This weekend there are four games across Saturday and Sunday for our Bit O’ Red Academy teams.

Both our Under 17 and 19 Men’s teams have no fixtures.

Our Under 14 side take on Athlone Town away from home on Saturday at Noon. The lads are looking to make it three wins in a row at the start of their season.

Our Under 17 Womens team host Athlone Town at 1pm at The Sean Fallon Centre also on Saturday, with free admission for all supporters.

Sunday sees our Under 15 side also take on the Midlanders in Athlone Town Stadium at 12pm under the guidance of Manager Darryl Keaney.

Darragh Healy’s Under 19 Womens team travel to take on Shamrock Rovers at Roadstone at 3pm on Sunday in their second game of the new season following last week’s win over Athlone Town.

Updates will be on our Social Media platforms all weekend.

Well done to Under 19 Men’s players Niall Holahan and Eli Rooney who were part of the Ireland School’s side who were narrowly beaten by Wales on Thursday night. Both players started the game and Eli was on the scoresheet.

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce the appointment of Alan Murphy as Head of Performance of our Senior Women’s team.

Murphy was most recently Manager of Galway FC who were part of the league last season before their amalgamation with Galway United for 2023 and beyond.

The experienced coach has been a League of Ireland player previously before moving into coaching after retiring from playing.

Murphy was over the Connacht Schools team for a number of years.

Manager Steve Feeney is delighted to have Alan on board:

‘’This is a great appointment for us ahead of the new season.

‘’Alan knows the League having managed in it last season and he will prove to be an important part of the staff here this season.

‘’Alan will mostly look at opposition games and work closely with the playing squad throughout the season, helping the players develop in all areas of their game’’.

With the 2023 season now underway, Murphy is hard alongside Steve Feeney and the Bit O’ Red backroom team.

The Bit O’ Red host Peamount United next Saturday, March 18th at 5pm at The Showgrounds and we want a huge crowd to turn out and support the Women’s team.

Admission is just €5 with tickets available on the turnstiles.

Sligo Rovers are delighted to join the We Are Breastfeeding Friendly Sligo Initiative.

We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Sligo is funded by the Healthy Ireland Fund supported by the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and hosted by Lifestart Supporting Parents.

Sligo Rovers, as always is a fully inclusive club and we are thrilled to support this campaign.

Former Sligo Rovers striker Marcus Hallows, now an Elvis Tribute Act is coming to Sligo to celebrate the club’s 25th Anniversary of our 1998 League Cup triumph

The 1998 squad will be at our game with Shelbourne that weekend as part of their reunion.

Hallows was part of the team that defeated Shelbourne over two legs in the decider at The Showgrounds and Tolka Park respectively.

Doors open at 7pm and tickets are priced at €15 per person with all funds going to Sligo Rovers.

Tickets can be bought now online at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/i-am-elvis-tribute-act-tickets-549071135547

Greg Bolger played a crucial role for Sligo Rovers in Monday night’s 2-1 Premier Division victory against St Patrick’s Athletic. He missed last Friday night’s game in Drogheda, but got through an hour of dynamic play on Monday night. Greg was featured in an interview with Conall Collier in our Monday night matchnight programme.

THE INTERVIEW:

Now, in his third season with the Bit O’Red since arriving at the Showgrounds for the start of the 2021 season, Greg Bolger has a reputation as a no-nonsense type of player.

Greg finished the 2020 season on the sideline having sustained a broken leg with his previous club, Shamrock Rovers, but he was happy to get the chance to play for then Sligo Rovers manager Liam Buckley.

“I was with Liam Buckley at Sporting Fingal, but that didn’t last too long, Liam contacted me again after he got the job at St Pat’s and I always liked the way he tried to get his teams playing football,” commented Greg.

“He was a man I had great respect for, not just for his football ethos, but for things outside of football also.

“Liam was always one to look out for players, on and off the pitch, it was the same when he was here in Sligo, he wanted the players to be happy off the pitch as he felt that it would reflect on the performances on the pitch,” he added.

Looking back to his early years in Wexford, Greg cited the strength of the junior game in his native county and also his GAA exploits in Colleges’ football with Good Counsel as hugely influential in how he developed as a player and as an individual.

However, he credits his older brothers with helping to develop the competitive side of his game.

“I have a competitive streak, if I lose that then I wouldn’t be the same player if you know what I mean, it all comes down to the fact that I just want to win,” he stated.

“I suppose I can blame my two older brothers, Seamus and Tomás, for kicking the shit (can I say that) out of me, when I was growing up – you can’t really put that in, can you?

