more.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

This is not a night to miss with the 1994 team returning to Sligo, including manager Willie McStay and a host of players.

To book a table of 10, e-mail administrator@sligorovers.com

Photo courtesy of Alan Finn

The 2019 Awards night will be held in the Clayton Hotel on Friday 1st November and you can vote for your Sligo Rover senior player of the year.

The night will coincide with the reunion of our 1994 team who famously won three trophies, including the FAI Cup.

There are a number of players nominated for Player of the Year.

Vote here

Tickets are on sale for the event for €50 from The Showgrounds

Vote for the Wehrly Bros Jewellers Sligo Rovers Player of the Month for September

The games included are the wins over Finn Harps, UCD (x2) and the semi-final defeat to Dundalk.

Vote here

Sligo Rovers will host a 25^th anniversary celebration for the 1994 FAI Cup winning side on Friday 1^st November in the Clayton Hotel.

Willie McStay and members of the 1994 team will be guests at the dinner dance event which will include a complimentary drinks reception, two course meal with tea/coffee, music and more.

The 1994 side will all be present except two players who are based in Australia.

The night will also coincide with the Player of the Year awards for this season, from senior to underage and women’s team.

The awards will be presented on the night.

Sligo Rovers legends will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame on the night as well as honouring a volunteer who has made a massive mark on the club.

Captain on the day of the FAI Cup victory to seal the treble win, Gavin Dykes, said: “It’s fantastic that the club are honouring the team and there is a great deal of excitement among all of us to catch up with the group.

“It looks like we’ll have nearly all the team with us and I know Willie is thrilled to be coming.

“The 1994 era was a special time in all our lives. For us it’s important to celebrate that time and we are delighted the club are organising this event.

“There’ll be a lot of stories, a lot of catching up and we hope to have a really memorable night.”

Tickets for the event are limited and on sale at the Showgrounds.

Tables of 10 are also available for corporate, please e-mail administrator@sligorovers.com

The 1994 team will also be honoured by the FAI at the FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday 3 November.

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland are keen to help Sligo Rovers fans that are visually impaired and provide a service at matches.

If there is any Sligo Rovers fans interested in providing audio description for visually impaired fans at Sligo Rovers matches please contact the NCBI in Sligo on 071-9170007.

Sligo Rovers are thrilled to confirm Ronan Coughlan has signed a new contract with the club.

The striker, who turned 24 last week, has had an impressive season at The Showgrounds including scoring eight league goals and putting in a number of man of the match displays.

Coughlan signed on the eve of the Premier Division season and had just one training session before his first start.

He struck up a dynamic partnership with Romeo Parkes as the duo contributed 19 lleague goals in total.

Coughlan’s performances saw him become a real favourite among Showgrounds fans and today he has signed a deal for the 2020 season – the 11th player now tied down.

Liam Buckley said: “We’re delighted to get Ronan signed up today. There was some interest from other clubs which didn’t come as a surprise after his performances this season. 

“He came in late in the day, when you consider he didn’t do any pre-season here.

“Ronan’s contribution overall has been excellent, his work-rate is terrific and what we wanted to add to his game over the course of the seasonhas been for him to get into areas to get more chances and as a result score more goals.

“He has certainly improved on that and we want more of it next season. He can get better and better.

“Ronan knows how valued he is here and altogether it gives him a strong platform to take into next year and make a big, big impact in this league.

“We have a good core group signed so far and we will build a very competitive squad. We want to take the progress we’ve made into next season because this year has been about getting us to a level to kick on.

“I want as many supporters as we can to row in behind us because the more people we have on board with us, the easier it makes it for the club behind the scenes and getting the players we want over these coming weeks. The board and the CEO are doing great work from that end. 

“We are going to continue our work on that and we have two more games to try to finish this year in the right manner. I expect the players to do that. 

“But we are also moving our focus towards 2020 as well. There’s a great opportunity for any player that comes here or that we re-sign.

“We’ve got a group of players here that are developing a mentality that gives you achance of achieving something.” 

We’ll hear from Ronan shortly.

Republic of Ireland Under-19 Head Coach Tom Mohan has named his squad to play Denmark on Friday in The Showgrounds.

After last season’s fantastic campaign that concluded with a Semi-Final appearance in the UEFA Under-19 European Championships, Mohan’s side will use the Danish double-header in preparations for the upcoming Qualifying Round games against Switzerland, Austria and Gibraltar.

