Bit o' Red officially launch 2023 Annual Draw

Sligo Rovers have officially launched the 2023 Annual Draw, with better prizes than ever before.

As one of the last remaining supporter-owned clubs in the League of Ireland, the Bit o' Red rely on this and all other vital fundraisers to help make the club stronger.

The club is extremely thankful to the dedicated team of volunteers who have begun selling door-to-door in the region, and everyone who supports the draw each season.

With stadium infrastructure and masterplan updates at the forefront of the club’s plans, this draw is vitally important to Sligo Rovers.

The draw will take place on September 16 when the senior men's team hosts UCD at The Showgrounds.

Last year, the Sligo Rovers Annual Draw raised a magnificent €106,690 – the greatest ever tally.

This year’s top prize is €5,000 cash, which will certainly help the winner in the current climate.

WestCoast Orthodontics have given a special prize this year, with a voucher for €2,500 up for grabs for their practice in Sligo town.

PetStop Discount Warehouse have once again come on board and sponsored a €1,000 voucher, and the club would like to thank John McKeon and staff for that.

There are three two-night overnight stays available, with Dublin’s Clayton Hotel, Liffey Valley (bed & breakfast plus evening meal) donating a prize along with Letterkenny’s Silver Tassey Hotel and The Connacht Hotel in Galway.

There are other top prizes such as two corporate tickets for a Liverpool FC game at Anfield, a €200 Kates Kitchen Voucher as well as the same value of €200 for vouchers for Intersport Elverys and Ticketmaster.

Once again for 2023, the club have decided that all proceeds from the draw will be invested back into the stadium and to help deliver the masterplan, which was launched in 2021.

Included in the masterplan is a proposed multi-million euro redevelopment of The Showgrounds, with the creation of an academy training centre and hub for the north-west region of the country.

The redevelopment, when complete, plans to have a seated capacity of around 6,000, surpassing all UEFA requirements of a Category 3 stadium, a new hybrid playing pitch and new state-of-the-art facilities with alterations to the existing Treacy Avenue and PetStop stands and two brand new stands on the Jinks’ Avenue side of the ground and the Churchill Road end.

Annual Draw co-ordinator Mark Cummins expressed the importance of the draw, saying: “Last year we set a new record of almost €107,000 raised in our Annual Draw. We will do all we can to match that this year, with our ticket sellers making every effort to reach as many parts of this region as possible.

“Our supporters always get behind this and all fundraisers, and we thank them for doing so again in 2023. We would appeal to those supporters further afield to support our draw online by buying a ticket on our online store, where they can also buy a full book of 10 tickets.”

Club chairman Tommy Higgins added: “This year’s Annual Draw is vitally important to Sligo Rovers, with plans for our new stadium now moving into the next stages. It is important to create something special for this region in the form of a state-of-the-art facility at The Showgrounds.

“This facility could cater for many things, such as conferences, parties, functions, gym use and much more. We would ask all supporters to take a book of tickets and sell it on behalf of your club, if you can.”

Tickets for the Sligo Rovers 2023 Annual Draw are available now at https://srfcdirect.com/annual-draw-ticket. You can purchase a full book of tickets and sell them to your friends, family or colleagues, or you can buy them individually. Books of tickets are also available through club officials or The Showgrounds office.

All Bit o' Red supporters are encouraged to get behind the draw and help the club with its ambitious but achievable goals with regard to the Sligo Rovers Masterplan. As a community-run club, supporters are at heart and the Masterplan, which will provide a cultural and sporting hub in Sligo and the north-west to be proud of. The club would again like to thank all sponsors and ticket sellers for their support this year.