Cork City F.C.
| Cork City FC crest | |||
| Full name | Cork City Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "City", "Rebel Army" | ||
| Founded | 1984 | ||
| Ground | Turners Cross, Cork, County Cork | ||
| Capacity | 7,500, all seated | ||
| Chairman |  Tom Coughlan | ||
| Manager | Paul Doolin | ||
| League | LOI Premier Division | ||
| 2008 | 5th | ||
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Cork City F.C. (Irish: Cumann Peile Cathrach Chorcaí) is an Irish football club playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, its traditional colours are green and white with red trim. It was one of the first clubs in Ireland (and the first in Cork) to field a team of professional footballers.
With the progression of professionalism at the club, continued development of the Turner's Cross stadium and the transition to summer football, the club became one of the biggest and best supported clubs in the country.[1]
In 2008 and 2009 however financial problems beset the club, which was placed under examinership for a time.[2] While the examinership ended in October 2008, unpaid tax receipts led to the issuing of a "winding up" order by the High Court in July 2009.[3] After several extensions,[4] the club cleared the outstanding Revenue debts - narrowly staving off closure.[5]
History
Pre-1980s
The current Cork City is not the first club to use the name. During the 1920s, together with Fordsons, Cork Bohemians, Cobh Ramblers and Cork Celtic, a Cork City fielded teams in both the Munster Junior League and the Munster Senior League. [6] Another Cork City played in the League of Ireland for just one season, 1938-39. [7] With a team that included Owen Madden, Tom Davis and Jackie O'Driscoll, they also won the Munster Senior Cup in 1939. This club evolved from the earlier Cork clubs, Fordsons and Cork, and played its home games at the Mardyke. For the 1939-40 season they changed their name to Cork United and became the league's most successful club during the 1940s. They then became Cork Athletic before eventually folding in 1958. Their place in the league was taken by Cork Hibernians.
1980s
In 1984 senior football returned to Leeside when a new Cork City FC was founded by officials from several Cork clubs (including Cork United and Avondale United), and the new club was elected to the League of Ireland. Former Chelsea and Cork Celtic hero Bobby Tambling was the first manager appointed to the club, but he was replaced by Tony 'Tucker' Allen after only 13 games.
In its first and second seasons, the young club barely averted relegation to the new First Division - failing to win a single game at home in Flower Lodge and avoiding relegation only on goal difference. The FAI Cup offered some respite, however Shamrock Rovers knocked City out in the semi-finals - in the last match played at the Lodge.
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In 1986 the club moved to a new home at Turners Cross, where new manager Noel O’Mahony brought Cork to a midtable finish. The following year the club strived to inject a degree of professionalism, and former Ireland striker Eamon O'Keefe arrived as manager, delivering the Munster Senior Cup, and the League of Ireland Cup (the club’s first national silverware).
Poor form and attendances cast doubts over O’Keefe’s tenure and there was an acrimonious parting of the ways in 1988. With Noel O’Mahony re-installed the side finished eighth in the league, and a loss to champions Derry City in the FAI Cup final earned the club its first European ticket.
They experienced gained in a 0-6 on aggregate defeat against the Russian side Torpedo Moscow inspired a fifth-place finish in the Premier Division, and the Munster Senior Cup was reclaimed.
1990s
The early 1990s was a positive period for the club, with lengthy unbeaten league runs, high league positions, retention of the Munster Senior Cup through 4 years, and good performances in Europe. The most notable European game was a gallant performance in a UEFA Cup tie with Bayern Munich, which saw City hold the German giants 1:1 at Musgrave Park before falling 0:2 to late goals in Bavaria. 1993 saw Cork City land the League of Ireland Premier Division title for the first time, after a complicated three team play-off. O'Mahoney resigned and the club moved to a new stadium in Bishopstown at the end of the season.
Damien Richardson took the helm and the 1993/94 season began with City coming from three goals down to beat Welsh side Cwmbran Town in the UEFA Champions League. Their reward was a trip to Istanbul and odd-goal defeats both home and away to Galatasaray. City ended up finishing in runners up position in the league.
1994/95 was a tumultuous season for Cork City. After a bright start to the season, financial pressures forced Richardson to resign and with Bishopstown not being developed to plan, games were switched to Cobh, Turners Cross, and even an enforced trip to Tolka Park. O'Mahony was re-appointed as manager but the title challenge collapsed and neither Munster Senior Cup nor League of Ireland Cup successes could ease the sense of foreboding.
At the start of the 1995/96 season Rob Hindmarch took the reins, but the club was in trouble. With the stadium dragging it under, the receiver was called in and the club left homeless. Efforts to save the situation saw a new Board installed and a move back to Turners Cross. Penniless, Hindmarch had skimmed along but relegation still threatened, and a Cup exit saw Dave Barry appointed. The team scrambled to ninth in the league, and for the first time in five years City lost the Munster Cup - to junior side Waterford Glass.
