Postponement of Sligo Super Cup announced

IN view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic crisis, the organising committee of the Sligo Super Cup has decided it is necessary to postpone this year’s tournament, which was scheduled to take place from April 24th to 26th at the home of Sligo Rovers FC.

This decision has been taken in the interest of protecting public health and in recognition of the duty of care we owe to participants, volunteers, service providers and visiting spectators.

The postponement is also influenced by the committee’s desire to adhere to strict guidelines imposed by the Government, HSE, FAI ad football associations throughout the world in relation to these matters.

The committee will continue to engage with all teams, stakeholders and public health bodies to explore the possibility of staging the tournament later this year. If this is not feasible there will be no alternative but to cancel the 2020 tournament

Tournament Director Packie Lynch explained: “Our decision to postpone Sligo Super Cup has not been taken lightly. We have weighed the matter with meticulous attention to HSE guidelines, to our own observations of the ever-evolving issues around the Covid-19 outbreak, and with a sense of duty to the young teams visiting Sligo, to our own volunteers and to members of the public who would have attended our games over the three days of the tournament.

“We are particularly conscious of the concerns of parents of pre-teen children travelling from their home environments in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, where Covid-19 has also taken a significant hold.

“We felt it would be grossly unfair, if not irresponsible, to place such a burden on parents and indeed on the academies concerned.

“Having invested a huge amount of time and effort into organising this year’s tournament and looking forward to welcoming out first ever English Premier League participants, we are naturally extremely disappointed that the competition has been postponed. But we are nonetheless convinced that given the extraordinarily difficult circumstances now facing our country, we have arrived at the correct decision.

“We wish to acknowledge the tremendous support from sponsors and the general public to our fundraising efforts this year. We are acutely aware of the many jobs which have been lost in the hospitality and service industries serving the Sligo region due to Covid-19.

“The Sligo Super Cup generates over 1,000 bed nights and contributes €500,000 to the local economy each year.

“Accordingly, we will continue to engage with all teams, stakeholders and public health bodies to explore the possibility of staging the tournament later this year.

“We trust that our supporters and the greater Sligo soccer public will appreciate the reasons for our decision.”