Sligo Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí Shligigh) is an Irish professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club playing in the Premier Division of the
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
. The club is 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 the west of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
The club was founded in 1928 and have been in the
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
since 1934. The club is a
co-operative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
venture, owned by the people of
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 ...
. Rovers have played at
The Showgrounds since their inception. In 2013, they won a third
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
in four years, and also became the
2012 Premier Division Champions, winning the league with two games to spare. In total they have won three league titles, five FAI Cups and two League Cups.
History
Beginnings
Sligo Rovers Football Club was formed on 17 September 1928 as a result of an amalgamation of two junior sides, Sligo Town and Sligo Blues. Their first game was a 9–1 victory against
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Location
B ...
, a team from
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...
in
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
, on 23 September 1928 in the qualifying round of the Connacht Cup. The club, elected to the
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
in 1934, hails from
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 ...
and play their home matches at the
Showgrounds and have done so ever since their inception. The home colours are red with white sleeve uppers, with white shorts and socks while the away colours are black with yellow sides, black shorts and yellow socks. The third alternative kit is navy with red sleeve uppers, navy shorts and navy socks with a red upper part.
1928–1940: Early success
The club started well by winning the
FAI Junior Cup
The FAI Junior Cup is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for junior association football clubs from the Republic of Ireland. The inaugural winners were Brideville. The competition's most successful club is Fairvi ...
in their first season, beating
Grangegorman
Grangegorman () is an inner suburb on the northside of Dublin city, Ireland. The area is administered by Dublin City Council. It was best known for decades as the location of St Brendan's Hospital, which was the main psychiatric hospital ser ...
in the final at the Showgrounds 3–0. The following season also brought silverware in the shape of the
Connacht Junior Cup with Rovers beating Galway in the final 1–0 after a replay. At the beginning of the 1931–32 season the club successfully applied to join the Dublin-based Sunday Alliance League and won their first game at this level by beating Windy Arbour 4–2 at the Showgrounds and went on to win the league, finishing four points ahead of Westland Sligo. After this success the club moved up another level the following season by joining the
Leinster Senior League and played their first game away to
UCD in August 1932 and won 4–2. The club performed well in their first season at this level eventually finishing third as Brideville won the league. This season also saw The Bit O' Red make their first appearance in the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
, winning in the First round against
Brideville 3–1 before going out to
Shelbourne in the next round 5–2. The next year, the club won the Leinster Senior League in only their second year at this level by beating
Distillery
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...
in a play-off at
Tolka Park
Tolka Park ( ga, Páirc na Tulchann) is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne. The stadium fo ...
3–2 after the teams had finished the league level on points. The team also won the Intermediate Cup, winning 5–1 against Waterford side Tramore Rookies in the final at Dalymount Park, as well as the Metropolitan Cup, beating Queens Park 3–0 in the final at Tolka Park to secure a remarkable treble for the young club.
Following this achievement the club was elected to the Free State League on 28 June 1934 along with
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
as both
Shelbourne and
Cork Bohemians resigned from the league. Scotsman Bob Preston, ex-Heart of Midlothian, Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United player, managed the team in their first season at the highest level of Irish football with the first game being a 3–1 defeat in the Shield at the
Iveagh Grounds
The Iveagh Grounds is a multi-purpose sports facility based in Drimnagh/Crumlin, Dublin. It is the home base of several sports clubs and teams who are associated with the Guinness Athletic Union. These include St James's Gate F.C. and St Jame ...
in Dublin against
St. James Gate. Tommy Callaghan scored Rovers' goal. The team finished third in that season with Gerry McDaid finishing as top scorer. During this season local
Paddy Monaghan
Paddy "Monty" Monaghan was an Irish footballer who played for Sligo Rovers and the Irish Free State national team.
Monaghan played for Sligo before they entered senior football, winning the Leinster Senior League, the Metropolitan Cup and th ...
won two caps for the
Irish national team and is still the only man to have achieved this while at the club.
The
1936–37 season began in spectacular fashion with Sligo winning their first 11 games and they clinched their first league title by beating Cork 4–3 with two games of the season remaining. Trainer and captain that year was Jimmy Surgeoner in his only season at the club. Top scorer was Englishman Harry Litherland whose record of 19 league goals that season was surpassed by Eoin Doyle in 2011 season scoring 20 league goals. The club also won the Dublin City Cup this year beating
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
in the final. Two years later, in 1939, the club reached their first FAI Cup final by beating
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
2–1 in the semi-final. A crowd of 30,601 went to
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park (Irish: ''Páirc Cnocán Uí Dhálaigh'') is a football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.
It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as D ...
to see Rovers take on
Shelbourne in the final which ended in a 1–1 draw. The replay was held at
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park (Irish: ''Páirc Cnocán Uí Dhálaigh'') is a football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.
It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as D ...
10 days later on 3 May with 28,369 in attendance to see the Dublin side record a 1–0 victory thanks to an early goal. The club were also runners-up in the league that year finishing nine points behind winners
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
making it another good season for the club.
The following season once again saw the club come close to winning a trophy on two occasions. First was a 3–2 defeat to
Bohs in a play-off for the shield after the two sides finished level on points. Also that year the club reached its second consecutive
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
final with
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
providing the opposition in front of a crowd of 38,500 on 21 April. Unfortunately for Rovers, it was Shams who ran out 3–0 winners. Despite this success the club decided that because of
The Emergency the club could no longer compete in the league and withdrew from football.
Dixie Dean
Before the cup campaign of 1939 the club's committee decided they needed a big name to fill the vacant centre-forward position. They got in touch with some contacts in England, one of whom was the manager of
Everton who suggested that
Dixie Dean
William Ralph "Dixie" Dean (22 January 1907 – 1 March 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. He is regarded as one of the greatest centre-forwards of all time and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in ...
, who was at
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League (division), National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 2 ...
at the time, could be available. Although coming to the end of his career Dean was still one of the biggest names in football due to his goalscoring feats during his time at Everton where he is still the club's all-time leading scorer and also holds the record for having scored the highest amount of league goals in a single season – 60 in 1927–28. Despite rejecting Rovers' initial offer the club's improved second offer was accepted by Dean and a massive coup was pulled off by the club. A huge crowd turned up at
Sligo Railway Station
Sligo Mac Diarmada station, also known as Sligo railway station, is a mainline railway station which serves the town of Sligo in County Sligo, Ireland. It is a terminal station which now has two platforms and an intermediate carriage siding. T ...
to give Dean a hero's welcome. Dean duly scored on his debut, a game against
Shelbourne in the
Showgrounds on 29 January and went on to score nine more in his seven league appearances for the club, including five in a single game against
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
. He also scored in the FAI cup final of that year in the 1–1 draw with
Shelbourne though the replay would be lost 1–0. Dean's runners-up medal was stolen after the game but he did however have it returned to him seven years later when he was back in England. Dean returned to Ireland in 1978 to see Sligo Rovers play in the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
final of that year.
1948–1976: Return to football and trophyless years
Following the end of the war Rovers began attempts to return to the league. In 1945 the club couldn't raise sufficient funds to facilitate this and the following year improvement works at the
Showgrounds delayed the return by another year. In 1947 Rovers applied to rejoin the league but were unsuccessful as the league decided to maintain its structure of eight teams. A year later and the club were this time successful and were readmitted to the league along with
Transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
for the
1948–49 season. After two quiet seasons Rovers were once again challenging for honours, this time going close to winning the league title. Going into the final game of the season against
Transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
, Rovers needed a win to finish level on points with
Cork Athletic
Cork Athletic Football Club was a former Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland between 1948 and 1957. They were the successor club of Cork United. When United quit the league in October 1948, Cork Athletic was ...
and force a play-off but they could only draw 0–0 and finished second, a point behind Athletic. The Cork side also denied Rovers in the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
knocking them out 2–0 at the semi-final stage. At the beginning of the next season the club signed Scottish forward Johnny Armstrong who would go on to stay with the club for several years and become the all-time leading goalscorer.
The next few seasons saw Rovers finish around mid-table. On 6 March 1955 one of the most famous games the Showgrounds has seen took place when Rovers were drawn to face
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
in the FAI Cup. Before the match Rovers announced that they had signed Austrian International Albert Straka to play in the game and this attracted much attention resulting in a crowd of over 7,000. In the final minute with Rovers 2–1 down a penalty was awarded and up stepped Straka to equalise and create jubilant scenes. Rovers would go on to lose the replay. Rovers finished the
1956–57 season in third place however it would be another nine seasons before they would finish inside the top three again. The slump began in the
1957–58 season with the club finishing in the bottom two and therefore having to apply for re-election for the first time. During the next few years Rovers struggled on the pitch as well as off it with persistent financial difficulties blighting the club. This came to a head at the end of the
1961–62 season when the decision was made to cut the league from 12 clubs to 10. With Rovers having finished bottom for the last two seasons they, along with
Transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
, were dismissed from the league despite the club making an appeal to the
FAI.
