Answering Rovers’ call
It’s been a hectic week for the League of Ireland.
Talks continued over the resumption of the league and last Tuesday, the FAI confirmed that the league would return on July 31st.
They confirmed that there will be two rounds of games in total, including games already played this year meaning that Sligo Rovers have 14 games to play.
One club will be automatically promoted to the Premier Division from the First Division, with one club automatically relegated.
A Play-Off will take place between the ninth placed Premier Division club and the winner of the First Division play-off series involving the teams that finish 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the First Division. The winner of the Play-Off will play in the Premier Division of the SSE Airtricity League in the 2021 season.
Relegation was a contentious issue, and it was widely reported that nine out of ten Premier Division clubs wished for the format to be changed to one relegation, one promotion and no play-offs.
The nine First Division clubs along with Shamrock Rovers wished for relegation/promotion to stay as it was set to be at the start of the season.
The National League Executive Committee opted to vote in favour of the First Division teams’ preference, sparking an angry reaction from Premier Division clubs.
That prompted the FAI to investigate the process before finally ratifying the restart of the League of Ireland on July 31st.
A statement from Sligo Rovers called it ‘grossly unfair and unjust’.
And while the club will now be in a difficult position, with zero points on board, they know they must return to play.
The club could not have afforded to continue with a longer season, due to the lack of income.
Incredibly, a GoFundMe campaign started by the Bit O’Red Supporters Trust, had raised almost €50,000 by Friday evening. By yesterday (Monday), it was at €66,557. The initial target, €30,000, was reached 24 hours after the fundraiser went live.
Despite the difficult times that we are in due to Covid-19, Sligo Rovers fans far and wide will always answer the club’s call with incredible generosity.
OUR CLUB’S HISTORY IS FILLED WITH A STEELY DETERMINATION TO SURVIVE ALL THE CHALLENGES THROWN OUR WAY. WE HAVE NEVER GIVEN UP IN OVER 90 YEARS, WE HAVE DEFIED LOGIC AND OUR BEST DAYS HAVE COME FROM IT.
And it’s not just Rovers fans getting involved. Fans of other clubs, particularly Finn Harps, have been generous, as have Everton fans.
It’s a credit to the Bit O’Red Supporters Trust, the club and fans. Always there in times good and bad.
And while Rovers are frustrated by the decision making regarding the resumption of the league, they can take some comfort in the fact that they have so much support from people who are willing to help out in any way that they can.
The full statement from Sligo Rovers is as follows:
“Sligo Rovers can confirm that the club will return to play following extensive meetings with the Football Association of Ireland and our fellow League of Ireland clubs.
“The decision has been reached following lengthy discussions within the management committee and taken in the belief of what is best for the future of the football club.
“The Bit O’ Red wishes to state that from the outset of this crisis that it has been our target to return to playing this season.
“It also became clear that Sligo Rovers would be the club hit hardest by the Covid-19 crisis as our fundraising (€500,000 in 2019) and gate receipts (at highest level in seven years last year) have been decimated. This forms 70% of our annual budget.
“We have accepted a financial package, which, in truth, will still leave a massive strain on the football club and also required a compromise from all parties involved.
“We want to acknowledge that our management team, our players, administration staff and the wider Sligo Rovers community have all played their part in encouraging the decision to return.
“Not returning to this season would leave us in a position that we may not have been able to recover from. It would leave the club with debts that could not be overcome.
“That was the defining factor in reaching this decision.
“We have consulted with some supporter groups, including the Bit O ‘Red Supporters Trust, who will help facilitate a GoFundMe page to help with costs.
“We will also launch our Annual Draw, with a change in ticket sale policy to be compliant with Covid-19. The Bit O’ Red Wall Stage 2 will also commence.
“The financial challenge is significant and requires a high level of support but the alternative is much worse.
“Our first-team players returned to training and employment this week.
“Our underage players will soon follow. In the last number of years the people of Sligo have built a football club that completely defied the environment imposed on us by the former regime in the FAI.
“We have a home that is a hub in our community, we have one of the outstanding football facilities in the league, and a shared bond and love of our club and the game.
“The next few months will be about ensuring we hold on to all those things. An update on attending matches and streaming will follow next month.
“Our club’s history is filled with a steely determination to survive all the challenges thrown our way. We have never given up in over 90 years, we have defied logic and our best days have come from it.
“On the pitch, we face a massive challenge in 14 matches left to play in the season. But it was the only scenario in which we could return.
“This format proposed today was of particular disappointment to the club and is something we sternly object to. We believe it is grossly unfair, unjust and do not see the matter as concluded.
“We will be having further discussions on this issue with relevant parties.
“From today we will regroup, we will rally together and take on the next 16 weeks with the resilience that has got us this far as a football club.
We thank everyone for their support in recent months and look forward to returning to the pitch on 31 July.”
The players are back in full training, with players who are based overseas currently in quarantine, with plans to have the whole squad back together by July 15th.
“We continue to monitor HSE & Government guidelines in relation to quarantine rules and restrictions regarding overseas travel,” Sligo Rovers said. “While it would be great to allow these players to return to group training straight away, we must protect these players, the rest of the club’s players and staff as well as the local community in Sligo. Therefore, it is important that each of these players quarantine, and only return to the group after a 14-day isolation period, as current rules imply.
“Ryan De Vries, Alex Cooper, Will Seymore, Lewis Banks & Teemu Penninkangas are here and will isolate. They are permitted to leave isolation for essentials and exercise. The entire group will train together on 15 July.”