Champion Article On R Gallagher
Taken from todays Sligo Champion (13/08/08)
[SIZE=2]Youth programme essential to Rovers says Gallagher
Having just received honary life membership of the FAI for his services to soccer, a former Rovers chairman, Ray Gallagher has said the implementation of a youth programme is essential to the future of the club.
“it is absolutely paramount that we have young players coming through all the way up from underage through the FAI’s emerging talent programme and into a situation where they have the opportunity to play for the senior Rovers side”
Mr Gallagher who is chairman of the Showgrounds development committee, spent ten years on the board of the FAI up to 2003 and became the Sligo Rovers representitive on the FAI council in 1993, a position he still holds.
He was also Rovers league rep prior to the reorganisation of the LOI.
Mr Gallagher has also served on the FAI’s finance committee from 1994 to date and was also on the legal and Corporate committee for a number of years and the international committee for a year.
He received the honary life membership of the FAI at the associatios AGM in Athlone.
Last year Mr Gallagher was awarded a gold medal for his long service to the FAI
“I consider it an honour to receive lfe membership and believe I an one of a group of seven or eight people to have it”
The board of the FAI unanimously recommended Mr Burns for the accolade. “ it was a very nice gesture and I was very happy to accept it”
Ray Gallagher has been associated with Sligo Rovers since 1966 when he joined a supporters club with the late Willie Kelly, the meetings held in Willies barber shop in Teeling St.
As a youngster he cycled from his home in Mulinabreena to attend matches at the Showgrounds. “I suppose I have been involved in one way or another ever since and I have enjoyed it all”
He Became a member of the Rovers committee in 1967 and acknowledges he was on a
“One man mission”
“the lease was up 0n the Showgrounds and we wanted to recover it. We eventually did so and ultimetly the ground was put into Trusteeship in 1976, which meant it could never be sold or mortgaged and could only be used by the community fir sport”
Mr Gallagher, the late Paddy Morahan and Tom Clancywere the three Trustees.
Down through the years Ray has witnessesd many ups and downs at the Showgrounds and has served in s number of roles, including vice chairman and joint treasurer.
As chairman of the clubs development committee he has worked with others such as Kevin Colreavey, Noel Scott, padraic Casey annd David Gaule, to see the new Tracey Ave stand and all weather projects come to fruition.
He hopes that phase three of the Showgrounds development, including a centre of excellence can also become a reality in the not too distant future.
On the pitch Ray ray believes that Rovers must continue to work with the Sligo Leitrim Youth League and all those involved in youth soccer to get players through to the senior set up.
I think we cant sustain an entire full time squad. If we had six good full time professionals and then have young players coming through and fighting for their place it would be of enormous benefit
In recent years Sligo Leitrim schoolboys girls and Rovers began the process of introducing an agreed policy of between the under age and senior bodies in relation to coaching, playing ad min, devolvement and recruitment to the Showgrounds.
“We are a community owned co-op and we have to have young players from the community and surrounding areas coming through.
“The people in the Sligo Letrim are doing fantastis work, as are the likes of leo Tierney and Niall Harrison. We have one hundred Regional Development officers around the country and they are working hard with the young players. This is the way forward. We need players coming up from the youths, into the under 18’s , the under 20’s and ‘A’ teams and then into the senior squad"
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