Sligo Champion - Names of players on trial
Connor in cash plea to business community
By Michael Moran
SLIGO Rovers manager, Sean Connor, has issued an impassioned plea to the business and commercial sectors to back his team re-building plans....warning that the strength of next season's squad will depend on the response.
"If this town wants Premier Division football on a sustained and successful basis then people are going to have to get behind us. At the end of the day, it is all down to finance," Connor declared.
With new recruit Chris Turner set to put pen to paper this week, the Rovers manager has also revealed that former Mansfield Town defender, Gavin Peers, and ex-Hibernian centre back, Jimmy McKenzie are both due at the Showgrounds prior to pre-season training with a view to signing contracts.
However, Connor has admitted that his ability to attract players to the newly promoted First Division champions will very much depend on the resources at his disposal.
Rovers officials are likely to contact businesses and commercial outlets in the coming weeks in a bid to secure much-needed finance.
"Obviously, I want to try to push the committee for the biggest budget I can get. Understandably, they have to be prudent and in view of that, it is imperative that the local business and commercial sectors come on board.
"Be it €500 or €5,000 every contribution would help. I am totally confident that if I can get the budget I want, Sligo Rovers will have a good squad, more than capable of competing at the top level," he maintained.
Connor is hoping to add another left sided player and another striker to his squad and is in talks with a number of potential recruits.
Meanwhile, former Mansfield right-back, Peers will stay in Sligo for at least three weeks, having been recommended to Connor by Birmingham City manager, Steve Bruce.
McKenzie will also spend some time here as Connor weighs up the options available to him.
However, one player now unlikely to be joining the Showgrounds squad is Finn Harps', Chris Breen.
Connor had targeted Breen, but with a tribunal likely to put a fee of over €20,000 on any transfer deal, the Rovers boss has poured cold water on any move for the Donegal man.
Elsewhere, offers from Irish League clubs for striker Paul Brown have fallen short of Connor's valuation and the former Limavady front man is now likely to report back for pre-season training with Rovers on January 21st, if he does not move on in the interim.
