Cork City F.C.

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Cork City

Full name

Cork City Football Club

Nickname(s)

"City", "Rebel Army"

Founded

1984

Ground

Turners Cross, Cork,
County Cork
(Capacity 9,000)

Chairman

Brian Lennox

Manager

Alan Mathews

League

Eircom Premier League

2007

4th





Home colours





Away colours

Cork City F.C. (Irish: Cumann Peile Chathair Chorcaigh) is an Irish football (soccer) club playing in the Football League of Ireland. 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 to field a team of professional footballers and certainly the first in Cork. With the progression of professionalism at the club, continued development of the Turner's Cross stadium and the transition to summer football, the club has seen increases in fan-base and following in recent years.

1 History
2 Current squad
- 2.1 Players in (2008)
3 Honours and records
4 Cork City managers
5 Kit and Colours
6 Supporters groups and fanzines
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

[edit] 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 . ^[1] Another Cork City played in the League of Ireland for just one season, 1938-39. ^[2] 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 F.C. and Cork F.C., 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.

[edit] 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.

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 Cup, and the League 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.

[edit] 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 UEFA Cup joust 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 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 nor League Cup successes could ease the sense of foreboding.

Cork City returned to Turner's Cross in 1995

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 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.

[edit] 2000 - present

Murphy stayed for one FAI Super Cup game before departing to Leicester City just days before a crucial UEFA Cup game, though it was not to be the last of Murphy and Leicester's involvement with City. His replacement, Derek Mountfield, lasted less than a season and was sacked after a poor run of results and losing the confidence of the players. Former player Liam Murphy took over and the team embarked on a 13-game unbeaten run that brought an Intertoto ticket and a tenth Munster Cup success.

In 2001, Colin Murphy returned to the headlines in Cork when a controversial link-up between City, English Premier League side Leicester City and local outfit Mayfield United was proposed. Fans protested the idea and it never materialised. After a poor season, the board of directors stepped down and local businessman Brian Lennox assumed full control of the club. Lennox was to lead the club to a new professional era.

2002 was most notable as a time of transition as older players, the mainstay of the team in the 1990s, left the club or joined the coach staff, replaced by younger players such as new signings George O'Callaghan, John O'Flynn and Dan Murray. As midfielder, striker and defender respectively, these players were to represent the new backbone of the team for several successful years.

In February 2003 ex-St. Patrick's Athletic manager Pat Dolan was unveiled as the new boss and he led them to third place in the new summer season. Dolan's second season as City manager proved successful, both on a European and domestic level. 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. He would lead Cork City to their second league championship. winning the league on the final day of the season with a 2-0 victory over second place Derry City. Cork City finished runners-up in the FAI Cup, losing to Drogheda United in the final at Lansdowne Road.

UEFA Champions League qualifier- Cork City v Crvena Zvezda

The 2006 season saw further work begin on the upgrading of Turners Cross, and performances in the UEFA Champions League against Apollon Limassol, and Red Star Belgrade, who would put them out of the competition. The club lost to Drogheda United in the Setanta Cup Final, finished 4th in the league, and (owing to Derry City's F.A.I. Cup final win) secured a place in the Intertoto and Setanta Cup.

The 2007 season started with some controversy, as new signings Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly were deemed ineligible for play by F.I.F.A. in a controversial dispute. This contributed to an inconsistent season start, with elimination from the Setanta Cup by Linfield, a home win against St. Pat's and a record-equaling 4-1 defeat to Sligo Rovers. In August 2007, star striker Roy O'Donovan joined FA Premiership side Sunderland for an eircom League record fee of €500,000. 2007 also saw the club's ownership change hands, not uncontroversially, from Chairman Brian Lennox to venture capital firm Arkaga, appointing Arkaga's Aidan Tynan (formerly of Bord na gCon) as General Manager. A mixed season was topped however by an FAI Cup win over Longford Town at the RDS.

However manager Damien Richardson's future as manager of the club was already in doubt and on December 14th, Richardson and City officially parted company after Richardson had agreed on receipt of a financial package to drop high court proceedings against the club for sacking him. In January 2008, he was replaced by former Longford Town boss Alan Matthews.

Mathews put the improved financial resources of the club to good use with the early signings of 2007's top goal scorer Dave Mooney, as well as Dave Mulcahy and Patrick Sullivan. The club also took advantage of FIFA's reverse of the "3 club" rule they had previously fought against in court by re-signing playmaker George O'Callaghan from Ipswich Town before England's transfer window closed.

[edit] Current squad

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Michael Devine
2	DF	Neal Horgan
3	DF	Darragh Ryan
4	MF	Gareth Farrelly
5	MF	Dave Mulcahy
6	DF	Dan Murray
7	MF	Colin O'Brien
8	MF	Joe Gamble
9	FW	John O'Flynn
10	MF	George O'Callaghan
11	MF	Billy Woods
14	DF	Cillian Lordan
15	MF	Colin Healy
16	GK	Mark McNulty

No.	Position	Player
17	FW	Colm Carroll
18	MF	Admir Softić
19	DF	Darren Murphy
20	FW	Timothy Kiely
21	FW	Denis Behan
22	FW	Craig Duggan
23	DF	Patrick Sullivan
24	DF	Sean Kelly
25	MF	David Meyler
26	FW	John Tierney
27	MF	Alan O'Connor
30	MF	Liam Kearney
33	DF	Danny Murphy
39	FW	Dave Mooney

