Backing Sligo’s Revival!

2020 may have been a standstill year for most people but behind the scenes work has been ongoing to strengthen Sligo’s fortunes on the Gaelic football and hurling fields.

While the prospects of our senior teams were ended by the COVID pandemic, the work at underage level continued and grew. For the fifth year in a row, we had a Sligo underage team contesting a provincial final.

Success for our county teams brings excitement and an appetite to get involved and play throughout the county. It brings children into sport and presents an opportunity to strengthen communities through active participation of children and families.

Sligo’s growing competitiveness comes from an investment over the past decade in both the facilities and the personnel that are essential to nurture and grow success. It started with the appointment in 2006 of a full time Games Development Manager.

Our County Centre of Excellence is now five years in place there is a strong team of committed full time coaches and Games Development Officers in place, to guide the next generation of players at club and county level.

Club Sligo has been an essential part of that progress. First launched in 2011, in three stages it has provided vital funding for the purchase of a site, the development of the Centre of Excellence as a home for county teams and the support of the coaching and Games Development infrastructure of Sligo GAA.

The Covid year has been a difficult one for sporting associations. Sligo GAA is no different and there are no extra central funds to pick up the bill. If we are to continue the progress up to 2020, we have to back ourselves.

To kickstart that we are now relaunching Club Sligo to provide the investment and support needed to continue that work and to ensure that we can adequately fund the work of 2021 and beyond. The proceeds will go to maintaining the training facilities and supporting the Coaching and Development team as well as into the preparation of all teams and development squads from U-14 upwards.

Sligo GAA is very aware that that every club in the county is also dealing with the practical effects of no games and limited opportunity to raise their own funds so Club Sligo 2021 is designed to be an attractive shared earning ticket that can be used by every club to bring in some funds.

Club Sligo 2021 offers a 50:50 split of income over a basic threshold that creates an opportunity for every club to make a contribution to the county cause while raising their own money.

It will be great to get back on the fields and into grounds to watch games. Let’s make sure that we’re putting the best foot forward from the first days of the year, Let’s get behind Club Sligo, for club and county. Sligeach Abú