1996/97 saw City finish fourth place. The club narrowly lost out on League Cup glory with an unexpected loss to First Division Galway United. Crowds began to increase, and the Munster Senior Cup was recaptured. The following season Cork performed admirably in the InterToto Cup and the team improved to third in the league. Dave Barry's reign reached its high point in that year, when City won the 1998 FAI Cup, beating Shelbourne 1-0 in a replayed final at Dalymount Park. Cork began the following season with eight straight wins but in the end had to settle for second place, as three defeats to champions St Patrick’s Athletic cost them dearly. After finishing runner up for the second season in a row in 1999/2000, Barry resigned to be replaced by Colin Murphy.
2000 - present
Colin Murphy stayed for one FAI Super Cup game before departing to Leicester City just days before a crucial UEFA Cup game. His replacement, Derek Mountfield, lasted less than a season and was replaced by former player Liam Murphy. Under Murphy City embarked on a 13-game unbeaten run that brought an Intertoto ticket and a tenth Munster Cup success.
In 2001 a controversial link-up was proposed between City, English side Leicester City and local outfit Mayfield United. Fans protested however, and the link-up never materialised. Also in 2001, the board of directors stepped down and businessman Brian Lennox assumed control and lead the club to a new professional era.
2002 was most notable as a time of transition, as several older players, who had been a mainstay of the team in the 1990s, left the club or joined the coach staff. They were replaced by younger signings - such as George O'Callaghan, John O'Flynn and Dan Murray.
In February 2003 ex-St. Pat's manager Pat Dolan was unveiled as the new boss and he led City to third place in the new summer season. Dolan's second season as manager also proved successful, as City surpassed Malmö FF and NEC Nijmegen in the Intertoto Cup and second place in the league was secured.
Dolan was controversially sacked in pre-season 2005 and replaced by former manager Damien Richardson. In 2005, Richardson lead Cork City to their second league championship - winning on the final day of the season with a 2-0 victory over Derry City. In the same year, Cork City finished runners-up the FAI Cup.
2006 saw further upgrade work begin at Turners Cross and City met Apollon Limassol and Red Star Belgrade in the UEFA Champions League. The club lost to Drogheda United in the Setanta Cup Final, finished 4th in the league, and secured a place in the Intertoto and Setanta Cup.
The 2007 season started with some controversy, as two new signings were deemed ineligible for play. This mirrored an inconsistent season start, with elimination from the Setanta Cup, a home win against St. Pat's and a record-equaling 4-1 defeat to Sligo Rovers. In August 2007, striker Roy O'Donovan joined Sunderland for an eircom League record fee of €500,000. 2007 also saw the club's ownership change hands: from Chairman Brian Lennox to venture capital firm "Arkaga". Despite an FAI Cup win however, manager Damien Richardson's future at the club was in doubt, and - after some controversy involving threatened high-court proceedings and a financial settlement - he and the club parted ways.[8]
In January 2008, former Longford Town boss Alan Mathews became manager,[9] and the club signed several players - including taking advantage of FIFA's changes to the "3 club" rule by re-signing George O'Callaghan from Ipswich Town. However, after apparent dressing-room conflicts, O'Callaghan was later dropped and released. City were knocked out of the first qualifying round in European competition by FC Haka of Finland. While David Mooney retained the league's top scorer spot, City failed to take points from Bohemians or St. Pats and finished fifth in the league. The club did however gain some silverware, beating Glentoran in the final of the Setanta Sports Cup.[10]
Off the pitch the club suffered a considerable threat when, in August 2008, after investment difficulties with venture capital firm Arkaga,[11] the club entered into examinership.[12] With debts of up to €800,000, cost cutting measures were implemented. These included reductions in wages and lay-offs of a number of staff members (including assistant manager David Hill).[13] Under related rules, the club was deducted 10 points in the league.[14] In October 2008 the High Court ruled in favour of Tom Coughlan's bid to take over the club, and ended the examinership.