“I loved the GAA when I was playing it at secondary school, one thing about the Gaelic, it would certainly toughen you up a bit and that can be a great asset for playing in the League of Ireland.

“I wasn’t too bad at the Gaelic football either, I won a few Leinster Senior Football A Colleges medals with Good Counsel, but I never managed to make it to the All-Ireland final, we were beaten in a few All-Ireland semi-finals, but it was great experience at the time,” he added.

AND WHAT ABOUT THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH REFEREES?

I suggested to Greg that, perhaps, a referee might say to him before a game something along the lines of ‘Will I show you the yellow card now Greg, or will I wait until the game starts’ and he just laughed and commented:

“I’d say I have a good relationship with the referees, I talk to them a lot,” he admitted.

“You need to put yourself about sometimes, and sometimes I’d be on the receiving end of it, that’s the way it goes and I won’t be changing anything at this stage.”

EARLY DAYS:

Greg was a prominent young player in Wexford before there was even a League of Ireland side in the county.

“I played inter-league with Wexford at 16 and 17 and we had a lot of success, this was in the time before Wexford Youths joined the League of Ireland, I started out with New Ross Celtic and it sort of developed from there,” he said.

“The junior game in Wexford is very strong, I know North End Utd played Bohs a few weeks ago in the Leinster Senior Cup, that’s a good standard for those lads

“My local club, as I said, was New Ross Celtic and they enjoyed plenty of success at adult level when I was playing under-age, I eventually went to play with Cherry Orchard 17s and then went to UCD.

“Pete Mahon and Eddie Gormley recruited me for UCD, I was on one of the FAI FÁS Courses as they were called at the time and it developed from there, full-time football mixed with a bit of education.

“UCD always try to play the game the right way, lots of players come through UCD and then go to other League of Ireland clubs, I did it, plenty of others did it also.

“I played for the Republic of Ireland at u-19 level, Sean McCaffrey was the manager at the time, Sean knew his football and had a great way about him with the players. I also played for the u-23 home-based Republic of Ireland side on a couple of occasions.

“The way the League has gone now, it’s a young man’s game, you can see it, the opportunities that are there now, if a young player has a good season here then there’s the chance of a move across the water.

“Look around the League now and the average age of the players is a lot lower than when I started,” he recalled.

AND WHAT ABOUT SLIGO ROVERS

The club that is located at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, what about the prospects for this season and also for the future?

“I’m enjoying my time here in Sligo, I love the place, it’s great, except maybe for the weather sometimes,” he remarked.

“I’m doing a bit of coaching with the first team and also the under-age teams.

“My goal would be to stay in football as long as I can, it’s what I know best, I have always tried to learn something from the various managers I’ve met and now I’d like to be in a position to pass on some of that knowledge to the talented young players coming through the under-age ranks.

“I have the UEFA B badge and the next target would be the UEFA A, but as a player, I was very disappointed last season that we just missed out on a place in Europe.

“Apart from the financial benefits for the club, the European trips are great for the fans, for the supporters.

“I suppose the European games took a lot out of the players and that had an impact on our results in the League, we didn’t have the biggest squad, but you just have to get on with it and do the best you can.

“I know that the supporters really enjoyed last season’s Europa Conference League and we have to strive to make it again this season, it’s vital on so many fronts for the club.

“Look, we have to be challenging for a European place every year, obviously if you win the League, you are qualified and that’s the best way to do it, we have to target that.

“You look at the other teams, Shamrock Rovers, Derry City, they might be just slightly ahead of the rest of us in terms of strength-in-depth, but there isn’t a huge gap between the teams and it will be tight

“If we can produce consistent performances then we will give ourselves a chance, a club like Sligo Rovers should be in Europe every year,” he said.

THE SUPPORTERS AND VOLUNTEERS

Greg stated emphatically that he is very impressed by the people of Sligo, the supporters and club volunteers.

“Sligo Rovers, and more importantly I suppose, the people of Sligo and the wide network of supporters across the country, deserve great credit which they don’t always get, for sustaining the club and driving the club forward every season

“I didn’t realise what went on until I came to the club, how much of a big deal it is for everyone, the team off the pitch, by that I mean the committee, the countless volunteers and the wider groups of supporters, they all do a fantastic job and they deserve success, whether that’s winning the League, the FAI Cup, qualifying for Europe, it means a lot to so many people.

“You are kind of in a bit of a bubble going around clubs in the League of Ireland, I’ve been doing that for a good few years now, but what I see here in Sligo amongst the fans is a bit different, all the fundraising that goes on, all sorts of things.

