Congrats to Cork City FC

dahamsta

In case you missed it, Cork City FC won the Eircom League on Friday in a great game against Derry City, which was screened on RTE. I doubt we're much of a sporty bunch in here - I'm not, despite my credentials - but still great to see the People's Republic showing up Everyone Else in the allegedly beautiful game. (I say allegedly, but in Friday's case it really was a joy to watch. Mr Shabby Esq will be definitely be present for roll call at Turners Cross on a few occasions next year.)

adam

deRanged

This is the first year that I've watched more Eircom Premier League than Premiership I reckon. It's really become watchable in the last couple of years.

JohnK

Yeah its good that we won. I didnt actually watch it myself (couldn't be arsed tbh) but I heard it was a good game.

daveirl

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dahamsta

Hey Dave,

daveirl wrote:

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Unfortunately when it comes to the eL, it was well-deserved, because the league wasn't just fine at all.

The league was plagued by an almost universal hobbyist attitude of the owners and managers, with them investing in clubs and running and attending matches just because they were fans of the game and wanted to impress their competitors and colleagues. Nowhere was this more evident than at City, where investors had the heart, but not the soul; which resulted in a level of backbiting between the directors themselves, and the directors and managers and players, that was almost embarassing.

People like Brian Lennox and Pat Dolan have turned that around. Brian took City on both as a football fan and a businessman. He obviously enjoys the game, but it's very obvious that he enjoys the business too, because he doesn't let the game run the business. As to Pat, no matter what people think of him it can't be denied that he lives and breathes football, and will do anything in his power to see the game advanced to a higher level. The same could be said of Damien Richardson, but although Rico brought the League title, he couldn't have done it without Dolan.

People will probably say that the past doesn't matter and usually I'd agree with them, but in this case I do believe blame needs to be levelled. Irish football will never be the Premiership, but if it wasn't for those hobbyists, Premiership fans would be the minority in Ireland now; and as a "Buy Irish" type I firmly believe that that could only be a good thing. We're on-track now, but those hobbyists have a good ten year delay to answer for. And the FAI is still dragging it's feet.

Now that's an organisation that needs to go to the wall. In both senses. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen anytime soon.

adam

gimmick

Ken Shabby wrote:

The league was plagued by an almost universal hobbyist attitude of the owners and managers, with them investing in clubs and running and attending matches just because they were fans of the game and wanted to impress their competitors and colleagues. Nowhere was this more evident than at City, where investors had the heart, but not the soul; which resulted in a level of backbiting between the directors themselves, and the directors and managers and players, that was almost embarassing.

Id question they even had the heart. The club was a glorified pub team, run by a bunch of cowboys who were there not for footballing reasons, but for financial reasons, and I dont mean making money, I mean by avoiding paying it.

People like Brian Lennox and Pat Dolan have turned that around. Brian took City on both as a football fan and a businessman. He obviously enjoys the game, but it's very obvious that he enjoys the business too, because he doesn't let the game run the business. As to Pat, no matter what people think of him it can't be denied that he lives and breathes football, and will do anything in his power to see the game advanced to a higher level. The same could be said of Damien Richardson, but although Rico brought the League title, he couldn't have done it without Dolan.

Disagree that Rico couldnt have done it without Dolan. IMO, City would have won the league last season had Richardson been given the job when Dolan was appointed. Dolan, while I agree that he has the best will in the world for Irish professional football, was too hung up on various things, most notbaly Citys training facilities, and his undying hatred/suspicion of Shels. A head to head of Dolans record Vs Shesl and Richardsons proves that beyond all doubt. Not to mention the fact that Richardson guided City to the league with the same lack of adequate training facilities, though things have improved slightly on that front since Dolans departure.

In saying all that, i think pat Dolan does deserve huge credit for putting City on the map, and rasing the profile of the club when he took charge.

Irish football will never be the Premiership, but if it wasn't for those hobbyists, Premiership fans would be the minority in Ireland now; and as a "Buy Irish" type I firmly believe that that could only be a good thing. We're on-track now, but those hobbyists have a good ten year delay to answer for.

It may not ever be the Premiership, but there is no reason why it cannot keep goiong the way it is, as you have said. But looking around for these last 18months, more and more kids are around wearing Cork City jerseys, instead of Celtic/Chelsea etc etc etc.

And the FAI is still dragging it's feet.

Now that's an organisation that needs to go to the wall. In both senses. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen anytime soon.

The FAI is a joke, end of story. The fact that they complain that there is no young Irish talent coming through IN ENGLAND proves that beyond all doubt.