Late in 2008, the club announced Mathews' departure,[15] and Paul Doolin replaced him as manager in January 2009.[16] Under Doolin, the side gained a number of positive results early in 2009, and defeated Roy Keane's touring Ipswich Town 2-0.[17]
Despite these on pitch results however, the club's future was left in considerable doubt following a High Court decision on outstanding Revenue receipts.[18] The High Court issued a "winding up" order on 27 July 2009 when no agreement could be reached on payment.[19] The club were initially given until the end of July to pay the amount outstanding or to appeal.[20] In an anxious period for fans, staff and the wider league, several attempts to secure the funds and agree a payment schedule with the Revenue were undertaken.[21] However the "instalment plan" approach proposed by the club was rejected - in favour of full payment. Eventually, after capturing donations from supporters, funds from sale and transfer of several key players, the promise of gate receipts from a friendly with Celtic, and advance payments from sponsors, the club were given an extension to pay the outstanding balance.[4] This final deadline was met on 5 August 2009, and on the following day the High Court lifted the winding-up order.[5]
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours and records
Honours
| Title | Year/s |
|---|---|
| League of Ireland | 1992-93, 2005 |
| FAI Cup | 1998, 2007 |
| League of Ireland Cup | 1987-88, 1994-95, 1998-99 |
| Munster Senior Cup | 1987-88, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2008 |
| Setanta Sports Cup | 2008 |
Records
| General | |
|---|---|
| Record league victory | (a) v Limerick 7-1, 26 September 1993 |
| Record league defeat | (a) v Derry City 2-7, 27 August 1987 |
| Longest unbeaten run | 24, 1 April 1990 - 13 January 1991 |
| Most Successive wins | 9, 27 March 2009 - 5 June 2009 |
| Appearances | |
| Most appearances | John Caulfield - 455 |
| Most starts | John Caulfield - 376 |
| Most consecutive starts | Michael Devine - 118 |
| Most substitute appearances | John Caulfield - 79 |
| League Goals | |
| Aggregate | John Caulfield - 129, Pat Morley - 129 |
| Season | Pat Morley - 20 (Twice) |
| Game | No Cork City player has scored more than 3 goals in a game. John O'Flynn (3 times), Ollie Cahill (2 times), John Caulfield (2 times), Kelvin Flanagan, Pat Morley, Roy O'Donovan (2 times) Denis Behan and Colin O'Brien have all scored a hat trick |
| Clean Sheets | Phil Harrington - 112 |
Hall of Fame
The "Cork City Official Supporters Club Hall of Fame" was inaugurated in 2006 - following a charity match between the Supporters Club and a "Legends" selection of past Cork City players.
| Year | Inductee |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Dave Barry |
| 2006 | Patsy Freyne |
| 2007 | Declan Daly |
| 2007 | Phil Harrington |
| 2008 | John Caulfield |
| 2008 | Pat Morley |
League placings
| Season | Points Total | Position | Season | Points Total | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984/85 | 28 | 9th | 1996/97 | 54 | 4th |
| 1985/86 | 13 | 10th | 1997/98 | 53 | 3rd |
| 1986/87 | 18 | 7th | 1998/99 | 70 | 2nd |
| 1987/88 | 34 | 7th | 1999/2000 | 58 | 2nd |
| 1988/89 | 26 | 8th | 2000/01 | 56 | 3rd |
| 1989/90 | 37 | 5th | 2001/02 | 49 | 6th |
| 1990/91 | 50 | 2nd | 2002/03 | 39 | 4th |
| 1991/92 | 43 | 3rd | 2003[1] | 53 | 3rd |
| 1992/93 | 48 | 1st | 2004 | 65 | 2nd |
| 1993/94 | 59 | 2nd | 2005 | 74[2] | 1st |
| 1994/95 | 49 | 7th | 2006 | 56 | 4th |
| 1995/96 | 41 | 9th | 2007 | 55 | 4th |
European competition
Correct as of 9 July 2007
| Competition | Played | Win | Draw | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League/European Cup | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| UEFA Cup | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 20 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 13 |
| Total | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 26 | 54 |
| Year | Competition | Opponents |
|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | Cup Winners' Cup |  Torpedo Moscow
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| 1991-92 | UEFA Cup |  Bayern Munich
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| 1993-94 | European Cup |  Cwmbran Town
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| European Cup |  Galatasaray
| |
| 1994-95 | UEFA Cup |  Slavia Prague
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| 1997-98 | Intertoto Cup |  Standard Liège
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| Intertoto Cup |  Maccabi Petah Tikva
| |
| Intertoto Cup | FC Cologne
| |
| Intertoto Cup |  FC Aarau
| |
| 1998-99 | Cup Winners' Cup |  CSKA Kyiv
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| 1999-2000 | UEFA Cup |  IFK Gothenburg
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| 2000-01 | UEFA Cup | Lausanne Sports
|
| 2001-02 | Intertoto Cup |  FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
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| 2004-05 | Intertoto Cup | Malmö FF
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| Intertoto Cup |  NEC Nijmegen
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| Intertoto Cup |  FC Nantes Atlantique
| |
| 2005-06 | UEFA Cup |  Ekranas Panevezys
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| UEFA Cup | Djurgårdens IF
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| UEFA Cup | Slavia Praha
| |
| 2006-07 | Champions League |  Apollon Limassol
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| Champions League |  Crvena Zvezda
