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This section of the website looks back at some of the great players to wear the bit o' red. If you would like to suggest a player we have missed send your suggestion to Sligo Town Supporters Club
Gavin Dykes, Jimmy Mc Groarty, Frank Fallon, Paddy "Monty" Monaghan, Mick Leonard, David Pugh, Michael Savage Charlie Mc Geever, Kevin Fallon, Will Hastie
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Left winger who joined Rovers from Distillery before they entered senior football in 1931. He only stayed for six games initially before he returned to Distillery. Returned to Rovers in 1932 and was part of the team which won all before them in the years leading up to Rovers entry into the League of Ireland as Rovers won the Leinster senior league, the Metropolitian cup and the Intermediate cup. Paddy was a member of the first ever Rovers team to play in senior football whne he lined out against St. James Gate in the shield in 1934. He was alos a member of the Rovers team which won the Championship in the 1936/37 season and the team which was defeated in the 1939Cup final. In Rovers first season in league football Monty was capped twice for Ireland against Switzerland and Germany. Unfortunately both games ended in defeats. Until Wesley Charles was capped for St. Vincents and the Grenadines recently Paddy was the only player to be capped while playing for Rovers. He also picked up an inter-league cap during this season. He left the club after the 1939 cup final having made 165 appearances for Rovers and scoring 57 senior goals for the club. In all he scored 96 goals for Rovers. Monty's goalscoring record was: Pre League of Ireland:
League of Ireland:
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Mick was a striker who was brought to the club at the beginning of the 1975/76 season by Billy Sinclair. The 23 year old, Glasgow born, player had been on the books at Celtic. He made an immediate impact in the League Cup semi-final when he scored one of the most memorable hat-tricks in the history of the club to help earn Rovers a place in the final. The papers the next day compared the big striker to another Rovers hero of the past. " Leonard grabbed three of the goals, two with rocket-like first half headers that another import to wear Sligo's colours "Dixie" Dean or indeed even Tommy Lawton would have been proud of." wrote David Faiers in the Independent. No one could live up to a billing like that but Mick went on to score 21 goals in all competitions for Rovers in his first season with the club.
In his second season at the club Leonard combined with Gary Hulmes and Paul Mc Gee to provide Rovers with the most lethal strike force the club had seen for some time. Few defences in the country could handle thi trio as Billy Sinclair's team marched relentlessly towards the clubs second Championship victory. Good on the ground but lethal in the air Leonard was the perfect foil for the skill and mobility of Hulmes and Mc Gee. One of the greatest characters the club has ever seen Micks wry Glaswegian humour often distracted people from his fierce professionalism. He returned to Scotland half way through the following season to playe for Dunfermline where he continued to bang in the goals. In spite of paying out large amounts of money Mick was never replacedd at the club. Mick Leonard's goal scoring record for the club was :
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David was a local centre half who joined the club at the start of the 1963/64 season. He was an old fashioned centre half, solid in the air and uncompromising on the ground. He also provoded Rovers with a goal threat at set pieces and scored his fair share of goals for the club. He left Rovers in 1968 to join Boston Beacons but when they folded he returned to Ireland to play with Shamrock Rovers where he won an FAI Cup winners medal. He returned to Rovers at the beginning of the 1969/70 season and went on to play in the epic Cup final of that year. Indeed Pugh was desperately unlucky not to score what would have been the winning goal in the first of the games against Bohs as his piledriver of a shot produced a miraclous save from Bohs keeper, Dinny Lowry. He took over as joint manager of the club with Gerry Mitchell for one season in 1971, before retiring.