Anyway, to the point of the thread, what a night last friday was. Not going into it again, but have wriiten a piece for the PRC below.

http://www.peoplesrepublicofcork.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=434&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

adam

[/QUOTE]

daveirl

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marky4

hey this is from a blues fan, congrats on winning the title, but ye wouldn't have done it only for Pat Dolan, he built Cork City Football Club, and he gets no praise off the players or the fans, he is magnificent. Rico couldn't have done it only for him, but for a team that won the eircom league, ye couldn't even beat WATERFORD UNITED FC. (the only team in Munster) We were fighting relegation and ye couldnt beat us, what does that say about ye, any team can beat ye. BLUE UNTIL I DIE,
happy now langer

daveirl

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marky4

hey this is from a blues fan, congrats on winning the title, but ye wouldn't have done it only for Pat Dolan, he built Cork City Football Club, and he gets no praise off the players or the fans, he is magnificent. Rico couldn't have done it only for him, but for a team that won the eircom league, ye couldn't even beat WATERFORD UNITED FC. (the only team in Munster) We were fighting relegation and ye couldnt beat us, what does that say about ye, any team can beat ye. BLUE UNTIL I DIE,
happy now langer

dahamsta

How can we compete against brains like that Dave?

Angels

Up the City well done!!

marky4

blue until i die, im blue until i die, i know i am, im sure i am, im blue until i die, george o callaghan (tosser) john o flynn (left-side) thats all that cork have that r good players, maybe roy o donovan who is missin for the fai cup final (thanks to waterford) hahahahaha

rymus

bitter much?

marky4

what ya mean by bitter much

dahamsta

He means you're a moron marky4. Go away.

marky4

ur just jealous we got pat dolan off ya. ye got rico a f*****g p***k

dahamsta

Which part of "go away" is your tiny mind having trouble with marky4? Is mommy using the braincell today?

marky4

ha ha ha do langers actually have braincells, i was the 1 that st up a waterford united 1 and some cork fans came and messed about so i have to do it back

gimmick

Dont get wound up by this guy, I mean, look at the Waterford united forum

http://www.irishfootie.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1676&sid=b83b91af1b5de46437311a8f7394922e

Id say if any of them actually had a thought it would give them a head heammorage (note I didt say brain).

marky4

nothing wrong with it, u r all jus langers and sheep s******s, m-a-a-a-a

dahamsta

gimmick wrote:

Dont get wound up by this guy, I mean, look at the Waterford united forum

I ban guys like this on Foot.ie twice a day gimmick, they couldn't wind me up in a month of Sundays.

Hey marky4, you got a handle on Foot.ie?

adam

Dimitri

Congrats city, it was a very memorable game especially because we no longer have the shed, i hope the new seated area doesn't kill the atmosphere that used to be there. There is no doubt in my mind that the summer soccer has improved the EL considerably one of the only progressive moves made by the FAI, ever! I can remember watching games when Dave Barry was in charge and the biggest challenge for the players was staying on there feet, not a lot of skill gets to be displayed in these circumstances the games are a lot more watchable now.

HybridTech

Well done City! Not a big soccer fan but it was great to experience the feel-good factor again. Best of luck on Dec. 4th!

A Rebel Treble & a possible Soccer Double!! Well done lads!

Illkillya

daveirl wrote:

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I think in Cork at least, its like that again since this season. The interest in the past two years has skyrocketed... and aside from attendances, the fact that something like 40 EL games were shown on TV this season, and the big ones got huge viewing ratings - as the thread on the soccer forum said "The 355,000 audience exceeded the Ireland v Australia rugby international (279,000) and The Premiership (230,000) last weekend."
I'd say you would have got over 20,000 for the Derry City game if there had been the capacity there.

The average Cork person cares about CCFC, and the amount of jerseys and car stickers you see around the place is unreal. It hit me the day after winning the league when I was in in the absolute bog middle of nowhere (outside Donoughmore), in a co-op farmer shop where they don't even have a calculator or cash register, they do the calculations with pen and pape - the old farmers... GAA heads, men and women inside there were discussing the match with excitement. I agree with daveirl though that inferiority complex that we have about Irish sport is frustrating... the English are the opposite, as they generally overrate the premiership, and their national team.

What a year for Cork sport in general... does anyone have the list of the accomplishments in GAA this year? Nearly a clean sweep in the Munster championships... only losing out in the game to Kerry.

DamienH

we're going to win the cup ( bum bum ) we're going to win the cup ( bum bum )

Balmed Out

great league and city are its greatest club far more exciting then premiership for the 2 years ive been going anyway
as for this waterford guy - who won the league (as well as hurling, ladies football, camogie, basketball etc etc) and could get the double tommorow, enough said

Shanannigan

haha at the waterford forum... here's a taste:
"well lads great game"
"yeah great"
"ya f**kin p***k
"F**k yer mom"
"f**k you f**kin yer mom
and so on