The absence would only last one year however, when the decision was made to bring the league's numbers back up to 12, Rovers were re-admitted along with
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
. The club's fortunes improved after their return and they had three consecutive top half finishes from 1965 to 1967, a feat not matched until 2008 and they also reached an
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
semi-final in 1966 but lost to
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
after a replay. A significant achievement was made in 1968 when Rovers were able to take full ownership of the Showgrounds, which enabled them to begin work on improving facilities at the venue. One of the worst moments of the club's history occurred in 1969 when the club were beaten by non-league opposition in the FAI Cup for the first time as
Longford Town
Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...
won 2–0 in Longford. Rovers fared better in the cup the following year as they reached their first final in 30 years where they faced
Bohs. After the first two games ended scoreless Bohs came out on top in the second replay winning 2–1 despite Johnny Cooke giving Rovers the lead. The following years saw Rovers struggle towards the bottom end of the table, and they had to apply for re-election on two occasions as financial constraints forced the club to adopt a part-time policy. Rovers reached their first
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
final but lost 4–1 over two legs to
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
.
1977–1985: Second league title and first FAI Cup
The
1976–77 season would be one of the most successful in the club's history as the club won its first league title for 40 years and its second ever. Manager Billy Sinclair assembled a talented squad with a mix of local and British talent that pipped
Bohs to the title by a point with the title being clinched with a famous 3–1 victory over
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
at the Showgrounds on Easter Sunday. In the squad that year was goalkeeper Alan Paterson; defenders McManus, Sinclair, Fox (captain),
Rutherford, Stenson; midfielders Fagan,
Fielding, McGee, Betts, Ferry, Walker and forwards Leonard and
Hulmes. The club also reached their second successive
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
final but lost 1–0 to Shamrock Rovers. Sligo native
Paul 'Ski' McGee played a big part in the title win and was transferred to English side
QPR
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus R ...
at the end of the season and would go on to have a successful time in England as well as earning 16 caps for the
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
national side. The league win gave Rovers their first opportunity to play in Europe and they were drawn to play
Red Star Belgrade
Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...
of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
in the first round of the
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
. They would lose both legs 3–0.
The next season saw another cup run for Rovers as they reached the final of the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
again and this time
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
, managed by Irish football legend
Johnny Giles
Michael John Giles (born 6 November 1940) is an Irish former association football player and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s. After retiring from management in 1985, Giles served as t ...
, were their opponents. A controversial penalty scored by
Ray Treacy gave the Dublin side a 1–0 win and prolonged Rovers search for their first FAI Cup. After one more season manager Billy Sinclair announced his departure and he would eventually be replaced by ex-
Finn Harps
Finn Harps Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Chláirsigh na Finne) are an Irish football club that play in the First Division of the League of Ireland, as of 2023. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. However, it was te ...
manager Patsy McGowan who brought with him several players from the Donegal side. This included
Brendan Bradley the league's all-time top scorer. In his second season at the club McGowan led Rovers to their fifth
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
final where they this time met
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
. A 2–0 defeat left many wondering would Rovers ever get their hands on the famous trophy. At the end of the following season when Rovers finished in 5th position McGowan left to return to
Finn Harps
Finn Harps Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Chláirsigh na Finne) are an Irish football club that play in the First Division of the League of Ireland, as of 2023. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. However, it was te ...
. He would be replaced by long-serving player
Paul Fielding
Paul Fielding (born 4 December 1955) is a former English association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder (association football), midfielder.
He began his professional football career with Rochdale, where he played for four seasons b ...
.
With financial difficulties persisting the club finished towards the bottom of the table however the 1983 season will always be remembered at the club for the FAI Cup run of that year. Rovers made their way to the semi-finals by beating Shamrock Rovers and were drawn to face junior side
Cobh Ramblers
Cobh Ramblers Football Club (CRFC) ( ga, Cumann Peile Chóstóirí Chóbh) is an Irish football club. The club, founded in 1922 and elected to the League of Ireland in 1985, hails from Cobh, County Cork and play their home matches at St. Colm ...
in what looked to be a straightforward tie. However it took a late equaliser for Rovers to force the first game to a replay and in that Cobh came from two down to force a second replay back at
Flower Lodge
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
which saw another draw. Rovers eventually came out on top in the third replay, despite going two down, to book their place in the final. The tie earned Cobh the respect of Rovers and the Irish footballing public. A week later, on 24 April, Rovers were facing
Bohs in the cup final at a rain-soaked
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park (Irish: ''Páirc Cnocán Uí Dhálaigh'') is a football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.
It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as D ...
. Bohs took the lead in the first half and it was looking like Rovers would lose their sixth cup final. However an equaliser from Tony Stenson brought Rovers back into it and a lob by local winger Harry McLoughlin won it for Rovers. The final result of 2–1 meant that club captain and long-serving local hero Tony Fagan could finally get his hands on the FAI Cup for the club 50 years after the club first entered it. Huge celebrations were had in Sligo following the victory. The following season Rovers were in the
Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
but lost to Finnish side
FC Haka
FC Haka is a Finnish football club based in the industry town of Valkeakoski. It is currently competing in Finland's premier division of football, Veikkausliiga. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships a ...
1–0 and 3–0.
1986–1993: Moving between divisions
For the
1985–86 season the league expanded to incorporate a First Division as well as the Premier. This meant the bottom four sides would be relegated. By this stage most of the Cup winning side had moved on and manager
Paul Fielding
Paul Fielding (born 4 December 1955) is a former English association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder (association football), midfielder.
He began his professional football career with Rochdale, where he played for four seasons b ...
had been replaced by Gerry Mitchell, with financial difficulties forcing the club into having a part-time squad. Despite Rovers coming from three down on the final day of the season to draw 3–3 with
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
it wasn't enough and Rovers were relegated on goal difference. Rovers bounced back the following year with Gerry Mitchell still in charge and much of the previous season's squad still there they finished runners-up behind
Bray Wanderers
Bray Wanderers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Fánaithe Bhré) are an Irish association football club playing in the League of Ireland First Division. The club in its present form was founded in 1942 in Bray, and was known until 2010 as ''B ...
which was enough to secure their way back to the Premier Division. At the end of this season, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held where the decision was made to structure the club as a co-op, and that structure is still in existence today. Back in the Premier, Rovers managed to stay up and also had a run to the semi-finals of the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
where they were defeated by
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
. The next season was a poor one with Rovers finishing bottom and never looking capable of survival which meant a return to First Division football for the
1988–89 season. Things were to get even worse the following year with David Pugh replacing Mitchell as manager and an all local policy the club finished bottom of the First Division in what is still their worst ever finish.
Things were to improve dramatically the following year under new manager
Dermot Keely
Dermot Keely (born 8 March 1954) is an Irish former manager and player. He was a schoolteacher by profession.
Family
Keely's family have played League of Ireland football at various levels. His late father Peter Keely played for Shelbourne., hi ...
, who was able to bring in some experienced players from Dublin. A 1–1 draw with
Kilkenny City
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilkenn ...
on the final day was enough to secure promotion back to the top flight. Although beaten by
Waterford United
Waterford Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Phort Láirge) formerly Waterford United Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Waterford who play in the League of Ireland First Division. The club was founded and elected to the ...
in a play-off for the title the club were back in the Premier Division for the
1990–91 season. After finishing in a respectable mid-table position upon their return Rovers were back fighting relegation the following year, although they did survive courtesy of loanee
Colin Cameron's hat-trick on the final day of the season in Drogheda. Keely resigned after the first three games of the following season which led to Rovers appointing
Willie McStay as manager but he couldn't keep them up and Rovers returned to the First Division for the
1993–94 season.
1994–2000: Treble win and European exploits
Despite this 1994 proved to be one of the most successful of the club's history under the popular Scot. The first trophy was won early in the season in the First Division Shield with
Waterford United
Waterford Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Phort Láirge) formerly Waterford United Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Waterford who play in the League of Ireland First Division. The club was founded and elected to the ...
being beaten 2–1 over two legs. Another addition that year was the installation of floodlights at the historic Showgrounds. Rovers began with a 4–0 over
Home Farm. With three games to spare, promotion was guaranteed with a 2–0 away win over
Athlone Town
Athlone Town Association Football Club () is an Irish football club from Athlone who are playing in the League of Ireland. The club is the oldest in the League as it was founded in 1887. First elected to the League of Ireland in 1922, they pl ...
, with the First Division title secured with a 1–0 home win over
Bray Wanderers
Bray Wanderers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Fánaithe Bhré) are an Irish association football club playing in the League of Ireland First Division. The club in its present form was founded in 1942 in Bray, and was known until 2010 as ''B ...
