Flanagan confirmed as new Sligo boss

Pat Flanagan was confirmed as the new manager of the Sligo football team on Monday night.

The former Westmeath manager succeeds Kevin Walsh in the Yeats County, after the former Galway midfielder's tenure with Sligo came to an end following a disappointing season in 2013.

Flanagan has reportedly been given a one-year term which will be reviewed at the end of the season. He is yet to finalise his backroom team.

The appointment brings to an end a lengthy period in which Sligo were without a manager over the past few months. Walsh resigned from his Sligo role following their Round 1 All-Ireland football qualifier defeat to Derry back in June.

That 0-15 to 0-8 loss came on the back of a shock defeat to London in the Connacht Championship, and compounded a very disappointing season for Sligo, which saw them struggle in Division III of the Allianz Football League before they secured their status by a narrow margin.

Flanagan's appointment sees him return quickly to intercounty management after Westmeath opted to bring an end to his four-year spell with the county at the end of the season.

Although he left Westmeath in Division I of the league following a stirring promotion campaign in Division II this season, the Lake County endured a miserable summer.

A resounding defeat to Dublin in the Leinster Championship was followed by a defeat to Fermanagh in the Qualifiers, and Flanagan's reign was brought to an end.