Cork City F.C.
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Cork City F.C. is an Irish football (soccer) club playing in the Football League of Ireland. The club, founded and elected to the league in 1984, hails from Cork, Ireland and play their home matches at Turners Cross. The club colours are Green and White with Red trim, and the club goes by the nicknames of 'City' and 'Rebel Army'. The club was founded not long after the demise of the Cork Hibernians football club. The club chairman is Brian Lennox, the current manager of the club is Damien Richardson.
Football In Cork City
League of Ireland football in Cork City has been full of turmoil with all clubs predating Cork City F.C. losing their league status for various reasons. The following clubs have all represented Cork city at Senior level:
| Club | From/To | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Fordsons F.C.,Cork F.C.,Cork City F.C.,Cork United F.C.,Cork Athletic F.C. | 1924-1957 | 33 |
| Cork Bohemians F.C. | 1932-1934 | 2 |
| Evergreen United F.C.,Cork Celtic F.C. | 1951-1979 | 28 |
| Cork Hibernians F.C. | 1957-1976 | 19 |
| Albert Rovers F.C.,Cork Alberts F.C.,Cork United F.C. | 1976-1982 | 6 |
History
1980s
1984 - 1985 After a two-year gap, senior football returned to Leeside when Cork City FC was elected to the League of Ireland in 1984. Former Chelsea and Cork Celtic hero Bobby Tambling was the first manager appoined to the club, but his reign was short at only 13 games. Tony 'Tucker' Allen filled the breach as the club opted to import a batch of English players, most notably ex-Liverpool midfielder Terry McDermott. The gamble averted the threat of relegation to the new First Division, though success in the League Cup was less forthcoming as The Rebels fell to Drogheda United in the second round.1985 - 1986 The second campaign almost brought disaster with City failing to win a single game in their then home, Flower Lodge and avoiding relegation only on goal difference from Shelbourne. The FAI Cup offered some respite though, with Bray Wanderers, Limerick City and Derry City being overcome as City advanced to the semi-finals. However, all-conquering Shamrock Rovers proved too powerful over two legs, winning 8:3 on aggregate. The return match at the Lodge was the last ever played at the famous old venue.
1986 - 1987 1986 brought the enforced move to Turners Cross. New manager Noel O’Mahony would eventually guide City into the relative comfort zone of mid-table, but the FAI Cup, League Cup and Munster Senior Cup offered little in the way of glory, or consolation.
1987 – 1988 Former Ireland striker Eamon O’Keefe arrived as manager as the club strived to inject an urgent degree of professionalism. Within a month O’Keefe delivered the Munster Cup, and in October skipper Liam Murphy lifted the League Cup, the club’s first national silverware, when Shamrock Rovers were defeated at Turners Cross. On the league front there was a further gradual improvement with City finishing in seventh place. Despite the advances made, however, the turnstiles were still clicking too slowly and there was pressure on the board to improve the image and appeal of the club.
1988 - 1989 This was an eventful season for City in many ways: the sacking of O’Keefe, another relegation battle, a first FAI Cup final appearance, and a European qualification at the end of it all. Poor early form and attendances cast doubts over O’Keefe’s tenure and there was an acrimonious parting of the ways before Christmas, with O’Mahony re-installed to guide the ship to safety. The side battled to finish eighth in the league, and produced brave but unsuccessful defences of the Munster and League Cups. Losing to treble champions Derry City in the FAI Cup decider earned the club its first European ticket.
1989 - 1990 Glenavon and Spurs were early visitors to Leeside before City faced Torpedo Moscow in the Cup Winners' Cup, a huge step for a young club. They lost 0:6 on aggregate against the Russians, but the experience fuelled the club’s desire and inspired a fifth-place finish in the Premier Division. The ambitious experiment of recruiting four Bulgarians in October did not pay off, but hinted at an actual desire for achievement. The FAI Cup and the League Cup proved fruitless avenues to success, but the Munster Senior Cup was reclaimed on New Year’s Day at the expense of Tramore Athletic.