. The club's best day of the season was set up by
Eddie Annand
Edward Annand (born 24 March 1973 in Glasgow) is a retired Scottish footballer who last played as a striker for Arthurlie.
Career Early years
Annand began his career with Partick Thistle, where he played one game before moving to Sligo Rover ...
's winning goal in the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
semi-final over
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
at the
Showgrounds. The final against Premier Division
Derry City
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
was fixed for 15 May at
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road Stadium ( ga, Bóthar Lansdún, ) was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that was primarily used for rugby union and association football matches. The stadium was demolished in 2007 to make way for ...
on what proved to be another wet day. The game was won by Gerry Carr's header and captain Gavin Dykes lifted the trophy. McStay left at the end of the season to return to
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
and he would be replaced by
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* ...
cup final hero
Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip Sanchez (born 22 October 1959) is a Northern Irish football manager and former international footballer.
The defining moment of his playing career came in the 1988 FA Cup Final, when he scored the winning goal for Wimbledon ag ...
but only after caretaker
Chris Rutherford
Chris Rutherford (born 1955) is an English former professional footballer who played for League of Ireland club Sligo Rovers.
Playing career
Liverpool-born Rutherford was given a free transfer from Cardiff City at 20 years old, after failing ...
had guided Rovers to their first European win, beating Maltese side
Floriana
Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana i ...
3–2 on aggregate in the
Cup Winners' cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
. Padraig Moran, one of the club's all-time leading goalscorers, scored Rovers' first European goal. The next round pitted Rovers against big name opposition in the shape of Belgian side
Club Brugge
(), known simply as Club Brugge (in English also: ''Club Bruges''), is a Belgian professional football club based in Bruges, Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,062. . Despite Johnny Kenny's goal in the first leg Rovers lost 2–1 at the
Showgrounds and then 3–1 in the return leg.
At one stage of the
1994–95 season, Rovers were contending for the title but a bad run at the end of the season, largely due to a backlog of fixtures, meant they eventually finished 8th. Rovers put up a good defence of the cup but
Shelbourne's 3–1 win at the Showgrounds ended their hopes. Sanchez would leave the club at the end of the season to return to England but his replacement and former Wimbledon team-mate
Steve Cotterill
Stephen John Cotterill (born 20 July 1964) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is currently the manager of side Shrewsbury Town.
Cotterill had a nine-year career as a footballer playing for Burton Albion, Wimbledon, ...
continued the success of recent seasons. He guided them to their first
League cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
final since 1977. Despite a 1–0 home win in the first leg of the final and going one up in the second opponents
Shelbourne fought back and a last minute equaliser forced a penalty shoot-out which Shelbourne were to win. Another run in the cup was also enjoyed but Shelbourne were to prove Rovers nemesis again, beating Rovers at the
Showgrounds 1–0. A strong league campaign ended with Rovers finishing in third, their highest position since the league winning year of 1977, and that qualified Rovers for the
Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foot ...
. Rovers did well in Europe again recording draws at home to
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
and
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
but away defeats of
Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm is a municipality in Viken county. It is located in the traditional district of Romerike. With a population of 85,757 inhabitants, it is the fourth most populated municipality in Viken. It was founded on 1 January 2020 as a merger be ...
and
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
meant Rovers failed to progress beyond the group stages.
Shortly after, Cotterill departed the club and was replaced by former
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
manager
Jimmy Mullen who, despite guiding Rovers to a mid-table finish, left Rovers at the end of the year. His replacement was player-manager
Nicky Reid
Nicholas Scott "Nicky" Reid (born 30 October 1960 in Davyhulme) is an English former footballer defender. He played at both centre back and full back during his career.
Reid played 217 times for Manchester City F.C. and scored twice in two sp ...
, a former
Man City defender. Rovers gained revenge for their defeat to Shelbourne in the League Cup two years earlier by beating them in the final for Rovers' first win in the competition. The next season was not as successful with Rovers needing a fantastic run at the end of the season to stay up by a single point. With Reid now replaced by Scot
Jim McInally
James Edward McInally (born 19 February 1964) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He played for Dundee United for 10 seasons in which he won the 1993–94 Scottish Cup and played in the 1987 UEFA Cup Final. At United he was also ...
the trick could not be repeated the next year and the club lost their Premier division status finishing second from bottom but eight points from safety.
2000–2005: Dark days in the First Division
Rovers began life in the First Division under former
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
manager
Tommy Cassidy
Thomas Cassidy (born 18 November 1950) is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played as a midfielder.
During his club career he played for Ards, Glentoran, Newcastle United, Burnley and APOEL Nicosia. He earned 24 caps for th ...
who had come to the club before relegation but too late to save the club. The club maintained its full-time policy in the First Division in a bid to go straight back up but despite challenging up until the final day of the season they missed out on a play-off spot by two points. This resulted in the departure of Cassidy who was replaced by former
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...
and
Galway United
Galway United Football Club (Irish language, Irish: ''Cumann Peile Ghaillimh Aontaithe'') is an List of association football clubs in the Republic of Ireland, Irish association football club based in Galway. They play in the League of Ireland Fi ...
manager
Don O'Riordan
Donald Joseph O'Riordan (born 14 May 1957) is an Irish football coach and former professional player, who is the manager of Women's National League club Treaty United. O'Riordan notably played for Middlesbrough, Grimsby Town and Notts County ...
who due to financial constraints was forced to blood several local youngsters. One of these was
Keith Gilroy
Keith Gilroy (born 18 July 1983) is an Irish football coach and former professional footballer.
Career
His previous clubs include Sligo Rovers, Middlesbrough, and more recently Scarborough and Darlington.
After a short spell at Sligo Rovers, Gil ...
who was transferred to
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
. Results were poor however under O'Riordan with the side finishing in 6th place for three successive years without challenging for promotion. During this period the league made the switch to summer soccer, but for Rovers it proved to be one of the darkest periods in its history. With the club again not challenging for promotion in O'Riordan's fourth year he was eventually sacked and replaced towards the end of that year by untried Northern Irishman
Sean Connor
Sean Connor (born 12 July 1967) is a Northern Irish football manager and former player who was most recently manager of NIFL Championship side Institute.
He had a brief playing career which included spells at Distillery, Port Vale, Macclesfield ...
. He quickly set about building a much stronger squad from all parts of the world and the club found themselves towards the top of the league throughout the
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
season with promotion being clinched with a scoreless home draw with
Athlone Town
Athlone Town Association Football Club () is an Irish football club from Athlone who are playing in the League of Ireland. The club is the oldest in the League as it was founded in 1887. First elected to the League of Ireland in 1922, they pl ...
on 12 November to end the years of misery in the division often referred to as the graveyard.
2006–2011: Return to the Premier Division and cup successes
Connor continued to inspire Rovers to success on their return to the Premier Division and they finished fifth that year. The club also enjoyed its first significant cup run in a decade and faced
Derry City
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
in a home semi-final which finished all square in front of one of the biggest crowds the Showgrounds had seen for a long time. The replay would prove to be a disaster, however, with Rovers losing 5–0 on 31 October 2006 in the
Brandywell
The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium ( ga, Tobar an Fhíoruisce ) is a municipal football stadium with an adjoining greyhound racing track in Derry, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of League of Ireland team Derry City F.C. and (temporaril ...
. Shortly after Connor stunned the club by announcing his departure to join
Bohs before the season had even ended. His departure left a lot of resentment towards him in Sligo which remains to this day. His replacement,
Rob McDonald
Robert Roderick McDonald (born 22 January 1959) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker or midfielder for Hull City A.F.C., Hull City, SC Cambuur, FC Wageningen, ...
, a former
PSV Eindhoven
Philips Sport Vereniging (; en, Philips Sports Association ), abbreviated as PSV and internationally known as PSV Eindhoven (), is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department, whi ...
player would only last one game in charge, that being the final game of the 2006 season. He was sacked only a couple of weeks before the new season was to begin which left Rovers in the temporary control of caretakers Leo Tierney and Dessie Cawley as the new season began until a new man could be appointed.
That man was former
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
and
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
scouser
Paul Cook
Paul Thomas Cook (born 20 July 1956) is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He was also called "Cookie" by his friends on the punk music scene.
Early life and career
Cook was raised in Hammersmith and atte ...
. He immediately got the team playing an attractive brand of passing football and despite all the turmoil steered the side to a respectable 6th place in the 12 team league. The club would build on this the following year by finishing in fourth position and thereby qualifying Rovers for Europe for the first time in 12 years. At the end of that season Rovers sold right-back
Seamus Coleman
Seamus may refer to:
* Séamus, a male first name of Gaelic origin
Film and television
* Seamus (''Family Guy''), a character on the television series ''Family Guy''
* Seamus, a pigeon in '' Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore''
* Seamus Mc ...
to English Premiership side
Everton for £60,000. Coleman made his debut under Sean Connor and the Killybegs man quickly established himself as one of the most exciting players in the league thanks to his quality dribbling skills up the right wing. Coleman has since established himself as a regular in the first-team at
Everton. He has gone on to win caps for the
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
national team and was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the year in 2011. The European campaign proved to be a disappointment, however, with Rovers going out to Albanian side
KS Vllaznia Shkodër KS and variants may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* , a German postwar commando frogman force
* , a Norwegian type of company
* Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities
* PenAir, Peninsula Airways, Anchorage, Alaska, US (IAT ...
