Sligo Rovers host Dundalk on Saturday night in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division. 

The Bit O’ Red will play their first home game of the season after starting the year with two away matches due the postponement of the Bohemians fixture

In team, Robbie McCourt (muscle) and Greg Bolger (ankle) are doubtful and will be checked pre-game.

Liam Buckley said: “It was two tough away games to start the season. The group performed well over the period and I say group because it was a squad effort to get four points out of six. We’ve worked hard as a collective unit in pre-season.

“It was a good result in Derry. I think two games in three days so early on had an impact on both teams but it doesn’t come easy to leave with a clean sheet. Again that was a collective performance so we were pleased with the outcome overall. 

“It’s great for the fans to have the team coming back to The Showgrounds. We were disappointed that the first game didn’t happen and I’m delighted to have a good start behind us ahead of Saturday. 

“We want to build a reputation about The Showgrounds being a tough place to come for the opposition. We want the supporters to get behind us and make that atmosphere that teams come here knowing it’s a difficult place to go and play. That starts with our own performance first and foremost. We’ve adjusted training around the games to deal with the busy start and be ready for Saturday night.

“Dundalk will be one of the teams competing for the top four just like the first two teams we’ve played. They’ve got a strong squad and it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve made a good start. 

“We’re really looking forward to the challenge and being back home in Sligo.”

Sligo Rovers manager Liam Buckley says he cannot remember a time when he was more excited by his involvement in football ahead of the new SSE Airtricity League season.

This is his 25^th year in management after a playing career that brought him to Canada, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain as well as the League of Ireland.  

He previously managed St Patrick’s Athletic (twice), Sporting Fingal, Shamrock Rovers and Athlone Town (twice).  He says each experience with each club was different but what strikes him about Sligo Rovers is the unique relationship between the club and the community.

“I really admired what I saw during the recent club AGM.  It brought home to me the commitment made to help the club survive and develop.  The extra work during the pandemic was amazing. I was sorry afterwards that all of our playing staff weren’t across the Zoom calling during the AGM.”

This year, with rising costs and spending, Buckley has been supported with, as reported at the AGM, an increase in budget. 

“I’m always conscious of what it takes to keep Sligo Rovers going – the voluntary work, fund-raising and careful use of resources.  It’s a community-owned club and I try to spend the money like it is my own.”  

In the close-season, Rovers were linked with a number of players before adding to the squad. He said that in some cases offers made weren’t enough to get a deal done. In other instances, he wasn’t prepared to meet terms desired because he felt it would not be in the best interests of the club.

This week the club announced three new arrivals, Dutch-born, New Zealand defender, Nando Pijnaker, Canadian-born striker, Jordan Hamilton and New Zealand striker, Max Mata.    Buckley says “they are all in their 20’s and like our other new signings, Will Fitzgerald, Karl O’Sullivan, Paddy Kirk and Aidan Keena, they are ambitious.  

“They want to develop and that’s important.”

The Rovers boss hopes this year’s squad will be an improvement on last season.  “We try to improve, year on year.  We re-signed players who did well last year. They showed buy-in to what we trying to develop at the club. We have our talent here as well. We hope that Seamas Keogh, who came back to Sligo from Southampton in the middle of the season, will kick on given he’s been able to have a pre-season and settle back.”

According to the manager, he sees the transfers of Johnny Kenny to Celtic and John Mahon to Saint Johnstone as a success story for Sligo Rovers.

“We will miss the lads. They gave their very best when they were here. Now they have a chance to be great ambassadors for the club and country.  

“I’m delighted for them and their families. For me, they are proof that the club’s strategy of developing its academy is succeeding. John Mahon came through the ranks. He overcame injury and came back stronger.  Johnny Kenny also came through the academy and loved his time here.  As I understand it this is the first time that two local lads, who came up through the system, have transferred to cross-channel clubs.”

Buckley says the club is right to use the academy to help attract talent from the North West region and beyond. 

“We have no big benefactor or wealthy owners but the club still has the good sense to appoint a full-time staff member, Conor O’Grady, to help develop the academy. 

