Sean from the supporters group, Forza Rovers

Interview

Short chat with Sean from the supporters group, Forza Rovers, Sligo Rovers most fervent supporters who one can see in the small Jinks Avenue Stand

Sean for Forza Rovers
Group’s going now 9 years. Next year will be our tenth year
It was going great for our first you know 5 or 6 years
The last few years it kind of died down a bit
A lot of lads getting old, Emigration you know, things like that
But actually our group was nearly Coming to an end at one stage there last year
And we were kind of saying, you know….the numbers weren’t really justified calling ourselves an ultras group so
So we started kind of recruiting a few young lads again and…..
Things are on the pick up again so………..

But you have a very impressive social media, I have to say…the website and on Facebook
Yeah but that was part of the drive of getting young lads, more young lads involved
We kind of kept to ourselves a lot of the time, it was kind of a very close, very close knit group but we kind of opened up things a lot more the last while

Sligo has always been a soccer town, I mean what’s the history about that, why….. I mean even in the rough times you do have a general good support in the town
I suppose traditionally it is a garrison town going back…………….and football has been played in Sligo since the 1880s you know so….. Gaelic never really took off here, you know it’s kind of more seen out in the county more so than in the town itself.
So that’s probably why

And how far is that reach from the town, does it go into the country. The county of Sligo, or?
Oh yeah, yeah, like myself, I’m not from Sligo town myself you know, So like a lot of lads
We got fans from you know like all over the north west really
I know a lot of fans from Leitrim, mayo, all over sligo
Like there’s North Sligo, it’s like a massive community
Course because Summerhill school used to be a boarding school, years ago, so you got a lot of lads coming in from Roscommon, Mayo, staying there, that’s kind of how it took off

And what about yourself then, how long have you been supporting the rovers?
Mid 90s my dad started bringing me, the early mid 90’s
Then, the first time we used to stand on the terrace kind of beside the shed
And then when I kind of got old enough I was allowed into the shed!
Some crazy nights there as a young lad
So its kind of a progression then is it?
Ah yeah, yeah it was like that, it was good, you know it was good

So what about the best season all those years you followed them then?
Oh it has to be when we won the league you cant beat that you know
In fairness, like I know the last two years people are saying things have gone downhill a bit but still when we were in the first division, and struggling and you know and 600 people in the ground, you are looking round the place and no atmosphere, the place was dead
I still think its good now you know
We won the cup in 94, that was when I started getting involved following rovers, and my dad started bringing me back then

What about your cult heroes then, what are the cult heroes of the club?
Of the club in total? There’s plenty
but at the moment
Raf is the cult hero at the moment, local lad
Is has been here a long time hasn’t he? I cant seem to believe he is still playing!
Ah no he is something else raf is
Probably score tonight
Hopefully anyway yeah
But no we have plenty of cult heroes down through the years
Ndo was unreal there
Myself I always kind of have something for local players, it’s the main thing to kind of support

The guy that won you the league, was it right to sack him? It’s like Leicester a little bit!
Barraclough. A lot of people weren’t happy with his tactics, his signings and blah, blah, blah. Personally I think he deserved to see out the end of the season and his contract
It left an awful lot of instability there
When he left we had caretaker managers and this that and the other
I think we are still suffering from that time but hopefully things will improve now
This season, what the hell is happening this season, Jesus!
Yeah, a look it….its a bit soon to call for a managers head and all that but…….
It was 6 games last year before we got a win so it was a struggle
Look, we will see how it goes….

The LOI is a small place but are Sligo too big to go down!?
No, there’s nothing like that. Look, we have been down before and we have been up and down…..a ten team league so its really going to be tight this year. It;s not looking good at the moment but hopefully…
Are there any players that perhaps people wouldn’t know coming in from the outside, any young players we should look out for or any up and coming talent?

Ah I don’t know, we don’t really have anyone at the moment. Maybe it’s the way the manager is playing the side…..there is no one really that I could see. There are a few lads there but there is no one really that I can see that’s going to…..….

Is it difficult to get people into the showgrounds?
No…..last week weekend against st pats the crowd was down, think it was down 1300, cause it was Friday night football.
But if a game is on Saturday and we dont get our games moved by television or FAI poor fixture listing, no but a Saturday night traditionally great support and it’s always the way

So what should I expect tonight, in terms of atmosphere, going into the ground?
Bray isn’t ….is not a crowd puller, never will be
They are never going to be a crowd puller, you know there’s no rivalry with Bray. they are doing alright this year and they will do well but Its not going to be a massive crowd puller
Hopefully with st Patricks weekend there should be a big crowd down
Atmosphere? We will see how it goes?
Just a few more questions
Rivals? I guess its Derry and Galway
No no Shams, fucking shams, fucking hate them
That was my next question, the other rovers, are they not rovers?
Shams for us!
Whats the copyright for that!
Well if you are in town, everyone likes to say rovers because if you say Sligo they presume you were at the Gaelic game
So rovers are rovers and shams are shams
When they come to town then is it……everybody’s a bit on edge
Yes it can get a bit heated at times alright
Yeah everyone is fired up for playing shams obviously you know
They probably see us as country bumpkins, come down act the bollix, but …fuck them!

So in terms of the season we have at the moment what’s your expectations, at this early stage it’s just avoid relegation
Yeah definitely, if you had asked me when last season had ended, players signed up early and it was looking good, I was saying we could push for a top four but now survival at the moment, and we take each game as it comes

Time for pints, come on lets go! Thanks man
Ok lets go