“You know, there are no ‘big heads’ around the place, there are no big investors, it’s all down to the collective will of the supporters and that’s not lost on the players, you can see how much it means to everyone.       

“The longer you are here as a player, the more you realise just exactly what goes on to get the team on the pitch on a match night, that’s something that I certainly don’t take for granted. Putting it in simple terms, Sligo Rovers is a great club,” he stressed.

 JOHN RUSSELL

 Greg enjoyed success previously with current manager John Russell and is eager for more of that with Sligo Rovers.

“Myself and John (Russell) had great success at St Pat’s, winning the League, he knows football and now he’s on the sideline, but I’ll be doing my best on the pitch to make sure we get results for Sligo Rovers,” remarked Greg.

“John wants to do well for Sligo Rovers and he isn’t hesitant in any way at brining young players into the first team panel from the Academy.

“You can see the benefits from the work that Conor O’Grady and the other coaches do, the players who have come through, Ed McGinty, Johnny Kenny, John Mahon and more recently Sean McAteer, Cillian Heaney.

“I suppose it’s something that the FAI merits credit for, the Academy structure that has been developed over the last few years, it’s starting to pay dividends now in so many ways and the next goal has to be improved facilities.

“I was delighted to see that the club got planning permission for the development of the stadium, that’s great for the future and something that needs to be replicated across the League.

“Better facilities will benefit everyone, players, spectators, the image of the League, make the matchday experience memorable for all the right reasons, a family day out, that type of thing.

“There is a real European flavour this season around the club with various nationalities represented, they are all good people to have around the dressing room, but that’s down to John Russell’s ability to scout players in the first instance.

“Last season’s European campaign would have raised the profile of the club and now there’s a bit of a payback, but we need to sustain that European involvement.

“I think the spirit of the team was evident last season in the second leg against Viking, we really put it up to them, it was just so unfortunate that we got such a bad result in the first leg.

“But, a lot of the credit has to go to the supporters who really got behind us that night, what it really demonstrated is how important that level of support on a match night is,” he concluded.

Tickets for our next home game against Cork City on Saturday (March 11th) are now on sale.

This is a Category Two fixture with prices as follows:

Adult: €15

Senior Citizen/Third Level or Secondary School Student: €10

12 and Under: €5

The game has already been selling fast with high demand for tickets following last night’s impressive win over St. Patrick’s Athletic which was played in front of 2,751 supporters at The Showgrounds.

The easiest way to buy your ticket is online via the link below:

https://srfcdirect.com/match-tickets/

Tickets can also be purchased up to Friday in the club office at The Showgrounds from 10am to 4pm.

Sligo Rovers Academy had six games over the weekend with all teams in action across Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, our Under 14 team defeated Galway United 5-2 at The Sean Fallon Centre with goals from Aidan Gabbidon, Sonny Malone (2), Ryan Lang and Ryan Cunningham. It means the lads have now won their opening two games this season.

Our Under 17 Women’s team began their season with a good away win against Treaty United in Limerick on Saturday afternoon. Debutant Orlaith Doherty got both goals for Darren Kelly’s side.

Also on Saturday, our Under 17 Men’s side were beaten 3-0 away to UCD.

Sunday saw another busy day with three games.

Our Under 19 Men’s team were beaten away to St. Patrick’s Athletic in Inchicore with their only goal coming from Conor Campbell.

Our Under 19 Women’s team got their first three points of the new season thanks to goals from Eimear McIntyre and Orna Murphy in a 2-0 win over Athlone Town at The Sean Fallon Centre.

Our Under 15 side were defeated 6-2 at the same venue earlier in the day against Galway United with Rovers’ only goals coming from Darragh McKeon and Troy Kelly.

Sligo Rovers took all three points in from of 2,751 supporters at a vocal Showgrounds on Monday night in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division.

Both sides suffered defeats in Louth on Friday night with Rovers losing 1-0 in Drogheda and Pats defeated 5-0 in Oriel Park against Dundalk.

John Russell made four changes to the team that started on Friday with Greg Bolger, Stefan Radosavljevic, Fabrice Hartmann and John Mahon all coming into the starting team in place of Lukas Browning, Kailin Barlow, Eanna Clancy and Frank Liivak.

The opening fifteen or twenty minutes were tight with both sides playing some nice football with no clear cut chances for either team.

