The Showgrounds Stadium

The Showgrounds is a stadium in Sligo, which has been home of Sligo Rovers since Rovers were formed in 1928.

History

Most club's histories are focused on the team's quest for silverware but in Sligo it is a bit different. Central to the history of Sligo Rovers is the story of the Showgrounds, and there is a special association and affinity between supporters and this famous old ground. The Showgrounds takes its name from the annual show held at the grounds by the County Sligo Agricultural Society, the first one held in 1908. Soccer was played in Sligo Town in the 1880s; Fiona Gallagher’s History The Streets of Sligo tells of a game played at this time between the Lancashire Regiment stationed at the Military Barracks and the "Hare and Hounds" Club, the match being played in a field close to the present Showgrounds. In 1928 Sligo Town amalgamated with Sligo Blues to become Sligo Rovers, and the Showgrounds became their home. Over 80 years later, the ground has had its share of drama and excitement – the club’s first league success in 1937, Straka’s famous penalty against Shamrock Rovers in 1955, to the memorable Cup and League campaigns of the last thirty years. But what makes the Showrounds so special to the current generation of supporters is the realization that it was nearly lost to the club.

Brendan Byrne recalls the sequence of events which led to the securing of the Showgrounds: "The first complication was that the Showgrounds was divided between two estates, so we were dealing with the two owners." The Fowler estate ran from Tracey Avenue to an area around the current Jinks Avenue Stand. The remainder of the ground was in the ownership of the Campbell estate. In early 1968 the lease of the Fowler had expired. The members of the Supporters Club met with the Management Committee and discussed the situation that was unfolding. Alderman John Fallon was Chairman of Sligo Rovers and Jimmy Gilmartin was Club Secretary. "Having discussed the problem, the Management Committee appointed f