“Given our location and the way the club is owned by the community, this policy makes sense.”

The manager says that since he arrived over three years ago, he has been conscious of the need to improve the playing surface at The Showgrounds. The inclement weather in the region remains a factor while there is a long-term to lay a new surface.

“I know the ongoing efforts to make the most of what we have.  I do feel our teams will only have the confidence to express themselves fully when there is a new pitch at The Showgrounds. That would make a genuine difference to us.”

He says he is excited by the club’s Masterplan.

“If the facilities described in the plan can be delivered, I think it will set up Sligo Rovers as a force for decades to come.  I know the people involved, from the chairman down, are working hard behind the scenes.  

“The news about the floodlights is a great start.  If they can deliver a new pitch, replace the all-weather surface, improve the ground and get academy facilities in the area, Sligo will become an example for the rest of the country.”

Under Buckley’s tenure, the club have continually risen in the league standings with each passing season.

For the second successive year, it is one of the four League of Ireland clubs set to compete in Europe in July.

“Every club has used the close-season to try to put improvements in place.  It’s going to be a very competitive league again this year.  

“Since I came here in October 2018 with my wife, Orlaith, we’ve been made feel welcome.  We have kind neighbours in Riverstown, we know how much the club means to the area and its supporters. 

“I’m not the kind of manager who goes shouting up and down the side line. I take my notes through the game and discuss these with the players at half time and throughout the week. I prefer to try and play by design not by chance. I am 100% committed to doing my best for Sligo Rovers. I enjoy being here and I want to give something back. It’s a very exciting proposition for the year ahead and we’re excited to get underway.”

If you haven’t bought your virtual ticket, you can now buy a streaming pass only for the game on Thursday at 6pm.

The match will be broadcast on LOITV.

Click here to buy for €10 when you’re registered for LOITV.

Virtual ticket holders will be issued an access code.

Sligo Rovers will host a second online bingo event on Friday following the success of the first game last week.

It is open to all players over the age of 18. A single bingo book will be €12, while a double will be €20.

The bingo begins on Friday at 8pm. 

We’ll send you a link to download your books which contain your six bingo games in an email, you can then download them, and either play on your phone or print them off or even write them out yourself.

Click here to buy a single book

Click here to buy a double book

They will contain a serial number integrated with our software and bingo session

What you will need is a device to join our game (laptop, phone or tablet), it’s a free app called Zoom which you will need. All the details to play will be in the e-mail we send you.

What we play for in each session

6 Games of Bingo with a Jackpot of €500 in Game 6

Single Line, Double Line & The Full House in each session with payouts over €1300

Game 1 – Orange

Game 2 – Olive

Game 3 – Grey

Game 4 – Brown

Game 5 – Red

Game 6 – Green

All proceeds go to the club and we are looking to open up to a wide audience and connect players all over Sligo.

We want to have a bit of fun with a few games during the Bingo and also the most important thing is you can see and hear everyone so you know who you are playing with & against. 

After a 3 month break, our Last Man Standing competition resumes this week, with games returning on Friday evening.

Norwich host Southampton at Carrow Road while Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur host his former club Manchester United at the new White Hart Lane.

Game continue Saturday, Sunday & Monday as kick offs are spread out to allow for games to be all televised live.

Week 1 and 2 of the competition wiped out over 500 players, with just 25 players remaining.

All entrants are listed below and players are reminded to send their selections in by Friday at midday.

The installation of state of the art CCTV has taken place this week in The Showgrounds. 

Power Right Fire, Energy and Security are the leading business in Sligo for fire, energy and security services. 

A pan–tilt–zoom camera has been installed by Power Right to monitor three sides of the stadium. It will be used throughout match night. 

This measure is being taken to increase safety and care to all fans in the ground and is part of the terms of entering The Showgrounds. 

The new CCTV is also a preventive measure to identify those that use pyrotechnics and anyone found doing so will be removed from the ground and banned from future games.

We thank Power Right Fire, Energy and Security for their services and recommend them to our fans.