On 21 minutes the game’s big talking point occurred when John Mahon was stripped of possession 40 yards from goal by Tommy Lonergan. Mahon pulled the Saints striker back and was shown a straight red card by referee Rob Hennessy for denying a goalscoring opportunity. Replays suggest that Niall Morahan was back to cover Mahon however the red card was shown and Mahon now misses Saturday’s home game against Cork City.

Rovers didn’t let the extra man effect them and took the lead on 34 minutes.

Lovely patient build up play between a number of Bit O’ Red players eventually saw the ball switched out to left-back Reece Hutchinson. Hutchinson took a touch out of his feet and ran by a couple of St. Pat’s defenders before playing it wide to Will Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald got to the byline and cut it back for the onrushing Hutchinson who swept the ball home with a tidy finish for his first Rovers goal.

It was 1-0 at the break and visiting Manager Tim Clancy introduced club Captain Chris Forrester and Jake Mulraney as he looked to get his side back on terms.

The away side had most of the possession with the help of the extra man but Rovers were defending well and threatening on the counter attack. John Russell brought on Eanna Clancy on 57 minutes for Greg Bolger with Niall Morahan moving back into midfield having provided cover after Mahon’s sending off.

On 62 minutes the visitors struck back. Sub Forrester picked up the ball around 25 yards from goal and unleashed an unstoppable strike which arrowed into the top left hand corner giving Luke McNicholas no chance, and the sides were level.

Five minutes later however, Rovers were back in front. Johan Brannefalk’s quick free kick put Fabrice Hartmann in down the right of the penalty area and he cut inside on his left foot and curled one into the far corner to give his side the lead for the second time.

The visitors looked to get back into the game but Rovers were resolute at the back and potent in attack with the impressive Mata proving his worth with a monumental display up front on his own.

Luke McNicholas was comfortable and Nando Pijnaker marshalled the defence well and Rovers saw the game out and got a first Showgrounds win of the season.

Next up is a home game against Cork City here on Saturday evening at 7.45pm

Tonight’s Bit O’ Red Match Programme is available for €5 inside the turnstiles ahead of our game with St. Patrick’s Athletic at 7.45pm.

We hear from Rovers’ Manager and Chairman John Russell and Tommy Higgins ahead of another important Showgrounds night in front of our supporters.

We hear from Midfielder Greg Bolger and there is a full page Max Mata poster for our young supporters to tear out and display.

Former Sligo Rovers defender Tim Clancy speaks to Conall Collier ahead of his return to The Showgrounds with his St. Pats team.

Other content includes the following:

• Sligo Rovers Squad info
• M.T Vessels and all That by Conall Collier✅
• Red Reinforcements and 20 Questions with Stefan Radosavljevic✅
• You Reds – We remember Joe Martyn and Paddy Kenna✅
• Super Red Photos and Spot the Ball competition✅
• 2023 Results/Fixtures
  There is a FREE 2023 fixture card with each programme sold this evening

Sligo Rovers host St. Patrick’s Athletic on Monday night at The Showgrounds at 7.45pm in our second home game of the season.

The Bit O’ Red had two away games on the bounce in the last week or so with a win over UCD followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat on Friday in Drogheda.

Tomorrow’s game sees Dubliners St. Patrick’s Athletic visit in a game which is usually fiercely contested and will again be played in front of a large Showgrounds crowd.

Bit O’ Red Manager John Russell is looking forward to being back at The Showgrounds:

‘’St Pat’s have brought in a lot of quality players over the off season.

‘’Last season our games against them were always tight affairs and we’re expecting no different tomorrow night.

‘’We were very disappointed with our performance against Drogheda last Friday.

We reviewed the game and identified areas where we need to improve.

‘’This game on Monday gives us the perfect opportunity to bounce back. I know the quality we have in the squad and, we’ve seen positive signs in our first two games.

‘’The key for us moving forward is getting a consistent level of performance.

‘’It’s great to be back at The Showgrounds after the two away games. The atmosphere for our last home game was electric. We’re expecting another big crowd roaring us on’’.

St. Patrick’s Athletic have picked up the same number of points as Rovers in their opening three games with a draw, a win and a defeat respectively, the latest coming on Friday night against Dundalk at Oriel Park.

In team news, Greg Bolger is a doubt with a thigh strain. Conor Walsh will again be assessed closer to kick off following illness and injury over the past week and Rovers continue without Garry Buckley, Mark Byrne and Gary Boylan (all Knee).

Supporters can buy tickets online or at the turnstiles.

Children’s tickets are not available online and will only be sold on the turnstile if accompanied by a paying adult.

Buy tickets:  https://srfcdirect.com/match-tickets/