Borussia Monchengladbach’s Conor Noß is called into an Ireland squad for the first time. The German-born attacker has been part of recent first-team squads with the Bundesliga side in domestic and European games.

Mohan said he is looking forward to seeing 18-year-old play in Sligo.

“Conor plays at number 10. He was in our last training camp. He impressed a lot and is technically a very good player. He’s doing very well in Germany and we’re excited by him.”

Mohan is hoping the Sligo crowd come out and support the side as preparations to qualify for next year’s Finals in Northern Ireland move up another level.

“There’ll be an honest approach from the players. It’s an opportunity for the players to impress. We’re looking forward to a good crowd in Sligo for the games.”

The opening match takes place in The Showgrounds on Friday, October 11 at 7:30pm, followed by the second game on Monday, October 14 at 1pm.

Republic of Ireland Under-19 Squad
Goalkeepers: Sean Bohan (Bohemians), Jimmy Corcoran (Preston North End), Bobby Jones (Wigan Athletic)

Defenders: Ronan Boyce (Derry City), Ben Greenwood (AFC Bournemouth), Oisin McEntee (Newcastle United), Mark McGuinness (Arsenal), Mazeed Ogungbo (Arsenal), Andrew Omobamidele (Norwich City), Lewis Richards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Timi Sobowale (Manchester City)

Midfielders: Jamie Bowden (Tottenham Hotspur), Barry Coffey (Celtic), Dawson Devoy (Bohemians), Donal Higgins (Galway United), Conor Grant (Sheffield Wednesday), Harvey Neville (Manchester United), Armstrong Oko-Flex (Celtic), Tyreik Wright (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Tom Cannon (Everton), Ryan Cassidy (Watford), Festy Ebosele (Derby County), Alex Gilbert (West Bromwich Albion), Conor Noß (Borussia Monchengladbach), George Nunn (Chelsea), Thomas Oluwa (Shamrock Rovers), Ross Tierney (Bohemians)

Sligo Rovers face Waterford on Tuesday in a re-arranged SSE Airtricity Premier Division match at the RSC.

The game has been brought forward because of the Blues being involved in the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Cup on Friday.

In team news, Daryl Fordyce, Kyle Callan-McFadden and Ronan Murray serve suspensions.

Murray is serving the second of a three-match ban. Dante Leverock is on international duty with Bermuda they prepare to face Mexico.

Romeo Parkes is out for the rest of the season (medial ligament) and Ronan Coughlan is doubtful and will undergo a late fitness test.

Fordyce, used as a midfielder throughout the season, served as a striker last Saturday against Shamrock Rovers so it means another rejig for Liam Buckley’s side if Coughlan does not make it but he could yet feature.

Liam Buckley said: “I was delighted with the effort last Saturday. I was proud of them because if our players are going to do anything in their careers, they have to put in that type of performance every week. We had the blow of losing the semi-final and were down a lot of players and we went out and showed something.  

“If you have that determination, focus and expectation to get results, no matter the situation, you have a chance. I can’t fault the lads over the Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers games.

“We want to build a dressing-room here that takes pride in every performance and you can’t pick and choose when you do it. We have to turn up and make sure we’re extremely competitive in every game.

“It’s going to be difficult after a hard game on Saturday night. We’ve just been trying to recover from Saturday and then having to travel such a long distance midweek at this stage of the season makes no sense whatsoever. We just have to get on with it.

“It is hard on the players we do have available as we are working from the same squad minus a few so there is very little we can do to change things.  

“We’ll have a lot of academy players to make up the bench because it is down to that.

“That said, the lads will put everything in to get a result. We want to finish off the season as best we can and get that points total up. We’ll be involved in key games for the rest of the year overall in the league so there’ll be no let up from that end.”

Sligo Rovers are currently taking expressions of interest in becoming our main sponsor for the 2020 season and beyond.

It is the first time the sponsorship has been available since the end of 2011 following the hugely successful sponsorship by VW Connolly’s.

Becoming the main sponsor of Sligo Rovers offers national and local profile through means to TV, digital and matchday along with brand recognition of a growing football club at the heart of the community.

There is a proven track record of receiving value for sponsorship investment with Sligo Rovers.

For more e-mail colinfeehilysrfc@hotmail.com