On his background

I was born in 1926 in Punjuab Bunjab, India.
I attended university and received a double graduate in Maths.
During my university days I had a great love for sports and especially soccer, though I didn't play myself, I took charge of a soccer team in the training college.
After graduating from college I took up a teaching position in King George Military College in Jullundur in India.

In 1953 I came to Ireland and settle in Sligo. I lived with my family in a two bed roomed house in Holborn Street. Living in the house next door was the Mitchell family. A lovely family that were very good to me and my family. Dick Mitchell (R.I.P.) became a great friend to me and it was he that introduced me to the

Rovers. I used to go to the matches in his company. He was a very decent man and all his family, his misses and his children were very good to me and my wife because we were strangers in Holborn Street. I enjoyed their company.

In those days it was very hard for non-Irish to get a job in Ireland. I was a double graduate in maths, I was a teacher of maths, I was looking for a job here but it was very hard to get one, because first of all I was non-Irish, number two I didn't know the Irish language and it was compulsory in those days.

To make a living I started selling clothes on the bike, going from house to house, village to village in the country. It was tough but it was very enjoyable because I got a great reception from the people in the country and they welcomed me into their homes and treated me with a cup of tea and all type of hospitality, kindness and goodness and I made a lot of friends.

I was very anxious to go back to my teaching so I started the part-time grinds. I used to go to do the grinds in the houses of the students and I did my best for them.

Then one day I took a notion to apply for a position in Summerhill College. Dr. Finnigan was the principle that time and he read my C.V. and he said to me that he would give me two periods a day in Summerhill College for the time being. So I started to teach for two periods in the mornings and continued on my business in the afternoon. After one year he was quite happy with my teaching, my method, my technique and my way of delivery to the students. He broke very good news to me one day when he said, 'Johnny I going to appoint you permanent'. This was 1969 and since that I began teaching as a permanent member of Summerhill college until I retired in 1991

On his Sligo Rovers Involvement

Showing off his colours

I was interested in the sports and I used to go to all the home matches and I got to know all the people on the Management Committee. The in June/July 1962 I was elected as a member of the Management Committee. I devoted my time and gave my services to Sligo Rovers. We started the bingo and I worked on the bingo every Sunday night.
When I was well know by the members of the committee I was elected first as the Assistant Treasurer, then I was Treasurer, and then as things would go on I was elected as Vice-Chairman and then I was the Chairman. So I occupied all the positions at Management levels. I have enjoyed it and I have given over forty years of my life to Sligo Rovers from those days up until today. I know the complete history of Sligo Rovers from 1962 up until today.

There were bad days and good days, more bad than good, more downwards than upwards but the sport was always there for Sligo Rovers it was a matter of approach and your own dedication to the people and the people responded every time to the money crisis and we got over every time we had a money crisis. We went from street to street from house to house collecting the money and we got over it.

So I've enjoyed it, in fact Sligo Rovers is part and partial of my life because I've enjoyed working for the Sligo Rovers and it was all voluntary work for forty years.

The Early Years

I remember in the early sixties when Rovers were thrown out of the league. Sligo Rovers and Transport were bottom of the table and there was no such thing as re-applying, so we were thrown out. But the next year we re-applied. Being out of football for that year was really a very lonesome time and we really missed the football. But thank God the league management committee in Dublin accepted our application and we were re-admitted.

Sligo Rovers always struggled down through the years. Because it's a voluntary organisation and people were always collecting the money needed to keep the club going. Then when we weren't able to meet the commitments we had to get the loan from the bank. The members of the committee had to go to the bank and guarantee the loan and that was always a great burden on the club. We were never comfortable financially but we were at the same time struggling, we were keeping the flag flying for the Sligo Rovers in Sligo. To keep the football alive, that was always our main objective. A lot of people were contributing to the club to ensure the flag is flying all the time in the Showgrounds.

Committee Members of the Past

I always praise the Management Committee no matter how bad or good they are, you do your best to work with them, to cope with them. There might be some difference of opinion but for the sake of Sligo Rovers we always resolved our difference on the table. Now I've seen it in the days of the late Gerry Nicholson, in District Justice Barry's day's, Alfie Lang from Grange, Hugh Mullen from Sligo, Garda Sheehan, Tommy Curran, all those people gave their lives to Sligo Rovers. After Charlie Courtney Paddy Gilmartin was Secretary, Jimmy Gilmartin, Jim Dolan, Michael O' Boyle, Tony McGee and Mary McGowan. These are the people who have contributed a lot to the club and I only wish some of them could come back and help the club with their experience.

Playing Side

When I look back and remember the players that played down through the years. I always had a great fondness for the local players. Willie and Damien Bradley, Tony Fagan, Gerry Mitchell (R.I.P.), Davy Pugh. Then in 1968 we changed the policy to professional. The first man we appointed was Tony Bartley from Yorkshire and then after that Ken Turner. Billy Sinclair came to us in 1975 and he was the man who brought the League Championship to Sligo. So there were tremendous men of sport and tremendous abilities in the Showgrounds. I particularly liked Davy Pugh at that time; he was a real hero in the field of the sports.

League Champions 1976/77

After all the trials and tribulations that had gone before, all the hardship of financial struggles, it always seemed to be ever ending. Then in 1977 we were crowned Champions. What a day, I remember it well. The day we played Shams in the Showgrounds and the crowd that day. I remember we had 16 outlets for tickets and letting the crowds in. It was a tremendous game, a wonderful day when we won the Championship. It really made all the hard work that had gone before all worthwhile. It was really enjoyable and marvellous for the history of Sligo Rovers to win the Championship.

Qualification for European Football

Having won the league championship meant also that we had qualified for European Football. Our club, Sligo Rovers were going to represent Ireland in Europe. It was such a tremendous achievement. We had been picked to play Red Star. The first game was played away in Yugoslavia. At that time I had gone back home to visit my family in India but for the home game I had come back. I remember how we prepared for the game and one thing I did was I went to Hanson's factory to look for sponsorship. They supplied us with thirty clocks that were to be presented to the visiting party and our own team.

The game was good though we lost but the whole occasion was a good one for Sligo and for the history of Sligo Rovers.

1978 F.A.I. Cup Final

Down through the history of the club the cup was always extra special. When we reached the Cup final in 1978 against Shams we all thought that we would finally get our hands on the cup. But that was the year that Carpenter gave the penalty against us and we once again lost the cup. We were all very down, the whole town and surrounding areas. We talked about it for a long time, even today we still do.

But after that we persevered, worked hard and brought in the players, the managers and again we had the financial difficulties. Always the financial difficulties. But the sport was always there. I always have the greatest respect for the people of Sligo and surrounding districts. In fact, the whole of Ireland. Even people far away sent us the money. There was the late Fr. Flynn from Enniscrone. He used to send us money from America. 500 dollars on the first day of the season. So we have a great international support in England, America and beyond.

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