Crisis-hit Sligo in plea for help
A statement released yesterday confirmed that a total of €96,925 has so far been raised as part of efforts to keep the club from going out of business by the end of the season, with local fundraising accounting for €80,000 of that total.
The club also confirmed that a further €130,000 was required by the end of the season in order to render Rovers “creditor free and tax compliant”, adding that “without a massive financial injection in this short time frame the club will simply fail to survive the present crisis”.
Meanwhile, Shamrock Rovers, who lie in sixth, one spot above Sligo in the Premier Division table, yesterday received a boost to their plan to play football in Tallaght by the start of next season.
Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, confirmed that this year’s RAPID Sports Capital Top-Up funding will include a grant of €825,000 for Tallaght Stadium. This top-up funding is in addition to the grant of €2,750,000 already allocated by the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism earlier this year.
“This stadium will be a huge boost for Tallaght,” said Minister Ó Cuív, “and this project is particularly significant in that it will serve three different RAPID areas: Fettercairn, Killenarden and Jobstown. The new facility will be a wonderful community resource and, I am sure, a source of great local pride. This stadium will be home to Shamrock Rovers FC, the most successful club in Irish football history, and this will be an inspiration for many young players in Tallaght.”
The RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) Programme is a Government initiative which targets the 46 most disadvantaged areas in the country. Successful applications from RAPID areas under the Sports Capital Programme run by the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism can receive additional top-up funding of up to 30% of the original grant amount from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Each year, successful applications from RAPID areas that have been endorsed by the Area Implementation Team (AIT) are considered for top-up funding.
Hoops’ Chairman Jonathan Roche welcomed the top-up saying that it was great news for Shamrock Rovers and the people of Tallaght.
“It also shows how sport benefits the local community,” added Roche. “As well as bringing professional football to the area, Rovers offer sporting and educational opportunities through our scholarship schemes and underage section. It’s a unique and all-encompassing package that reflects the club’s determination and ability to make a positive impact on the lives of people in Tallaght.”
Rovers play their football at Dublin rivals Shelbourne’s Tolka Park in the northside of the city, having been without a permanent home since 1987, when a former director sold their ground, Glenmalure Park in Milltown.
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