3–2 on aggregate in their first game. Despite the club failing to compete as high up the league as the previous year, eventually finishing 6th, the club performed much better in the cup and knocked out
Derry City
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
,
Cork City
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city' ...
and
Bohs before then beating
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
1–0 in the semi final at the
Showgrounds to book their place in the first FAI Cup final for 15 years courtesy of
Matthew Blinkhorn
Matthew David Blinkhorn (born 2 March 1985) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a striker for Lancaster City.
Career
Blackpool
Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, Blinkhorn started his career with hometown club Blackpool. He p ...
's header. The final was played at
Tallaght Stadium
Tallaght Stadium ( ga, Staid Thamhlachta) is an association football stadium in the Republic of Ireland based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium in July, 1996. The stadium is now ow ...
against big spending new First Division side
Sporting Fingal
Sporting Fingal Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Fine Gall Spórtúil) was an Irish association football club based in Fingal. Between 2008 and 2010, the club played three seasons in the League of Ireland. During their first two seasons they pl ...
and despite
Eoin Doyle
Eoin Doyle (born 12 March 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for League of Ireland Premier Division club St Patrick's Athletic.
Doyle has previously played for Chesterfield, Cardiff, Preston North End, Portsmou ...
giving Rovers the lead early in the second half, Fingal came back with two late goals.
The following season would see Rovers go on to surpass its recent success. Rovers picked up their first piece of silverware by winning the
EA Sports Cup
The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited c ...
with a 1–0 win over surprise finalists
Monaghan United
Monaghan United F.C. ( ga, Cumann Peile Mhuineacháin Aontaithe) is an Irish association football club based in Monaghan currently playing in the Ulster Senior League. The club joined the League of Ireland in 1983 and subsequently went on to pl ...
.
Matthew Blinkhorn
Matthew David Blinkhorn (born 2 March 1985) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a striker for Lancaster City.
Career
Blackpool
Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, Blinkhorn started his career with hometown club Blackpool. He p ...
scored the winning goal. The goalscoring feats of
Pádraig Amond
Pádraig Amond (born 15 April 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for National League club Woking.
He began his career in his native Ireland with Shamrock Rovers, progressing through the club's youth academy befor ...
resulted in his sale to Portuguese side
Paços de Ferreira
Paços de Ferreira () is a city in the Porto District, in the north of Portugal. The population of the city in 2011 was 7491, while its municipality had 56,340 inhabitants, in an area of 70.99 km².
Sometimes referred to as the ''Capital do ...
during the season. The club also performed well in the league with a run during the second half of the season enough to leave them in third place, their joint highest since winning it in 1977, only four points from being champions. This also guaranteed a return to European football for the next year. The highlight of the year however would be in the final game of the season, the
2010 FAI Cup Final
The 2010 FAI Cup Final was the final match of the 2010 FAI Cup competition and was contested by Sligo Rovers and Shamrock Rovers at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 14 November 2010. Shamrock Rovers were looking to complete the double of League ...
.
On 14 November 2010, the FAI Cup Final took place in the new
Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium (also known as Lansdowne Road) is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,700 spectators (all seated). It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and r ...
. Sligo Rovers and
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
drew 0–0 before Sligo won on penalties. The Sligo second choice keeper,
Ciarán Kelly Ciarán Kelly may refer to:
* Ciarán Kelly (footballer, born 1980)
* Ciaran Kelly (footballer, born 1998)
Ciarán Kelly (born 4 July 1998) is an Irish professional footballer who plays for EFL League Two club Bradford City. He previously pla ...
, saved four penalties in the shootout.
Joseph Ndo
Joseph Cyrille N'Do (born 28 April 1976) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. He made 21 appearances for the Cameroon national team scoring twice.
Club career
Cameroon
An attacking ...
won the Man of the Match.
The 2011 season was also a huge success for the club. Paul Cook guided Rovers to second place in the Airtricity League, with a record number of points and record number of goals scored. 15 of these came in two games against
Galway United
Galway United Football Club (Irish language, Irish: ''Cumann Peile Ghaillimh Aontaithe'') is an List of association football clubs in the Republic of Ireland, Irish association football club based in Galway. They play in the League of Ireland Fi ...
, 8–0 away and 7–1 at home. Despite the club going out of the Europa League to Ukrainians
Vorskla Poltava
FC Vorskla Poltava ( uk, ФК «Во́рскла» Полта́ва ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Poltava that competes in the Ukrainian Premier League, the top flight of Ukrainian football.
History Kolos Poltava
The club ...
, Rovers reached the semi finals of the EA Sports Cup, and made it to the final of the FAI Ford Cup for a third successive season, this time against Shelbourne. Paul Cook's efforts saw him linked to the vacant position at SPL side St Johnstone, but failed to agree terms with them. After
John Coleman was appointed
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
manager,
Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
were granted permission to speak to Cook but talks broke down. However, 2 days later Rovers and
Accrington
Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
agreed compensation for Cook and on 13 February 2012 Cook was appointed manager two weeks before the
Airtricity League
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
began.
2012–2013: A third league title and more cup success
On 27 February 2012, former
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The tea ...
boss
Ian Baraclough
Ian Robert Baraclough (; born 4 December 1970) is an English football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of the Northern Ireland national team. He previously managed the Under-21 team.
As a player, he was a defender fr ...
was named Rovers new manager, describing the offer as a "fantastic opportunity and I am very thankful for the offer". In his first game as manager, Rovers drew 1–1 with
Shelbourne at
Tolka Park
Tolka Park ( ga, Páirc na Tulchann) is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne. The stadium fo ...
.
Jason McGuinness
Jason McGuinness (born 8 August 1982) is an Irish footballer.
Career
McGuinness played at youth level for Tolka Rovers, Sheriff Y.C. and Bohemians before graduating to the Bohs first team, making his league debut as a substitute against UCD ...
rescued a point for Baraclough's side in the last minute. In the following game, he won his first game as manager against
Glentoran
Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882.
History
Early history
In 1914, Glentoran won the Vienna Cup, becoming the first United Kingdom team to win a European t ...
2–0 in the Setanta Cup thanks to goals from
Romauld Boco
Romuald Boco (born 8 July 1985) is a footballer who last played as a midfielder for Leyton Orient. Born in France, he has represented Benin at full international level.
Club career Accrington Stanley
Born in Bernay, Eure, Boco signed for Accrin ...
and
Mark Quigley
Mark Quigley (born 27 October 1985) is an Irish former professional footballer who played for Millwall, Shamrock Rovers (over 2 spells), St Patrick's Athletic (over 2 spells), Bohemians (over 2 spells), Dundalk, Sligo Rovers and Derry City.
...
.
Rovers beat reigning champions
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
3–0 in the Showgrounds on 13 May 2012 to open up an 8-point gap between themselves and 3rd placed Shamrock Rovers and a 6-point gap over second-placed St. Pats. This meant Rovers were unbeaten in the first third of the season along with 2nd placed
St. Patrick's Athletic — the first time two sides have achieved this in the same season since the 1980–81 season.
Rovers came unstuck in their Europa League adventure, against Slovaks
FC Spartak Trnava
FC Spartak Trnava () is a Slovak professional Association football, football club based in Trnava. Historically, it is one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won the Czechoslovak First League five times and the Czechoslovak Cup ...
losing 3–1 in Slovakia in the first leg, but recovered and obtained a creditable 1–1 draw in the second leg. However Rovers loosened their grip on the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
losing 3–1 at home to
Monaghan United F.C.
Monaghan United F.C. ( ga, Cumann Peile Mhuineacháin Aontaithe) is an Irish association football club based in Monaghan currently playing in the Ulster Senior League. The club joined the League of Ireland in 1983 and subsequently went on to pl ...
who later resigned from the league. Another setback occurred during the
Spartak Trnava
FC Spartak Trnava () is a Slovak professional football club based in Trnava. Historically, it is one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won the Czechoslovak First League five times and the Czechoslovak Cup on four occasions, and ...
tie when top-scorer
Danny North's injury meant he would miss the remainder of the season. However other players particularly
Mark Quigley
Mark Quigley (born 27 October 1985) is an Irish former professional footballer who played for Millwall, Shamrock Rovers (over 2 spells), St Patrick's Athletic (over 2 spells), Bohemians (over 2 spells), Dundalk, Sligo Rovers and Derry City.