| |
| 2007-08 | Intertoto Cup |  Valur
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| Intertoto Cup | Hammarby
| |
| 2008-09 | UEFA Cup |  FC Haka
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Cork City managers
| Year/s | Manager |
|---|---|
| 1984 |  Bobby Tambling
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| 1984-85 |  Tony 'Tucker' Allen
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| 1986 | Noel O'Mahoney
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| 1987 | Eamon O'Keefe
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| 1988-1992 | Noel O'Mahoney
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| 1992-93 | Damien Richardson
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| 1993-94 | Noel O'Mahoney
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| 1994-95 | Rob Hindmarch
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| 1995-2000 | Dave Barry
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| 2000 | Colin Murphy
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| 2000 | Derek Mountfield
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| 2000-2003 | Liam Murphy
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| 2003-2004 | Pat Dolan
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| 2005-2007 | Damien Richardson
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| 2008 | Alan Mathews
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| 2009- | Paul Doolin
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Kit and colours
        Original kit 1984-1989
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 Recurring black Away kit
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 Red Home kit 1997-2002
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 v. Nijmegen 2004
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| See: CorkCityFc.tk | |
The club's colours reflect the traditional colours of association football in Cork, green and white featuring heavily. Since the club's inception in 1984, the kits have also featured a red trim - influenced in part by the traditional Gaelic Athletic Association colours of County Cork. Over the years, these base colours have been worn in different combinations:[22] originally green and white hoops in 1984, then white shirts with green and red trim in 1989, etc.[23]
In 1997, the club broke with tradition to use a red and white kit - reminiscent of the popular Cork County GAA kits. Subsequently, the club reverted to the green and white theme in 2002, initially with white sidings rather than stripes, but eventually returning to green white and red stripes.[22]
Since 1984, the team has only worn a kit with a single solid colour once, and at that not by choice. In 2004, when visiting Intertoto cup opponents NEC Nijmegen, the referee deemed both Cities' kits to clash with both of NEC's, and the club was forced to hurriedly source a viable alternative while en route to the Netherlands. The team wore all-white with a makeshift crest and sponsorship.
There has been a recurring theme of black away kits - often with yellow trim - reflecting the kits of former Cork clubs.[22] In 2004 a Cork XI selection featuring many City players faced Bolton Wanderers, wearing yellow and black. Black again became the colour of the teams away jersey in 2008 with a jersey from Danish sports outfit Hummel.
Supporters
The Rebel Army have one of the biggest support bases in the League of Ireland, often having attendances of four of five thousand compared to a league average of 2,000.[citation needed]
At the last home match of 2006, long-running fanzine FourFiveOne announced that it was discontinuing, leaving "I was out there once!" (IWOTO)[24] and "Spreadin' the Dirt" as the remaining fanzine offerings. In the 2007 season a new fanzine, Going Commando was launched.
See also
References
- ^ Sunday Business Post - "Eircom League rocked by Cork City’s financial difficulties" - 17 August 2008 ("Cork City is one of the biggest and best supported teams in the league")
- ^ RTÉ Sport - "Cork City come out of examinership" - Thursday, 16 October 2008
- ^ Extratime.ie - News - Cork City FC 1984-2009
- ^ a b RTÉ - Cork City given Revenue lifeline - Friday, 31 July 2009
- ^ a b BreakingNews.ie - High Court strikes out order to have Cork City wound up - August 6, 2009
- ^ Mallow United history (1927-1928)
- ^ bionicbohs.com
- ^ RTÉ - Richardson and Cork agree exit deal - 20 December 2007
- ^ RTÉ Sport - Mathews confirmed as new Cork manager - 15 January 2008
- ^ RTÉ Sport - Cork City 2-1 Glentoran - 1 November 2008
- ^ Irish Examiner - "Arkaga defends its role at Cork City" - 18 August 2008
- ^ Examinership is a process whereby the protection of the courts is obtained to assist the survival of an Irish limited company. See Administration (insolvency)
- ^ Irish Independent - Cost-cutting plan leaves Cork City staring into abyss - 28 August 2008
- ^ FAI docks ten points from Cork but promises to help solve crisis - 29 August 2008
- ^ Cork City FC club statement - CorkCityFC.ie, 9 December 2008.
- ^ Irish Times - Doolin confirmed as Cork's new manager
- ^ Irish Independent - Keane backs Rebel cause - 20 July 2009
- ^ RTÉ - City could go bust in two weeks - 13 July 2009
- ^ "End game for Cork". Irish Independent. 2009-07-28. Retrieved 2009-07-28.
- ^ "Cork City set to be wound up". RTE Sport. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ Irish Times - Cork face going to the wall - Friday, July 31
- ^ a b c CorkCityFC.tk
- ^ CorkCityFC.ie - Kits image
- ^ IWOTO
