Sligo Rovers Football Club Women ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí Shligigh na mBan) is an Irish association football club based in

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

. In December 2021 the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) announced the formation of the club as an

expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...

for the upcoming 2022 Women's National League season. It is the women's section of

Sligo Rovers Sligo Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí Shligigh) is an Irish professional football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club is based in Sligo in the west of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 ...

. The senior team plays in the Women's National League while junior teams compete at Women's Under 17 National League and Women's Under 19 National League level.

History

In July 2018 Sligo Rovers were among 11 founding clubs in a new Under-17 Women's National League. Club chairman Tommy Higgins affirmed his commitment to women's football in May 2021, while announcing his ambition to rebuild The Showgrounds using "a huge element of public funding". In September 2021 the club announced plans to collaborate with Institute of Technology, Sligo, in fielding a senior women's team in the Women's National League from 2022. On 10 December 2021 the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirmed the acceptance of the club as an

for the upcoming 2022 Women's National League season. On 15 December 2021 former Rovers player Steve Feeney was appointed as the senior women's team's first manager, leaving his role at

Ballinamallard United Ballinamallard United Football Club is a semi-professional Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club, re-formed in 1975 after being dormant since the 1960s, hails from Ballinamallard, near Enniskillen, County Ferma ...

to take up the post. Emma Hansberry became the club's first signed player on 11 January 2022. Amy Hyndman and Katie Melly followed on 20 January. The club played its first

friendly Friendly may refer to: Places * Friendly, West Yorkshire, a settlement in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England * Friendly, Maryland, an unincorporated community in the United States * Friendly, Eugene, Oregon, a neighborhood in the United States * ...

match on 22 January 2022, beating Conn Rangers, a non-League team from neighbouring

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...

, 6–3 at the "Sean Fallon Centre" all weather pitch at The Showgrounds before a crowd of about 300 people. On the opening day of the 2022 Women's National League, 5 March 2022, Sligo Rovers lost their first competitive match 6–0 at Peamount United. The FAI later awarded Sligo Rovers a 3–0 walkover win, when Peamount reported themselves for fielding an ineligible player in the match. Seven days later the first home match at The Showgrounds was lost 3–0 to DLR Waves before an encouraging crowd of 945. On 19 March 2022 the club secured its first ever competitive win, 2–1 over Cork City at Turners Cross. Gemma McGuinness scored the club's first official goal in the match.

Players

Current squad

References

External links

* {{Sligo Women Association football clubs established in 2022 Sport in Sligo (town) Association football clubs in Connacht 2022 establishments in Ireland Women's association football clubs in the Republic of Ireland Women's National League (Ireland) teams