...
took on the goalscoring responsibilities and Rovers also remained solid defensively. During this period Rovers thrashed rivals
Drogheda United
Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
4–1 at the Showgrounds and drew away to the other chasers
St. Patrick's Athletic and
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
.
The unbeaten league run meant Rovers could win the title with two games to spare if they beat second placed
St. Patrick's Athletic at the
Showgrounds. The game became like a cup final with extra seating installed to meet demand and it looked good when Rovers went 2–0 ahead by the middle of the first half. St. Pats needed a win to keep their own aspirations alive and after a half time reshuffle they soon levelled the game at 2–2 with most of the second half remaining. Rovers were still determined to clinch the title that day and pressed on after this eventually winning a late penalty that
Mark Quigley
Mark Quigley (born 27 October 1985) is an Irish former professional footballer who played for Millwall, Shamrock Rovers (over 2 spells), St Patrick's Athletic (over 2 spells), Bohemians (over 2 spells), Dundalk, Sligo Rovers and Derry City.
...
converted followed minutes later by the final whistle and celebrations as the ecstatic supporters rushed onto the pitch.
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 ...
had won their third league title.
Despite being champions Rovers lost two of their big names,
Mark Quigley
Mark Quigley (born 27 October 1985) is an Irish former professional footballer who played for Millwall, Shamrock Rovers (over 2 spells), St Patrick's Athletic (over 2 spells), Bohemians (over 2 spells), Dundalk, Sligo Rovers and Derry City.
...
and
Jason McGuinness
Jason McGuinness (born 8 August 1982) is an Irish footballer.
Career
McGuinness played at youth level for Tolka Rovers, Sheriff Y.C. and Bohemians before graduating to the Bohs first team, making his league debut as a substitute against UCD ...
to Shamrock Rovers before the start of the 2013 season, bringing in Bohemians defender
Evan McMillan
Evan McMillan (born 20 November 1986) is an Irish football coach and former player. He is the older brother of Dundalk player David.
Career
UCD
McMillan was part of the Irish Colleges team that travelled to Thailand in the summer of 2007, wh ...
and re-signing Aaron Greene as replacements. Recruits from the UK were also brought in such as wide midfielder
Kieran Djilali
Kieran Stephen Larbi Allen-Djilali (born 22 January 1991), more commonly known as Kieran Djilali, is an English footballer who plays for Three Bridges.
Club career
Crystal Palace and loans
Born in Lambeth, London, Djilali came through the a ...
and much traveled center-forward
Anthony Elding
Anthony Lee Elding (born 16 April 1982) is an English football coach and former professional player.
Elding was a striker and played from 2001 until 2016. the a host of different clubs at youth level before signing for his hometown team Bosto ...
who made a prolific start to his Rovers career as the defending champions won their opening eight games. After that run was ended a spell of games shortly after saw Elding and Rovers struggle to score and slip away from the top of the table. With the
Champions League tie looming
Baraclough signed striker
David McMillan from
UCD to try and bolster the attack but he failed to make an impact and struggled to get a game after
Danny North's return from injury.
The Bit O'Red's
Champions League tie was against strong Norwegian champions
Molde FK
Molde Fotballklubb () is a professional football club based in Molde, Norway, that competes in Eliteserien, the top flight of Norwegian football. Founded on 19 June 1911, the club was originally known as International and changed its name to ...
. Sligo narrowly lost the home leg giving Molde the edge they never let slip. After this Rovers tried to resurrect their title bid but defeats against surprise contenders
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
and home draws meant that in almost a mirror image of the previous season
St. Patrick's Athletic won the title after beating Sligo with 2 games to spare.
This season however saw Sligo resurrect their FAI cup form and they followed up an away win at
Waterford United
Waterford Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Phort Láirge) formerly Waterford United Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Waterford who play in the League of Ireland First Division. The club was founded and elected to the ...
with 1–0 victories over
Cork City
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city' ...
and
Derry City
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
. The semi final against
Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
saw the highlight of the season so far as Sligo Rovers comfortably won 3–0. Rovers would face
Drogheda United
Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
who had knocked them out of the
Setanta Cup
The Setanta Sports Cup was a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland. Inaugurated in 2005, it was a cross-border competition between clubs in the League of Ireland from the Republic of Ir ...
and a sluggish first half saw the
Louth Louth may refer to:
Australia
*Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Louth, New South Wales, a town
*Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia
**Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality
Canada
* Louth, Ontario
Ireland
* County ...
men go a goal up. With fifteen minutes to go they still trailed but suddenly the whole game came to life as substitute
Danny North
Daniel Jamie North (born 7 September 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Barton Town, where he is also assistant manager.
North started his professional career with home town club Grimsby Town in 2004 where ...
equalized and a few minutes later gave Sligo the lead with a goal from a clever but controversial free kick routine. The protests over the goal led to a Drogheda player getting sent off but Sligo were also reduced to ten men as
Gavin Peers
Gavin Peers (born 10 November 1985) is an Irish football coach and former player, who is currently the first-team coach at Longford Town.
Career
Peers started his footballing career at Blackburn Rovers, and later moved to Mansfield Town, wher ...
was forced off with injury after all the substitutions had been made.
Drogheda
Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
took advantage of this to equalize and another Sligo Rovers cup final looked on its way to extra time. However, with injury time running out Danny North turned provider setting up
Anthony Elding
Anthony Lee Elding (born 16 April 1982) is an English football coach and former professional player.
Elding was a striker and played from 2001 until 2016. the a host of different clubs at youth level before signing for his hometown team Bosto ...
for a great finish and a third
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
for Sligo Rovers in four seasons.
2014–present: End of glory days and survival battles
The
2014 season started badly when, after a narrow opening day win, Rovers lost four in a row. A pick up in form saw them beat
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
in the final
Setanta Cup final but the same opposition soon thrashed Rovers 3–0 twice in two weeks including the FAI cup. Further poor league results led to the decision to sack
Ian Baraclough
Ian Robert Baraclough (; born 4 December 1970) is an English football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of the Northern Ireland national team. He previously managed the Under-21 team.
As a player, he was a defender fr ...
. Sligo Rovers quickly found a replacement from North West England in
John Coleman and he oversaw Sligo's second European success when they defeated
FK Banga of Lithuania 4–0. This was twenty years after their first success and Sligo followed this with a shock 2–1 away first-leg win at
Rosenborg. They then took the lead in the second leg but Rosenborg, who had changed managers after the first leg, bounced back to win 3–1. After the European adventure ended, the downward spiral continued with players including
Joseph N'Do
Joseph Cyrille N'Do (born 28 April 1976) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. He made 21 appearances for the Cameroon national team scoring twice.
Club career
Cameroon
An attacking ...
being let go to reduce the wage bill. Come September, Coleman also left to manage
Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
leaving Gavin Dykes as caretaker where he only managed four points in their last eight games. However, before the season's end, the club had arranged for
Owen Heary
Owen Heary (born 4 October 1976, in Dublin) is an Irish professional football defender and manager. He is formerly the manager of Shelbourne in the League of Ireland First Division, the club with which he spent most of his playing career. Play ...
of
Bohemians
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
to become manager for
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
.
Owen Heary bolstered the squad with promising former Bohs players but they struggled only getting 2 victories in 13 games.
Heary was dismissed but only after a period in limbo where the club were hoping he'd just resign. He was replaced initially by
Joseph N'Do
Joseph Cyrille N'Do (born 28 April 1976) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. He made 21 appearances for the Cameroon national team scoring twice.
Club career
Cameroon
An attacking ...
but after he lost at bottom club
Limerick F.C.
Limerick Football Club ( ga, Club Peile Luimnigh) was an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland who played in the League of Ireland and currently have teams competing in the underage National League of Ireland.
The first Limerick ...
they hired a former English Premier league manager
Micky Adams
Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a ninete ...
who kept them safe with a victory in the penultimate game at
St. Patrick's Athletic.
With Micky Adams not staying on, the
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
season saw Rovers hire former
Peterborough Utd manager
Dave Robertson. His first season veered between surprise wins at
Cork City
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city' ...
and champions
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
to bad defeats against
Bray and a FAI cup exit at struggling
Wexford Youths, where Rovers had won 5–0 two weeks prior. Still this season was the more encouraging of this period and a top half finish saw them become one of the first League of Ireland clubs invited to take part in the
Scottish League Challenge cup
The Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup,[2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...](_blank)
season and resultant poor form led to Robertson's sacking. Three sides would be automatically relegated as the Premier Division was being reduced to ten teams and this hastened the dismissal. Irish League manager
Gerard Lyttle
Gerard Lyttle (born 27 November 1977, in Belfast) is a Northern Irish football manager and former football player. He is the former manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers.
