February 2021

Club News > Club Notes

WICKLOW ROVERS AFC CLUB NOTES WEEK ENDING 28^th FEBRUARY 2021

With the lockdown and restrictions now being extended to the 5^th of April there is still no movement on a return back to the playing fields. It is very disappointing but the health and safety of our members, their families and our friends in sport are to the fore front of our minds. The governing bodies have now set April 5^th as the nest review date so fingers crossed Covid numbers will decrease further giving them the scope to relax the restrictions on sport. It would be great to get teams back playing so we can only hope that sometime soon we will all be back out mingling together playing and watching matches. But all said the safety of all our members and friends in sport is the most important thing in these extreme times we find ourselves in. We hope all our members, their families and all our friends in sport are staying safe in these difficult times. Here’s hoping to seeing you all very soon.

Wicklow Rovers will be launching a new monthly fundraising prize draw on Monday 1st March. The draw will have a guaranteed monthly winner, who will also have the chance to win a Jackpot prize by predicting the Bonus Ball Number in the main Irish Lottery draw that will take place the day after the winner is announced. It’s a 50/50 draw, where 50% of the revenue from ticket purchases will go to the winner and the other 50% will go back into the club to support the upkeep, maintenance and enhance the facilities for everyone. The cost of a ticket is only €5 and you can buy as many tickets as you like. You can also subscribe to a monthly payment option, so that you won’t forgot to enter into the draw each month!!. The Jackpot prize will start at €1,000 and will go up by a minimum of €100 per month if not won. The more people that play each month, the more money you can win and the bigger the jackpot increase. In these very challenging times for everyone, the club is doing it’s best to manage it’s finances, however with no revenue coming in from membership fees etc so far this year and fixed costs and maintenance costs still having to be paid, we would really appreciate your support in buying tickets and encouraging family and friends from all over the world to support us!! Tickets will be available to purchase online via our new club shop website www.wicklowroversclubshop.com from Monday the 1^st of March. The first draw will take place on Tuesday 6th April and all draws will be live via the Wicklow Rovers Facebook page. Any questions, please contact us at wrafcshop@gmail.com Many thanks from the Wicklow Rovers fundraising committee.

Also if anyone is looking to purchase club gear it can be done online by visiting www.wicklowroversclubshop.com So if it’s socks and shorts, a polo shirt, rain jacket, coaches jacket, etc or something small like a beanie hat, water bottle, face masks, etc just visit the club shop or contact Colin Hindle at wrafcshop@gmail.com or by text at 087-1278510. Also, if you want to give someone a present but don’t know what to buy you can purchase a club voucher, all club items will come with the club crest.

Everyone at Wicklow Rovers AFC would like to extend their sincere sympathies to the families and friends of Josie Vickers [nee Dalton] of Quarantine Hill and formerly of Newtown and Paddy Nolan of Roscath, Glenealy, who both sadly passed away recently. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad time, may they rest in peace.

WICKLOW ROVERS AFC CLUB NOTES WEEK ENDING 14^th FEBRUARY 2021

Well, there is no light at the end of this long tunnel regards returning to football, as it stands we remain closed till the 5^th of March but with the noises coming from the governing authorities implying that restrictions will be extended past this date there is no sign of a resumption. It would be great to get teams back playing so we can only keep our fingers crossed and hope that sometime soon we will all be back out mingling together playing and watching matches. But all said the safety of all our members and friends in sport is the most important thing in these extreme times we find ourselves in. We hope all our members, their families and all our friends in sport are staying safe in these difficult times. Here’s hoping to seeing you all very soon.

Recently we had a few friends of the club who sadly passed away. Everyone at Wicklow Rovers AFC would like to extend their sincere sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Helen Nolan (nee Smullen) (Newtownmountkennedy) who sadly passed away recently. Helen’s husband Hughie is a good friend of our club and is the backbone of the Newtown Juniors club and an ambassador for football in the county. Helen’s son Darren played for our club at junior and senior levels for a while. Helen would always be seen on the side lines at Whitegates if Newtown were involved in a game and she would have great banter with our club members, a brilliant character who was always up for the football banter and a laugh. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Hughie, daughters Kerri and Lauren, sons Darren and Stephen, son-in-law Paddy, daughters-in-law Aoife, Gemma, grandchildren Kacey, Charlie, Lucy and Jack, her brothers Kevin, Philip and Michael, her sisters-in-law Catriona, Linda, Lorraine, Donna, Angela, Helen, Jan and Lynn, brothers-in-law Jimmy, David, Tommy and Matt, her good friends Tilly and Bernie, her extended family, neighbours and friends. May she rest in peace.

Also, we would like to extend our sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Francis [Frank] Frazer [Shankill, Co Dublin] who sadly passed away recently. Frank’s son John was a prominent member of our club over the years holding down positions in the club as a manager/coach, schoolboys/girls fixtures secretary and most recently was the chairman of the club. Frank’s grandsons Jack and Dylan played all their junior football with the club from under 8’s all the way up to youths while Dylan also helps out with our Saturday morning academy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Bridgie, his children Chris, John and David, daughter-in-law Jane, son-in-law Declan, grandchildren Glenn, Emma Jane, Katie, Jack, Dylan and Ava, great granddaughters Carley and Sophie, brothers-in-law Fran, Patsy and Michael, sisters-in-law Ina, Helen and Ann, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends. May he rest in peace.

The club lost another good friend of the club recently when Jimmy Hackett of New Road, Kilcoole passed away. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends at this sad time. Jimmy was well known to everyone in the football circles around Wicklow and through out the whole country. Jimmy was influential in promoting football for kids in his positions with the WDSL and SFAI. A true gentleman who gave his all to football especially at junior level. Jimmy will be sadly missed by his family, friends and his football family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Irene, daughters Laura and Susan, sons James and Stephen, their partners Fergus, Vinny and Leah, his mother Eileen, sisters Rosemarie, Janet, Marcella and Charmaine, brothers Declan and Gavin, his grandchildren Emily, Lucas, Kyla and Ryan, his extended family and friends. May he rest in peace.