[edit] Players in (2008)

No.	Position	Player
10	MF	George O'Callaghan
39	FW	Dave Mooney
5	MF	Dave Mulcahy
23	DF	Patrick Sullivan

No.	Position	Player
33	DF	Danny Murphy
27	MF	Alan O'Connor
26	FW	John Tierney

[edit] Honours and records

[edit] Honours

One of Cork City's previous crests

Title	Year/s
League of Ireland	1992-93, 2005
FAI Cup	1998, 2007
FAI League 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, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05

[edit] Records

General
Record league victory	(a) v Limerick 7-1, September 26, 1993
Record league defeat	(a) v Derry City 2-7, August 27, 1987
Longest unbeaten run	24, April 1, 1990 - January 13, 1991
Most Successive wins	8, August 30, 1998 - October 18, 1998
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

[edit] CCOSC Hall of Fame

The Cork City Official Supporters Club Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 2006 to celebrate the rich heritage of football provided by famous past Cork City F.C. players, following a charity match between the OSC and a "Legends" selection of past Cork City players. In the initial year two players were inducted to the Hall of Fame, but in normal circumstances one player per year will be inducted.

Year	Inductee
2006	Dave Barry
2006	Patsy Freyne
2007	Declan Daly
2007	Phil Harrington

[edit] 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	1999/00	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
^ Change to "Summer" season. ^ Premier division points record.

[edit] 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
1991-92	UEFA Cup	Bayern Munich
1993-94	European Cup	Cwmbran Town
1993-94	European Cup	Galatasaray
1994-95	UEFA Cup	Slavia Prague
1997-98	Intertoto Cup	Standard Liège
1997-98	Intertoto Cup	Maccabi Petah Tikva
1997-98	Intertoto Cup	FC Cologne
1997-98	Intertoto Cup	FC Aarau
1998-99	Cup Winners' Cup	CSKA Kyiv
1999-00	UEFA Cup	IFK Gothenburg
2000-01	UEFA Cup	Lausanne-Sports
2001-02	Intertoto Cup	FHK Liepājas Metalurgs
2004-05	Intertoto Cup	Malmö FF
2004-05	Intertoto Cup	NEC Nijmegen
2004-05	Intertoto Cup	FC Nantes Atlantique
2005-06	UEFA Cup	Ekranas Panevezys
2005-06	UEFA Cup	Djurgårdens IF
2005-06	UEFA Cup	Slavia Praha
2006-07	Champions League	Apollon Limassol
2006-07	Champions League	Crvena Zvezda
2007-08	Intertoto Cup	Valur
2007-08	Intertoto Cup	Hammarby

[edit] Cork City managers

Year/s	Manager
1984	Bobby Tambling
1984-85	Tony 'Tucker' Allen
1986	Noel O'Mahoney
1987	Eamon O'Keefe
1988-1992	Noel O'Mahoney
1992-93	Damien Richardson
1993-94	Noel O'Mahoney
1994-95	Rob Hindmarch
1995-2000	Dave Barry
2000	Colin Murphy
2000	Derek Mountfield
2000-2003	Liam Murphy
2003-2004	Pat Dolan
2005-2007	Damien Richardson
2008-Present	Alan Mathews

[edit] Kit and Colours





Original kit 1984-1989





Recurring black Away kit





Red Home kit 1997-2002





v. Nijmegen 2004

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, red and white. Over the years, the colours have been worn in many different combinations, originally green and white hoops, changed in 1989 to white shirts with green and red trim with green shorts. Other designs worn have been green, white and red stripes with green shorts, all green with red and white trim, and green shirts with red and white trim, and white shorts, as worn in the 2005 title-winning season.^[3]

In 1997, the club broke with tradition to use a red and white kit reminiscent of the popular Cork County G.A.A. hurling and Gaelic football kits. These G.A.A. teams were both popular and successful at this time and some saw this as a marketing move to closer associate soccer with other sports in County Cork. 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.

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. The match was also notable for the "second debut" of former City youth player Joe Gamble on his return from the English league, and as one of the League of Ireland's most credible results in European football to date; a hard fought draw away from home allowed City to progress to the third round after the home leg. This was the first time any Irish club had progressed to the third round of a UEFA competition.

There has been a recurring theme of black away kits, often with yellow trim, in reflection of former Cork football clubs. 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 for the 2008 with a jersey from Danish sports outfit Hummel. A large collection Cork City Jerseys from current jerseys to kits from the 80s and 90s can be viewed at CorkCityFC.tk

[edit] Supporters groups and fanzines

At the last home match of 2006, long-running fanzine FourFiveOne announced that it was discontinuing, leaving "I was out there once!" IWOTO and "Spreadin' the Dirt" as the remaining fanzine offerings. In the 2007 season a new fanzine, Going Commando was launched.

Commandos84 are the club's supporters' group. Founded in 2005 the group has organized many displays in the Shed End of Turners Cross. The group's logo shows a dragon wrapped around the initials "C84". Commandos 84 also provides Cork City with travelling support around Ireland and Europe.

City also have a support network outside of the Cork area, and City Exiles were formed in 2003 to organise transport to away games, meet for televised games, source merchandise and tickets for non-Cork based fans, and also to sponsor players and contribute to distributing fanzines. Mainly based in Leinster, there are also groups in New York and London.