Playing career
A right-sided or central midfie ...
was hired but struggled to move the club out of the relegation zone. The turning point came in a televised August success at runaway leaders Cork City with more victories following, though safety was only assured on the final day of the season.
Much of the
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
season yet again saw Sligo Rovers flirting with relegation assisted by poor home form as any stand out victories came away from home. When safety was assured, with two weekends to spare, the club still decided to dismiss
Gerard Lyttle
Gerard Lyttle (born 27 November 1977, in Belfast) is a Northern Irish football manager and former football player. He is the former manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers.
Playing career
A right-sided or central midfie ...
and waited for the season's end to confirm that
Liam Buckley
Liam Buckley (born 14 April 1960), is an Irish former professional footballer. He made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland national football team. He was most recently the manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rover ...
would take charge after his departure from St. Patrick's Athletic. Sligo finished the
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
campaign in seventh place, comfortably above the relegation places. Rovers also reached the semi-finals of the FAI Cup, losing to Dundalk at the Showgrounds. Sligo finished the
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
league season in fourth position, securing qualification for the inaugural
UEFA Conference League
The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on thei ...
.
In July 2022, Sligo defeated
Motherwell
Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lanarks ...
3–0 on aggregate to advance to the third round of the
UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying phase, the first time they have ever advanced beyond two rounds in a European competition.
Supporters
![Sligo rovers mascotte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Sligo_rovers_mascotte.jpg)
Since its foundation, the club has had a small but loyal following in Sligo town, where it has been an outpost for football since its inception into the League of Ireland. Sligo Rovers currently averages gates of around 2,000. The average attendance for 2012 season was 3,007. Sligo Rovers has many supporters clubs which work on raising funds for the club, particularly the Bit O'Red Supporters Trust which has recently tried to launch some innovative fundraisers to help the club in the long ter
The Dublin Supporters Club (DSC) is another prominent supporters club, as are the South Sligo Supporters Club and the North Sligo Supporters Club, both of which take part in fundraising work within their catchment areas and regularly organise buses to Rovers games both home and away. The most noticeable supporters group at Sligo Rovers on match days due to their visual and vocal support for Sligo Rovers is the independently formed supporters group ''Forza Rovers'' (FR08), a group of fans inspired by the ultras movement which is prominent throughout Europe. However, they have received plaudits from players and supporters for the colourful and passionate displays its members have produced since the group was formed in 2008. The group has also been involved in small fundraisers for club but the group's main goal is to support the club with vocal and visual support on match days. Some of the choreographed displays by the group have involved all stands in the Showgrounds and have been described as "extraordinary" and made the Showgrounds "feel like a 50,000 capacity as the teams walked out to massive noise". Sligo Rovers is the subject of a popular memoir, ''There's Only One Red Army'' by journalist and novelist Eamonn Sweeney, published in 1997.
Honours
*
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
/
League of Ireland Premier Division, Premier Division: 3
**
1936–37,
1976–77,
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
*
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
: 5
**1982–83, 1993–94,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
*
League of Ireland Cup
The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited c ...
: 2
**1997–98,
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
*
Dublin City Cup
The Dublin City Cup is a defunct Irish football tournament which was played for by all League of Ireland sides (and not just those from Dublin city as the name suggests). It ran from 1933 and ran uninterrupted until 1973. In the 1975–76 se ...
: 1
**1936–37
*
Setanta Sports Cup
The Setanta Sports Cup was a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland. Inaugurated in 2005, it was a cross-border competition between clubs in the League of Ireland from the Republic of I ...
: 1
**
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
*
League of Ireland First Division
The League of Ireland First Division ( ga, Céad Roinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League First Division, is the second level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. Th ...
: 2
**
1993–94,
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
*
League of Ireland First Division Shield
The League of Ireland First Division Shield was an association football competition featuring teams from the League of Ireland First Division. The inaugural winners were Derry City. It was also the first competition Derry City won after they joi ...
: 1
**1993–94
*
Leinster Senior League: 1
**1933–34
*
FAI Intermediate Cup
The FAI Intermediate Cup ( ga, Corn Comortais Peile na hÉireann), also known as the FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup and the Pat O'Brien Intermediate Challenge Cup, is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for intermediate ...
: 1
**1933–34
*
FAI Junior Cup
The FAI Junior Cup is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for junior association football clubs from the Republic of Ireland. The inaugural winners were Brideville. The competition's most successful club is Fairvi ...
: 1
**1928–29
*
Connacht Senior League
**''Winners'': 1981–82, 1991–92, 1993–94: 3
**''Runners Up'': 1982–83, 1990–91, 1992–93: 3
*
Connacht Senior Cup
**''Winners'': 1981–82: 1
*
Connacht Senior League Challenge Cup
**''Winners'': 1990–91, 1993–94: 2
*
Connacht Junior Cup
**''Winners'': 1929–30: 1
European record
Overall
Matches
;Notes
* 1R: First round
* QR: Qualifying round
* 1Q: First qualifying round
* 2Q: Second qualifying round
* 3Q: Third qualifying round
Records and statistics
Most overall appearances
All-time top scorers
Top scorers in history
Players
Current squad
Technical staff
{, class=wikitable
, -
! style="color:white; background:red", Position
! style="color:white; background:red", Staff
, -
, Manager , ,
John Russell
, -
, Assistant Manager , ,
Ryan Casey
Ryan Casey (born 3 January 1979) is a former professional footballer who played as left-back. Ryan was appointed as the FAI Development Officer for Sligo in July 2007. He spent most of his career with Swansea City. Born in England, he played ...
, -
, Head of Academy , ,
Conor O'Grady
, -
, Head of Performance Analysis , , Christopher Jenkins
, -
, Strength and Conditioning Coach , , Mark Howley
, -
, Kit manager , , Darragh Healy
, -
, Physiotherapist , , Thomas Duffy
, -
, Physiotherapist , , Cian McBride
, -
, Under-19s Manager , , Declan Boyle
, -
, Under-19s Coach , , Barry Mullen
, -
, Under-19s Strength and Conditioning Coach , , Ross Chrystal
, -
, Under-17s Manager , , Darragh O’Reilly
, -
, Under-15s Manager , , Paul Masterson
, -
, Under-15s Coach , , Kevin McCarthy
, -
, Under-14s Manager , , Conor O’Grady
, -
, Under-14s Coach , , Daryl Keaney
, -
=
Managerial history
* 2018
Liam Buckley
Liam Buckley (born 14 April 1960), is an Irish former professional footballer. He made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland national football team. He was most recently the manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rover ...
Liam Buckley was appointed manager on 26 October 2018. The club finished seventh during his first season in charge. Buckley guided the team to a fourth-place finish in 2020, securing European football for the following season. Buckley went one better in the 2021 season, finishing in third place and again securing European football.
----
* 2017
Gerard Lyttle
Gerard Lyttle (born 27 November 1977, in Belfast) is a Northern Irish football manager and former football player. He is the former manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers.
Playing career
A right-sided or central midfie ...
Managerial post ran from 21 April 2017 – 16 October 2018.
----
* 2015
Dave Robertson
Managerial post ran from 19 November 2015 – 5 April 2017.
----
* 2015
Micky Adams
Michael Richard Adams (born 8 November 1961) is an English former professional association football, footballer and football manager. As a player, he was a Full-back (football), full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a ninete ...
Managerial post ran from 4 August 2015 – 2 November 2015.
----
* 2015
Joseph N'Do
Joseph Cyrille N'Do (born 28 April 1976) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. He made 21 appearances for the Cameroon national team scoring twice.
Club career
Cameroon
An attacking ...
& Gavin Dykes (Caretakers)
Caretaker posts ran from 26 June 2015 – 4 August 2015.
----
* 2014
Owen Heary
Owen Heary (born 4 October 1976, in Dublin) is an Irish professional football defender and manager. He is formerly the manager of Shelbourne in the League of Ireland First Division, the club with which he spent most of his playing career. Play ...
Managerial post ran from 26 October 2014 – 26 June 2015.
----
*2014 Gavin Dykes (Caretaker)
Caretaker post ran from 18 September 2014 – 26 October 2014.
----
* 2014
John Coleman
Managerial post ran from 21 June 2014 – 18 September 2014.
John Coleman and his assistant Jimmy Bell joined Sligo Rovers in June 2014, tasked with getting Rovers back into the Europa League for 2015. Ultimate Coleman failed in his goals, although Rovers did get through a round against
FK Banga Gargždai
FK Banga Gargždai is a Lithuanian football club from the city of Gargždai.
History
FK Banga was founded in 1966. During the period from 1966 to 1990, the club was in the Soviet Lithuanian football championship. From 1990, they played in th ...
