Sligo Rovers F.C
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| Full name | Sligo Rovers Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Bit o' Red |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Ground | Showgrounds |
| Capacity | 5,500 (4,000 seated) |
| Owner | Supporter owned |
| Chairman | Martin Heraghty |
| Manager | Gerard Lyttle |
| League | League of Ireland Premier Division |
| 2016 | League of Ireland Premier Division, 5th |
| Website | Club website |
Sligo Rovers Football Club (Irish: Cumann Peile Ruagairí Shligigh) is a professional Irish football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 and have been in the League of Ireland since 1934. The club is a co-operative venture, owned by the people of Sligo. Rovers have played at The Showgrounds since their inception. They recently won a third FAI Cup in four years and in the season previous to this recent cup win became the 2012 Premier Division Champions, winning the title with two games to spare. In total they have won three league titles, five FAI Cups and two League cups. On 27 February 2012 Rovers had announced a major international sponsorship deal with local car dealers Connolly's Volkswagen.
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 in Donegal on 23 September 1928 in the qualifying round of the Connacht Cup. The club, elected to the League of Ireland in 1934, hails from Sligo and play their home matches at the Showgrounds and have done 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.
The club started well by winning the FAI Junior Cup in their first ever season, beating Grangegorman 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 ever 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, winning in the First round against Brideville 3-1 before going out to Shelbourne in the next round 5-2. The next year brought yet more glory with the club winning the Leinster Senior League in only their second year at this level. They did so by beating Distillery in a play-off at Tolka Park 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.
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