1990s
1990 – 1991 For the first time City were genuine championship contenders, exploding from the traps with a 20-game unbeaten run that lasted until late January, the squad bolstered by the inclusion of five Scots during the season. The only other defeat came when Dundalk stole a 1:0 win and the title in front of 12,000 fans packed into Turners Cross. The consolation was another European berth, this time in the UEFA Cup. There were early exits in the FAI and League Cup, but the Munster Senior Cup was retained when Limerick City were overcome 3:0 on the last day of the season.1991 - 1992 A hectic pre-season included games in Shanghai against the Polish and Chinese Olympic teams, a famous 2:0 win over Celtic plus visits from Leeds, Manchester City and Sunderland A.F.C.. The icing on the cake was a gallant UEFA joust with Bayern Munich; City holding the German giants 1:1 at Musgrave Park before falling 0:2 to late goals in Bavaria. The club slipped to third in the league, missing out on Europe, and suffered a 0:1 reverse to Bohemians in the FAI Cup decider at Lansdowne Road. Once again, the Munster Senior Cup was the only trophy claimed in a memorable year.
1992 - 1993 Cork City landed the Premier Division title for the first time after a three-way tie with Shelbourne and Bohemians, and an extended play-off series to decide the Championship. A 3:2 win over Shelbourne at the RDS in the sixth play-off game finally earned the club its day of glory. It was a momentous season on other fronts also with City moving to a new stadium in Bishopstown as ambition continued to grow. There were early exits in the League and FAI Cups, however, though the Munster Cup was kept for another year following a 3:1 win over Fermoy.
1993 - 1994 Damien Richardson took the helm on Noel O’Mahony’s retirement. City came from three goals down to knock Welsh side Cwmbran Town out of the Champion's Cup. Their reward was a trip to Istanbul and odd-goal defeats both home and away to Galatasaray. Domestically there was little joy in the Cups, but the club made a brave effort at retaining its league crown, finishing second to Shamrock Rovers, playing attractively and scoring freely. Almost inevitably, the Munster Senior Cup provided the only silverware from an exciting campaign, though it took a penalty shoot-out to see off the challenge of Cobh Ramblers.
1994 - 1995 A UEFA Cup exit against Slavia Prague was quickly overcome and the championship success of ‘93 looked as if it might be repeated before the season rapidly turned sour, as Richardson resigned a week before Christmas with the team at the top of the table and into the League Cup final. Bishopstown was virtually unplayable, games were switched to Cobh, Turners Cross, and even one enforced trip to Tolka Park. O’Mahony was recalled but the title challenge collapsed and neither Munster or League Cup successes could ease the sadness of seeing a club on the verge of self-destruction.
1995 - 1996 Rob Hindmarch took the reins, but it was obvious he had inherited a mess. The club was in the mire, the stadium dragging it under. In mid-season the receiver was called in and the club was left homeless. Frantic efforts to save the situation saw a new Board installed and a move to Turners Cross. Penniless, Hindmarch had skimmed along with bargain basement imports but relegation still threatened, a three-point deduction adding to the problems. A Cup exit saw Dave Barry appointed and the team gleaned enough points to scramble to ninth. They lost the Munster Cup decider to junior side Waterford Glass.
1996 - 1997 A year of consolidation after the Bishopstown nightmare ended with a surprise Intertoto Cup qualification. After a disastrous start, a late run was rewarded when City finished fourth. Along the way the team claimed a League Cup final place, but unexpectedly lost on aggregate to First Division Galway United. Crowds began to increase, and the Munster Cup was recaptured, but most importantly a lot of vital repair work was undertaken and the club appeared a lot stronger than 12 months earlier.
1997 - 1998 Unbeaten in three out of four Intertoto games, it was apparent that things had been tightened up on the pitch. The spirit had returned, colours were changed to red-and-white and the fans were growing in numbers. The missing ingredient was success and by season’s end Barry would provide that. League improvement continued with a creditable third place finish. The Munster Cup was retained but it was the FAI Cup that put Cork City back on the map after several lean and desperate years. Derek Coughlan’s goal against Shelbourne ensured City got their hands on the famous trophy for the very first time.
1998 - 1999 A home win against CSKA Kyiv augured well, and so it proved. The best campaign for years saw an eight-game winning start to the league and a record 70 points accumulated from 33 matches. Incredibly, City had to accept runners-up medals behind St Patrick’s Athletic after a titanic contest between the pair. A great run in the League Cup brought the trophy home for the third time with victory over Shamrock Rovers. City were awarded the Munster Senior Cup when Waterford refused to play in the delayed final.
1999 - 2000 Once again City claimed a famous result in Europe, defeating IFK Gothenburg at the Cross. Hopes were high of another sustained challenge in the title race and for the second year the team finished runners-up, a full eleven points adrift of Shelbourne. Pat Morley equalled his own club record by hitting 20 league goals and at the end of it all Dave Barry announced his retirement. Former Shelbourne boss Colin Murphy was unveiled as his successor for the following season. Only the Munster Cup made its way to the City trophy cabinet, neighbours Cobh Ramblers beaten 5:0 in the decider.
New Millennium
2000 - 2001 Colin Murphy stayed for one Super Cup game before departing to Leicester City. In the lurch, the club brought Derek Mountfield in facing a UEFA Cup tie in Lausanne. Mountfield had a turbulent ride in his first managerial appointment, the team lacking consistency, goals and luck. After relative success in preceding seasons crowds again dwindled as the team struggled and the former Everton stalwart was sacked in January, after just six months in charge and during a 4-0 defeat at home to St. Patrick's Athletic. Liam Murphy took over and the team embarked on a 13-game unbeaten run than brought an Intertoto ticket and a tenth Munster Cup success.2001 - 2002 A controversial link-up with English Premier League side Leicester City and local outfit Mayfield United was not warmly received by the Cork fans. There were embarrassing home and away defeats against Liepajas Metalurgs on the European front. Inconsistency was again the bane of the team and another season of poor gates, with a mid-table finish and no decent FAI or League Cup run meant the club had reached another vital crossroads in its history. Yet again the Munster Cup offered meagre consolation from a difficult campaign. The board stepped down at season’s end and Brian Lennox assumed full control of the club.
2002 - 2003 A season of sharp contrasts that ended with Liam Murphy resigning. Gradually building a new side in his two years in charge Murphy produced a young team that was by equal measure breathtaking at home and dismal away. And yet success was within touching distance; a home FAI Cup semi-final defeat against a moderate Derry City in particular tore the heart out of what promised to be a glorious year. At the finish Europe proved beyond a side that could only muster a solitary win on the road, yet had started out brilliantly on home soil.
2003 Ex-St. Patrick's Athletic manager Pat Dolan was unveiled as the new City boss as the club ushered in a new era of professionalism with more team members becoming full-time players. On the pitch performances were mixed as new players were drafted, and old hands released or retired. The biggest disappointment was probably an opening round FAI Cup defeat at home to Shelbourne, and once again the Munster Senior Cup was the only trophy collected. Still, an Intertoto Cup spot was secured –a definite sign of improved standing compared to recent campaigns.
2004 Pat Dolan's second season as City manager proved very successful, both on a European and domestic level. City surpassed Malmo FF and NEC Nijmegen in the Intertoto Cup, but fell victim to FC Nantes Atlantique in the Quarter-Final. It was the first time an Irish club side had ever reached the quarter-final stage of a European competition. After disappointing domestic cup campaigns, and a drought in league form, a squad meeting was held which resulted in a 12 game unbeaten run for the Rebel Army. Second place was secured and UEFA Cup football would return to Cork in 2005. Dolan was now well on the road to legendary status in Cork.
2005 In March 2005, Pat Dolan was controversially sacked in pre-season and replaced by Damien Richardson. Dolan still has many supporters in Cork and fans were bitterly divided over his departure, however they got behind Richardson nonetheless as he took over at City 15 days before the start of the season, but despite this was able to continue the impressive form the team had at the end of the 2004 season. City retained the Munster Senior Cup by beating local side Avondale United managed by ex-Cork City player and legend, John Caulfield. The first chance at major silverware came when City were involved in the inagural Setanta Cup. Hopes of taking the honours were high at the club, but a series of contoversial match official decsions and bad luck put the club bottom of Group 2. In the League Cup, City faired better than the previous seasons but were knocked out by Longford Town with an extra-time goal in the quarter-finals. Cork City won the league on the final day of the season with a victory over second place Derry City in what was the last game in front of the old ground's infamous Shed End. Derry had come to Cork with a one point lead meaning they simply needed a draw to secure the league but Cork City ran out victors in the grandstand finish with a 2-0 victory over Derry. City had an opportunity to complete a league and cup double by beating Drogheda in the FAI Cup Final, but were defeated 2-0
2006 Before the season began news of a new training facility began to filter through. Little is known of the exact deatils of this yet but City fans are confident that chairman Brian Lennox and his board has secured a something major for the future of CCFC. The demolition work on the Shed also got underway before the season started. Richardson's men began this season's campaign with an away game against Portadown in the Setanta cup, securing a credible 1-1 draw. In the Setanta Cup Final they lost by one goal against Drogheda in a well attended and exciting match in Tolka Park. The League campaign is going well with City currently second in the league. In Europe they beat Apollon Limassol 1-0 at home in the Champions League first qualifying round first leg.
Players
Current squad
| Country | Squad Number | Name | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers
| |||||
| 1 | Michael Devine
| ||||
| 16 | Mark McNulty
| ||||
| 23 | Phil Harrington
| ||||
| Defenders
| |||||
| 2 | Danny Murphy
| ||||
| 3 | Alan Bennett
| ||||
| 5 | Brian O'Callaghan
| ||||
| 6 | Dan Murray
| ||||
| 14 | Cillian Lordan
| ||||
| 22 | Neal Horgan
| ||||
| 25 | Shane Guthrie
| ||||
| 28 | Ray Lally | ||||
| Midfielders / Wingers
| |||||
| 7 | Colin O'Brien
| ||||
| 10 | George O'Callaghan
| ||||
| 11 | Billy Woods
| ||||
| 12 | Roy O'Donovan
| ||||
| 18 | Admir Softic
| ||||
| 20 | Joe Gamble
| ||||
| 26 | Cathal Lordan
| ||||
| Forwards
| |||||
| 8 | Neale Fenn
| ||||
| 9 | John O'Flynn
| ||||
| 15 | Paul Connell
| ||||
| 17 | Colm Carroll
| ||||
| 19 | Vinny Sullivan
| ||||
| 21 | Dennis Behan
| ||||
| 27 | Jamie Nolan
| ||||
| 30 | Bryan McCarthy | ||||
Player Hall of Fame
- Dave Barry
- John Caulfield
- Gareth Cronin
- Declan Daly
- Patsy Freyne
- Phil Harrington
- Alex Ludzic
- Pat Morley
- Liam Murphy
Managers
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | %W | ||||
| Bobby Tambling | 1984 | 1984
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Tony Allen | 1985 | 1985
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Noel O'Mahony | 1986 | 1986
| 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 30 | 34 | 31.8 | |
| Eamon O'Keefe | 1987 | 1987
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Noel O'Mahony[#endnote_1] | 1988 | 1992
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Damien Richardson | 1993 | 1993
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Noel O'Mahony[#endnote_2] | 1994 | 1994
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Rob Hindmarch | 1995 | 1995
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Dave Barry | 1995 | 1999
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Colin Murphy[#endnote_3] | 2000 | 2000
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA | |
| Derek Mountfield | 2000 | 2000
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Liam Murphy | 2000 | 2002
| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | |
| Pat Dolan | 2003 | 2004
| 72 | 31 | 25 | 16 | 95 | 65 | 43 | |
| Damien Richardson[#endnote_4] | 2005 | Present
| 37 | 24 | 10 | 3 | 55 | 18 | 68.4 | |
- ↑ 2nd time as manager.
- ↑ 3rd time as manager.
- ↑ Left without managing in any league game.
- ↑ 2nd time as manager.
Honours
- League Titles: 2
- *1992-93, 2005
- FAI Cups: 1
- *1998
- League Cups: 3
- *1987-88, 1994-95, 1998-99
- Munster Senior Cups: 15
- *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
Cork City F.C. in European Competition
(Champions' Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup, Intertoto Cup)| Played | Win | Draw | lose | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 17 | 40 |
Opponents:
| Season | Competition | Country | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | Cup Winners' Cup |
| Torpedo Moscow |
| 1991-92 | UEFA Cup |
| Bayern Munich |
| 1993-94 | Champions' Cup |
| Cwmbran Town |
| 1993-94 | Champions' Cup |
| Galatasaray |
| 1994-95 | UEFA Cup |
| Slavia Prague |
| 1997-98 | Intertoto Cup |
| Standard Liege |
| 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 |
| FK Liepajas Metalurgs |
| 2004-05 | Intertoto Cup |
| Malmo FF |
| 2004-05 | Intertoto Cup |
| NEC Nijmegen |
| 2004-05 | Intertoto Cup |
| FC Nantes-Atlantique |
| 2005-06 | UEFA Cup Q1 |
| Ekranas Panevezys |
| 2005-06 | UEFA Cup Q2 |
| Djurgårdens IF |
| 2005-06 | UEFA Cup R1 |
| Slavia Praha |
League Records 1984-2005
Appearances| Most Appearances | Most Starts | Most Successive Starts | Most Substitute Appearances in Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 455-John Caulfield | 376-John Caulfield | 118-Michael Devine | 79-John Caulfield |
| 356-Declan Daly | 350-Declan Daly | 97-Pat Morley | 48-Colin T.O'Brien |
| 331-Pat Morley | 312 Pat Morley | 90-Gareth Cronin | 45-Denis Behan |
| 86-John Caulfield | |||
| 76-Pat Morley | |||
| Substitute Appearances (Annual) | Most Successive Substitute Appearances |
|---|---|
| 20-Denis Behan | 24-Colin P.O'Brien |
| 18-John Caulfield | |
| 16-Len Downey | |
Goals
| Penalties (Annual) | Clean Sheets | Clean Sheets(Annual) | Successive Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Eamon O'Keefe | 112-Phil Harrington | 18-Phil Harrington | 6-Phil Harrington |
| 4-Kelvin Flanagan | 66-Michael Devine | 16-Michael Devine | 5-Phil Harrington |
| 38-Noel Mooney | 15-Michael Devine | ||
| 15-Noel Mooney | |||
Discipline & Matches
All statistics refer to League games only. Correct to 18.03.2006
Season Placings
- ↑ Premier division points record.
- ↑ Change to "Summer" season.
- ↑ Admitted to league
Supporters groups and fanzines
The club also has two fanzines. Long running fanzine FourFiveOne is still going strong and another quality fanzine by the name of IWOTO also entered the market in April 2004. Commandos 84 are the club's ultras group, dedicated to creating and improving the atmosphere at matches home and away. These are City's most fanatical fans and travel all over Ireland to cheer on their team.Contact information
| Cork City FC, Turners Cross Stadium, Curragh Road, Cork City, Ireland. | Tel: +353(0)21 - 4321 958 Fax: +353(0)21 - 4321 958 info@corkcityfc.ie General Manager:Derek Kiely- dkiely@corkcityfc.ie |
External links
- [Cork City F.C. Official Website]
- [Cork City on FAI.ie]
- [commandos84.com]
- [RebelArmyOnline.tk]
- [FourFiveOne.net]
- [RebelArmyWoldwide.com]
- [IWOTO.com]
- [City on Flickr]
| Football League of Ireland 2006 | |
|---|---|
| Premier Division Bohemians | Bray Wanderers | Cork City | Derry City | Drogheda United | Dublin City | Longford Town | Shelbourne | Sligo Rovers | St Patrick's Athletic | UCD | Waterford United | |
| First Division Athlone Town | Cobh Ramblers | Dundalk | Finn Harps | Galway United | Kildare County | Kilkenny City | Limerick | Monaghan United | Shamrock Rovers | |
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