. Rovers went on to Beat
Rosenborg BK
Rosenborg Ballklub, commonly referred to simply as Rosenborg () or RBK, is a Norwegian professional football club from Trondheim that plays in Eliteserien. The club has won a record 26 league titles, a shared record 12 Norwegian Football Cup ti ...
away, but lost the home leg and were eliminated. John and Jimmy left for
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in EFL League One, League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their ...
in September but are returning for a friendly against Sligo Rovers.
----
* 2012
Ian Baraclough
Ian Robert Baraclough (; born 4 December 1970) is an English football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of the Northern Ireland national team. He previously managed the Under-21 team.
As a player, he was a defender fr ...
Managerial post ran from 27 February 2012 – 19 June 2014.
Former
Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. The side currently competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The tea ...
boss
Baraclough succeeded Cook after he left for
Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
. He became boss 5 days before the 2012
Airtricity League
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
began. The job is the 41 year old's first since being sacked by "The Iron" in March 2011. Guided Sligo to their first league title since 1977, in 2012.
----
* 2007
Paul Cook
Paul Thomas Cook (born 20 July 1956) is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols. He was also called "Cookie" by his friends on the punk music scene.
Early life and career
Cook was raised in Hammersmith and atte ...
Managerial post ran from 27 April 2007 – 13 February 2012.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
born Cook is a former professional footballer whose clubs included
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
and
Coventry City
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, Championship, the second tier of the English footbal ...
. He previously managed
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England.
Southport lies on the Irish ...
, becoming their first full-time manager since 1978. Prior to this Cook was a first-team coach with
Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete history ...
In the 2010 season Cook led the club to its most successful season ever winning the FAI Ford Cup and the EA Sports Cup and finishing 3rd in the
Airtricity League
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...
. In 2011 he achieved back-to-back FAI Ford Cup victories, beating
Shelbourne in the final on penalties. Cook left for
Accrington
Accrington is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England. It lies about east of Blackburn, west of Burnley, east of Preston, north of Manchester and is situated on the culverted River Hyndburn. Commonly abbreviated by locals to ...
on 13 February 2012 two weeks before the new season.
----
* 2006
Rob McDonald
Robert Roderick McDonald (born 22 January 1959) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker or midfielder for Hull City A.F.C., Hull City, SC Cambuur, FC Wageningen, ...
Managerial post ran from 14 November 2006 – 6 March 2007.
Took charge of only one competitive game, a 1–1 draw on 18 November 2006 against
Bray Wanderers
Bray Wanderers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Fánaithe Bhré) are an Irish association football club playing in the League of Ireland First Division. The club in its present form was founded in 1942 in Bray, and was known until 2010 as ''B ...
at the
Carlisle Grounds
The Carlisle Grounds is a football stadium in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. Situated directly behind the Bray D.A.R.T. station, it is home to Bray Wanderers A.F.C.
History
The Carlisle Grounds can claim to be the Football Association of I ...
,
Bray.
----
* 2004
Sean Connor
Sean Connor (born 12 July 1967) is a Northern Irish football manager and former player who was most recently manager of NIFL Championship side Institute.
He had a brief playing career which included spells at Distillery, Port Vale, Macclesfield ...
Resigned 2 November 2006.
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
native succeeded in getting the team promoted to the Premier Division in 2005 but left in controversial circumstances with only a few games left in the 2006 season.
----
* 2001
Don O'Riordan
Donald Joseph O'Riordan (born 14 May 1957) is an Irish football coach and former professional player, who is the manager of Women's National League club Treaty United. O'Riordan notably played for Middlesbrough, Grimsby Town and Notts County ...
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
er O’Riordan came to the club after a successful period with
Galway United
Galway United Football Club (Irish language, Irish: ''Cumann Peile Ghaillimh Aontaithe'') is an List of association football clubs in the Republic of Ireland, Irish association football club based in Galway. They play in the League of Ireland Fi ...
. However, with Rovers he failed to build a side capable of challenging for promotion although he did lay the groundwork for the club's highly successful Youth policy and he gave a number of locals their Senior debuts in the eircom League.
O’Riordan and Sligo Rovers parted ways in the summer of 2004.
----
* 1999
Tommy Cassidy
Thomas Cassidy (born 18 November 1950) is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played as a midfielder.
During his club career he played for Ards, Glentoran, Newcastle United, Burnley and APOEL Nicosia. He earned 24 caps for th ...
Cassidy, who had previously managed in
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
and
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, could do little to reverse the slide in Rovers' fortunes following the departure of previous manager Jim McInally and they were relegated from the Premier Division.
Cassidy came close to getting Rovers back up as they were in contention right up until the final day of the 2000–01 season when they lost 4–1 to
Home Farm Everton
Home Farm Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Whitehall, Dublin. It was founded in 1928. The club joined the League of Ireland in 1972 after merging with Drumcondra. Following this merger they were briefly known as Home ...
.
----
* 1999
Jim McInally
James Edward McInally (born 19 February 1964) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He played for Dundee United for 10 seasons in which he won the 1993–94 Scottish Cup and played in the 1987 UEFA Cup Final. At United he was also ...
McInally came to the Showgrounds at the start of the 1999–00 season but early results didn't go his way and he left the club due to personal reasons.
----
* 1997
Nicky Reid
Nicholas Scott "Nicky" Reid (born 30 October 1960 in Davyhulme) is an English former footballer defender. He played at both centre back and full back during his career.
Reid played 217 times for Manchester City F.C. and scored twice in two sp ...
Reid was one of Jimmy Mullen's last signings and the former
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
player was asked to take charge. In his first season as player-manager, he took the club on its longest ever unbeaten run – which saw them claim the League Cup in February 1998, beating
Shelbourne over two legs in the final (Reid also captained the side). His second season didn't go as well and the club just escaped relegation from the top flight on the final day thanks to a 2–0 win against
Derry City
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
. Reid was then released from his contract and he returned to England, where he went back to university to study for a degree in Sports Rehabilitation.
----
* 1996
Jimmy Mullen
Mullen came to the club after a good spell with
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
but his reign at the Showgrounds was short-lived and he left the club due to family reasons in July 1997.
----
* 1995
Steve Cotterill
Stephen John Cotterill (born 20 July 1964) is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He is currently the manager of side Shrewsbury Town.
Cotterill had a nine-year career as a footballer playing for Burton Albion, Wimbledon, ...
Before Lawrie Sanchez left in 1995, he recommended that Sligo appoint Cotterill and that proved to be a wise decision as he led the club to third place in the Premier Division of the National League and his side also reached the League Cup final (Rovers were beaten on penalties by Shelbourne). Cotterill was then offered the position of manager of
Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league syst ...
, who he brought from non-League football into the Football League winning the FA Trophy along the way.
----
* 1994
Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip Sanchez (born 22 October 1959) is a Northern Irish football manager and former international footballer.
The defining moment of his playing career came in the 1988 FA Cup Final, when he scored the winning goal for Wimbledon ag ...
Prior to his appointment with Rovers, Sanchez was best known for scoring the winning goal for
Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* ...
in the
1988 FA Cup Final
The 1988 FA Cup Final was the 107th final of the FA Cup. It took place on Saturday, 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium and was contested between Wimbledon and Liverpool, the dominant English club side of the 1980s and newly crowned league champion ...
against
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Sanchez built on the good work done by McStay with his professionalism rubbing off on everyone at the Showgrounds. He led the club to semi-final of the
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
where they were beaten by Shelbourne.
----
* 1992
Willie McStay
In two years McStay lead Rovers to an historic treble, when they won the 1993–94 First Division, First Division Shield and the FAI Cup. In 1994, the
Scot
The Scots ( sco, Scots Fowk; gd, Albannaich) are an ethnic group and nation native to Scotland. Historically, they emerged in the early Middle Ages from an amalgamation of two Celtic-speaking peoples, the Picts and Gaels, who founded t ...
left Rovers just before the start of the new season after being approached by
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
, his former club as a player.
----
* 1989
Dermot Keely
Dermot Keely (born 8 March 1954) is an Irish former manager and player. He was a schoolteacher by profession.
Family
Keely's family have played League of Ireland football at various levels. His late father Peter Keely played for Shelbourne., hi ...
Keely guided Sligo to their highest finish in a decade in the Premier Division with a fifth-place finish in 1990–91.
----
* 1988
David Pugh
----
* 1986
Gerry Mitchell
Gerry is both a surname and a masculine or feminine given name. As a given name, it is often a short form (hypocorism) of Gerard, Gerald or Geraldine. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), fifth US vice pre ...
* 1982
Paul Fielding
Paul Fielding (born 4 December 1955) is a former English association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder (association football), midfielder.
He began his professional football career with Rochdale, where he played for four seasons b ...
* 1979
Patsy McGowan
Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among It ...
* 1979
Ian McKechnie
Ian Hector McKechnie (4 October 1941 – 11 June 2015) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.
Ian McKechnie was born at a maternity unit in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire but was raised in the village of Lenzie in Dunbartonshire ...