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From Ballisadare the midfielder re-joined Rovers after a spell under Johnny Giles at Shamrock Rovers and spent nine seasons at the club. He made 237 appearances for the club scoring 32 goals from midfield in that time. Nicknamed "bomber" he was a competitive midfielder who wasn't afraid to get stuck in. He also joined up with his attackers as his goalscoring record shows. Michael reached the pinnacle of his career when he was a part of the team that finally brought the cup home in 1983. His performance in the cup final was typical of Michael. In dreadful conditions his workrate was phenomal and he completely dominated his marker, John Reynor, resulting in the Bohs midfielder being substituted in the second half. It could also be said that Michael paved the way for players from outside Sligo Town to join the club. |
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Charlie was brought to the Showgrounds in 1980 by Patsy Mc Gowan. One of the most gifted full backs ever to play in the League of Ireland Charlie would definitely have played at a higher level but for a serious knee injury which eventually saw him quit football altogether. He played 37 times for the club and contributed 8 goals in that time. Charlie was a member of the team which lost the '81 cup final to Dundalk and was one of the few players to come out of the game satisfied with his performance. He went on to become manager of Finn Harps and now enjoys a career as a TV pundit. |
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Charlie Mc Geever
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Was brought to Rovers in 1967 from Rotherham by Tony Bartley. He was a giant of a defender who took no prisoners. He stayed with the club for three seasons making 101 appearances for the club. He scored six goals during his time at Rovers which wasn't bad for a defender. He played in the Rovers team which was so unlucky to lose the 1970 cup final after a marathon tie with Bohemians at Dalymount Park. At the end of the 1969/70 season he was transferred to Southend for what was Kings ransom at that time of £1,000. |
| Kevin Fallon |
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Joined Rovers in 1993 from Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier league. The Australian born midfielder was brought to the club by Willie Mc Stay. A hard tackling combatitive midfielder his ball winning skills were an important part of the success of Mc Stay's treble winning side. Nowhere was this more evident than during the cup final in 1994 when Rovers were hanging on against Derry City. Hastie left Rovers at the end of that historic season and returned to Australia. During his short spell at the club he became a firm favourite with the fans for his honesty and workrate. |
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Will Hastie
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Gavin
Dykes - A local born centre half Gavin
played his schoolboy football with Merville and Summerhill College before
moving to the states to play his football there. When he returned he played
for Swindon Town for one season before returning to Sligo to join Rovers.
He made his debut for the club in 1987 against Cork City and went on to
give many years of service. An uncompromising centre half Gavin's strength
was in the air. He formed two very solid central defensive partnership's
in his time at the club. First of all he teamed up with Denis Bonnar and
then he went on to partner Declan Boyle at one of the most successful
times in the clubs history. He scored his first goal for Rovers in 1990
against Newcastle West and went on to score a total of 13 goals for the
club. 
While
his footballing ability is unquestioned his main quality was the leadership
he brought to the side as he matured as a player. This was evident during
the 1993/94 season when Rovers marched to an historic treble with Gavin
captaining the team. After securring the First Division shield and the
First Division Championship Gavin became the second Rovers captain to
lift the FAI Cup at Lansdowne Road that season. Gavin took over Charlie
Mc Geever as manager of Finn Harps and also had a spell with Newry Town
in the Irish League. He is currently making a name for himself as a coach
in youth football at the academy in the Regional Sports Centre. Many people
see Gavin as a Rovers manager in the future.
Jimmy
Mc Groarty - A gifted midfield player who
was born in Derry. He played with Finn Harps before joining Stoke City
in England. Rovers signed him from Stoke City in 1980 when Patsy Mc Gowan
was manager. Mc Groarty was one of the best midfielders to play in the
League of Ireland. Extremely industrious and always creative when on the
ball. He returned to Finn Harps during the 1982/83 season just as Rovers
were setting out on their historic Cup run. In his three seasons at the
club he made 80 appearances and scored 11 goals for the bit o' red. His
record for Rovers is:
Paddy
"Monty" Monaghan
Mick
Leonard
David
Pugh
He
returned as manager for the 1988/89 season with Rovers in the first division
and once again struggling financially. Pugh was forced to use an all local
policy. With Rovers finishing bottom of the first division he was replaced
by Dermot Keely. He then turned his attention to youth development at
Summerhill college and was responsible for developing many players who
would go on to feature in Rovers first team in the following years. He
returned to the club briefly as assistant to Jim Mc Inally. David's goalscoring
record for the club is as follows: