The media's eyes are all on Portsmouth, and ours probably on Palace, but from a personal point of view, Cork City's fate saddens me more. A friend does a fanzine for them, and I've been to see them a couple of times, seeing them win the Irish league title on the last day of the season in 2005 and their equivalent of the FA Cup in 2007. They've had many UEFA Cup runs and Champions League qualifiers, holding Bayern Munich to a draw in a competitive match, and have the highest gates in Irish football (usually averaging around 3,500 over a season, not bad considering 'soccer' is the poor relation of gaelic football, hurling and rugby, and most people would rather watch English and Scottish matches on TV than attend a local game).
Despite the fact they are probably the biggest (or at least second biggest) football team in Ireland, Cork City FC will officially be wound up at 2pm today. The first of many on both sides of water, I fear.
0
Comments
Also quite surprised nobody stepped in to save them as they're obviously a big club in Ireland. What sort of debt were/are they in?
Exactly, someones had a fiddle and done a runner!
It was very clear from a few months ago that if they were wound up a new supporter-owned club would rise up and take a spot in the First Division, and that's exactly what's happened. While my sympathies go to the fans and the players/staff down in Cork, spare a thought for Bray Wanderers who will take their place in the Premier Division. As far as I know, they now have 72 hours to put together a team capable of competing in the Premier Division, and do it from the scraps left over, because all the other teams are set up.
This isn't the first time that a Cork club has collapsed. I don't think it's even the third time.
The standard was poor but it was honest football and I enjoyed it.
Limerick was great, I spent the whole game in the club house getting pissed entertaining the locals with Kinks songs!
Also been to Linfield and Glentoran in the Irish League (Northern Ireland), the stadiums up there are a bit better, Northern Ireland play at Linfield (Windsor Park)
Shame about Cork City, they were always a top club and looked forward to playing them, the other top club was Shamrock Rovers but the only time I went there the game was called off, not much of a ground there.
Given the precedent with Shelbourne (possibly a bigger club than Cork in their heyday - only 90 minutes from Champions League group phase, after a draw against Deportivo La Coruna), who are still in the First Division, it shouldn't be a surprise that Cork City endured this fate. It is a surprise that it took so long.
Gate receipts alone are never enough for the smaller clubs to survive once you take match day costs into account. The level of sponsorship and television money is nowhere near the level of the English leagues.
But neither are the wages. Surely a club that pay Welling Utd type wages with similiar gate receipts, yet are pretty famous in Ireland and have had European exploits should be able to survive.
True, nothing compares to the English league for income but in terms if Irish football they're not a small club are they? A big club in any countries top league should not go bust.
Derry City, Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers have all gone bust or close to bust in recent years. They're all very big by Irish standards. Shelbourne not so much any more, but they were the ones that got closest to the Sun. Teams like Dundalk and Waterford have great histories but have spent most of the past 10 years in the second tier.
It's dreadful that such well supported clubs keep getting into difficulty, Shels, Derry and now Cork.
But spare a thought for us poor buggers at teams like Finn Harps who should be perennial contenders in the First Divisions but are continually scuppered by the big teams being relegated despite finishing at the top of the league above us...
On top of that there is NO WAY IN HELL i'm travelling the whole way to poxy Cork to watch our lads.
BOOO Tom Coughlan BOOO!
One of our prominent board members assaulted another! Hilarious.
Anyway, I'm about 20 miles from the Finn Park if you're thirsty after Kevin McHugh puts 3 past you's - look me up.
One of our prominent board members assaulted another! Hilarious.
Anyway, I'm about 20 miles from the Finn Park if you're thirsty after Kevin McHugh puts 3 past you's - look me up.[/quote] will do, the forum was hacked by some turkish twat overnight but is working now. From what I'm hearing we have a big support going to Derry on the 5th
Best of luck to you and the rest of FORAS. Agree with D_F_T about Dalymount and because of how much we enjoyed the experience of going to see Bohemians, we've been regular followers of the league. Despite supporting another club, I'm thinking about joining FORAS, but if there is something that I can do that'll cost me a bit less than 120 euros to support the rebuilding effort, let me know.
I thought the pieces in the Independent today, including the letter printed, were excellent and the same story is repeated throughout the world. Two years ago, I was in Bangkok and wanted to get out to see a local club match in their premier league. I was traveling on business and the folks I went to see refused to help me get out to a fixture and instead took me to a bar to watch the Euro finals, telling me that no one watches the local clubs (read: only the poor go to see games live). This last summer I was in Accra and went to a Hearts of Oak match that drew little interest from a tiny crowd. Except that, at halftime, the stadium showed the live feed of an EPL match and everyone was riveted, cheering more noisily at these remote images than anything they had seen at what was a wildly entertaining contest happening directly in front of them. And we obviously have the same attitude in the U.S. Most fans of the sport here deride the local leagues, but we fill olympic-size stadiums whenever the big European clubs deign to pay us a visit.
Separately, IA, can you explain why Bray is negatively impacted? Didn't they just avoid relegation by virtue of Cork's collapse?
Best of luck to you and the rest of FORAS. Agree with D_F_T about Dalymount and because of how much we enjoyed the experience of going to see Bohemians, we've been regular followers of the league. Despite supporting another club, I'm thinking about joining FORAS, but if there is something that I can do that'll cost me a bit less than 120 euros to support the rebuilding effort, let me know.
I thought the pieces in the Independent today, including the letter printed, were excellent and the same story is repeated throughout the world. Two years ago, I was in Bangkok and wanted to get out to see a local club match in their premier league. I was traveling on business and the folks I went to see refused to help me get out to a fixture and instead took me to a bar to watch the Euro finals, telling me that no one watches the local clubs (read: only the poor go to see games live). This last summer I was in Accra and went to a Hearts of Oak match that drew little interest from a tiny crowd. Except that, at halftime, the stadium showed the live feed of an EPL match and everyone was riveted, cheering more noisily at these remote images than anything they had seen at what was a wildly entertaining contest happening directly in front of them. And we obviously have the same attitude in the U.S. Most fans of the sport here deride the local leagues, but we fill olympic-size stadiums whenever the big European clubs deign to pay us a visit.
Separately, IA, can you explain why Bray is negatively impacted? Didn't they just avoid relegation by virtue of Cork's collapse?[/quote]
Bray have taken Cork City's place in the premiere division as they are the next highest ranked in the licence rankings. I agree with your point about the support its hard to compete with the EPL. If you want to make a donation( any amount will be gratefully accepted) to Foras you can do it on http://www.forastrust.ie/. I have to say membership is rising now people can see that they will have a say in the club and also be owners of the club. I just took 2 phonecalls from people inquiring how to join, I am not on the BOM but as a member feel it is my responsibility to get as many people to join as possible. Oh if ye want a laugh listen to this our now ex chairman on the radio the day after his licence was refused. The English guy he is slagging off wanted to buy the club from him as part of a consortium including Foras http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg1iZ2ZBhns&feature=player_embedded
About 3/4 of an hour to the City from charleville the ground is on the south side. Ask anybody where Turners Cross is its a small enough City so not that hard to find
Nothing particularly new about Cork City came up in the last two months, probably nothing at all since the end of the season, really. The only thing was the extent of the mismanagement at that club under Coughlan. It was clear from the middle of last season that Cork City's survival would ultimately depend on whether the licensing committee would give them a Premier Division licence (and that's how it turned out, no licence, so no buyer and they got wound up). The decisions on Cork City have been postponed over and over again, to the point that Bray fans I know thought that Cork might actually face no punishment for the mess they created. Leaving Bray in the lurch. They'll be lucky if they finish 9th, and even at that it'll probably be because Drogheda are in trouble again. What did Bray do to deserve that punishment?
Last season, Drogheda and (edit) Dundalk completely overhauled their costs during the season or at the beginning of the season. There was time for Cork to do the same, but they didn't.
NLA, someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you might be as close to Limerick as Cork. Cork are the team in the news this time, but Limerick FC could do with the money just as much - maybe even more now that Cork have their fans back.
I might've seemed a bit prickly at times earlier this week. I'm a Dundalk fan, and I was getting very angry that European football might be denied to us because Cork needed the money. I still haven't heard any news that the Lilywhites have got it, but the club is confident.
Let me put this very clearly: I'm delighted for Cork fans that they've got their team back. It'll be a tough road back, but Shamrock Rovers have done it. I wish FORAS the very best of luck until you guys do come back up... or we go back down...
Nothing particularly new about Cork City came up in the last two months, probably nothing at all since the end of the season, really. The only thing was the extent of the mismanagement at that club under Coughlan. It was clear from the middle of last season that Cork City's survival would ultimately depend on whether the licensing committee would give them a Premier Division licence (and that's how it turned out, no licence, so no buyer and they got wound up). The decisions on Cork City have been postponed over and over again, to the point that Bray fans I know thought that Cork might actually face no punishment for the mess they created. Leaving Bray in the lurch. They'll be lucky if they finish 9th, and even at that it'll probably be because Drogheda are in trouble again. What did Bray do to deserve that punishment?
Last season, Drogheda and (edit) Dundalk completely overhauled their costs during the season or at the beginning of the season. There was time for Cork to do the same, but they didn't.
NLA, someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you might be as close to Limerick as Cork. Cork are the team in the news this time, but Limerick FC could do with the money just as much - maybe even more now that Cork have their fans back.
I might've seemed a bit prickly at times earlier this week. I'm a Dundalk fan, and I was getting very angry that European football might be denied to us because Cork needed the money. I still haven't heard any news that the Lilywhites have got it, but the club is confident.
Let me put this very clearly: I'm delighted for Cork fans that they've got their team back. It'll be a tough road back, but Shamrock Rovers have done it. I wish FORAS the very best of luck until you guys do come back up... or we go back down...[/quote]
I dont know why you havent heard that Dundalk got european football you are the next club in line for it so should be ok as long as ye have a uefa licence
I understand your feelings and had every sympathy for both yourselves and Bray while all the shite was going on. Unfortunately for the league Coughlan is not a reasonable man and would not play by the rules. I am glad he is gone but at the expense of a lot of jobs and a lot of creditors with no chance of getting a penny from that scum. Thanks for the good wishes
Rumours about Dundalk that Sligo could be given the Europa League spot for their cup run... The FAI doesn't have a great track record with Dundalk, so none of us would be surprised. I wonder will Maxi make another appearance if that happens. ;-)
It's the FAI, anyway - they might give the spot to Athlone for being top of the league on alphabetical order.
If Dundalk do get the European spot, we could do with knowing that as soon as possible. There's a lot of work needed done at Oriel if the match is going to be there, which I think is the intention now.
Best of luck to FORAS. I don't like the new name. FORAS FC would be good until you buy the name from the liquidator, and would remind all round the city what the fans have been through and the work that's been done. Even if it's just for the one year. But sure that's your decision. In time, I hope FORAS do try to pay the debts that Coughlan ran up. I know you don't have to, but over 10 years or so you might be able to do it.
Tick the circle marked "BBCode" at the top of where you write. It makes the quotes come up all nice.