* 1974
Billy Sinclair
Billy Wayne Sinclair (born 1945) is a former prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (also known as ''Angola''), convicted of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted to life in 1972. He became a notable ...
* 1973
Len Vallard
Len or LEN may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Len (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Lén, a character from Irish mythology
* Alex Len (born 1993), Ukrainian basketball player
* Mr. Len, American hip hop DJ
* L ...
* 1972
Jim McDonnell
* 1971 David Pugh and
Gerry Mitchell
Gerry is both a surname and a masculine or feminine given name. As a given name, it is often a short form (hypocorism) of Gerard, Gerald or Geraldine. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), fifth US vice pre ...
* 1968
Ken Turner
* 1967
Ken Bartley
Ken or KEN may refer to:
Entertainment
* Ken (album), ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
* Ken (film), ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film.
* Ken (magazine), ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine ...
* 1966
Shay Keogh
Seamus "Shay" Keogh (6 September 1934 – 13 April 2020) was an Irish footballer who played as a centre half. He was part of the great Shamrock Rovers teams of the 1950s in a side, popularly known as Coad's Colts, that enjoyed many memorable day ...
* 1963
Johnny Robinsonl
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Variant ...
* 1961
Peter Farrell
* 1960
Alex Rollo
Alex Rollo (18 September 1926 – 5 October 2004) was a Scottish football player and manager. Rollo won the Coronation Cup with Celtic, effectively marking Hibs winger Gordon Smith. He also won the Scottish Cup in 1951 and represented the Scot ...
* 1959
Seán Thomas
Seán Thomas (died 24 June 1999) was an Irish football manager.
Club management
After a short playing career with Home Farm and C.Y.M.S., a left back who had to give up playing because of an injury, he attended Loughborough University for p ...
* 1955
Tommy McLead
Tommy may refer to:
People
* Tommy (given name)
* Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...
* 1955
Hugh Colvin
Hugh Colvin VC (1 February 1887 – 16 September 1962) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
He ...
* 1953
Jimmy Batten
Jimmy Batten (born 7 November 1955) is a British former Boxing, boxer who was British light middleweight champion for over two and a half years between 1977 and 1979.
Career
Born in Millwall, London in 1955, Batten started boxing at the age of 6 ...
* 1953
Jock McCosh
Jock may refer to:
Common meanings
* Jock (stereotype), a North American term for a stereotypical male athlete
* Jock, a derogatory term for Scottish people mostly used by the English
* Short for jockstrap, an item of male protective undergarmen ...
and
Charlie Howley
Charlie may refer to:
Characters
* "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the Charlie's Angels (franchise), ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise
* Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Ba ...
* 1953
John Black
* 1951
Jock Shearer
John McMillan Shearer (8 July 1917 – 3 April 1979) was a Scottish professional football player and coach.
Career
After serving with the British Army during World War Two, Shearer signed a professional contract with Derby County in 1946. He le ...
* 1951
Dick Groves
Richard G. Groves (born 1909/1910) was an English professional football player and manager. He was also active in cricket and rugby.
Playing career
Groves played an inside forward, for Bristol Rovers, Southampton, Plymouth Argyle and Torquay Uni ...
* 1950
Bob Mooney
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname) ...
* 1950
Tommy Wright
* 1949
Alan Fletcher
* 1948
Sam Waters
* 1937
Billy Miller
* 1937
Bob McAuley
* 1936
Jimmy Surgeoner
Jimmy may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* Jimmy (2008 film), ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy
* Jimmy (1979 film), ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melat ...
* 1935
James McCann
* 1934
Bob Preston
Robert Preston (1895 – May 1945) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Scottish League for Heart of Midlothian and in the Football League for Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United. He played as a wing half or centre half.
Car ...
The Showgrounds
Sligo Rovers have played their entire history at the Showgrounds, located in the Maugheraboy area of Sligo town. They are one of very few League of Ireland clubs never to have changed grounds. The Showgrounds takes its name from the annual show held at the grounds by the County Sligo Agricultural Society. It is owned by the people of Sligo and cannot be sold for use for any purpose other than sport and leisure. It is one of the oldest grounds in the country but it has seen a lot of development in recent years thanks to the hard work of several volunteers.
Treacy Avenue Stand
Also known as the main stand this is the largest stand in the ground with 1,800 seats and also contains the dressing rooms, dugouts and press box. It was built in 2001 replacing a much older stand.
Jinks Avenue Stand
This is located opposite the Treacy Avenue stand has about 800 seats which were installed in the late nineties. Half of the stand is reserved for away support, while the other half contains Sligo Rovers' most vocal support known as Forza Rovers. They are renowned for their colourful and humorous displays. This stand recently also contains a TV gantry.
Railway end
In July 2012 a new stand was completed at the Railway End consisting of 1,300 seats. This stand is now known as the Volkswagen Stand as the project was funded by Volkswagen Bank.
Shed end
This end gets its name from the shed it used to have where Sligo Rovers' most vocal supporters would congregate until it had to be demolished for health and safety reasons. There is currently no structure at this end of the ground.
Notable former players
{,
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, ,
*
Nicky Broujos
Nicholas Broujos {22 June 1963) is an American retired soccer player who played as a goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated ...
*
Joseph N'Do
Joseph Cyrille N'Do (born 28 April 1976) is a Cameroonian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward. He made 21 appearances for the Cameroon national team scoring twice.
Club career
Cameroon
An attacking ...
*
Adam Hughes
Adam Hughes (born May 5, 1967) is an American comics artist and illustrator best known to American comic book readers for his renderings of pinup-style female characters, and his cover work on titles such as ''Wonder Woman'' and ''Catwoman''. H ...
*
Romauld Boco
Romuald Boco (born 8 July 1985) is a footballer who last played as a midfielder for Leyton Orient. Born in France, he has represented Benin at full international level.
Club career Accrington Stanley
Born in Bernay, Eure, Boco signed for Accrin ...
*
Kieran Sadlier
Kieran Paul Sadlier (born 14 September 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Leyton Orient, on loan from Bolton Wanderers. He can also play at wing-back. Sadlier previously won both the League of Ireland Premier Div ...
*
Dixie Dean
William Ralph "Dixie" Dean (22 January 1907 – 1 March 1980) was an English footballer who played as a centre forward. He is regarded as one of the greatest centre-forwards of all time and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in ...
*
Paul Fielding
Paul Fielding (born 4 December 1955) is a former English association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder (association football), midfielder.
He began his professional football career with Rochdale, where he played for four seasons b ...
*
Sander Puri
Sander Puri (born 7 May 1988) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Meistriliiga club Tartu Tammeka and the Estonia national team.
Club career Levadia
Puri was born in Tartu, Tartu County. In 2005, at the age of ...
*
Billy Hamilton
*
Piotr Bajdziak
Piotr Bajdziak (born 4 May 1984 in Łódź) is a Polish footballer (midfielder) playing currently for Czarni Żagań.[Sean Maguire
Sean Maguire (born 18 April 1976 in Ilford, London) is a British-American actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama ''Grange Hill'', in which he rem ...](_blank)
*
Pádraig Amond
Pádraig Amond (born 15 April 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for National League club Woking.
He began his career in his native Ireland with Shamrock Rovers, progressing through the club's youth academy befor ...
*
Brendan Bradley
*
Séamus Coleman
Séamus Coleman (; born 11 October 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a right-back and captains both Premier League club Everton and the Republic of Ireland national team.
Originally a Gaelic footballer, Coleman started hi ...
*
Eoin Doyle
Eoin Doyle (born 12 March 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a forward for League of Ireland Premier Division club St Patrick's Athletic.
Doyle has previously played for Chesterfield, Cardiff, Preston North End, Portsmou ...
*
Sean Fallon
*
Paul McGee
*
Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell' ...
*
Richie Ryan
*
Colin Cameron
*
Jim Lauchlan
James Harley Lauchlan (born 2 February 1977 in Glasgow) is a Scottish footballer.
Career
Lauchlan started his career with Kilmarnock making his first team debut age just 16 he went on to make 98 league appearances for the club. Following a loa ...
*
Johnny Armstrong
John A. Armstrong Jr. (August 10, 1897 – April 30, 1960) was an American football player and coach.
Armstrong was born in Hutchinson, Kansas. From 1918 to 1922, he attended the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was a four-sport ...
*
Willie McStay
*
References
External links
Sligo Rovers FC WebsiteThe Showgrounds home of Sligo Rovers FCSligo Rovers Forum
{{Authority control
Association football clubs in Connacht
Association football clubs established in 1928
Sport in Sligo (town)
League of Ireland Premier Division clubs
1928 establishments in Ireland
Former Leinster Senior League clubs
Connacht Senior League (association football) clubs
Association football in County Sligo
Sports clubs in County Sligo