“HOW DID THEY get on?”
I can still recall those exchanges vividly.
“They were beaten,” I’d dejectedly reply more often than I would have liked. Or, even worse: “It was nil-all… again.”
My response would be met with a snigger, as the driver declared “They are useless” or “I wouldn’t watch them if you paid me” before rolling the car window back up and disappearing down Curragh Road.
That’s an experience that many who go to watch Cork City, particularly those who did so during the 90s, will be able to relate to. It usually occurred outside Sullivan’s Funeral Home as you made your way out of Turner’s Cross towards what used to be Kiely’s shop.
Even when you had good news to report, they somehow found a way to devalue it: “Ah, sure… They’ll probably be beaten again next week.” There wasn’t much that could be said in return, because you knew they were probably right.
For much of my formative years as a Cork City supporter, success and consistency were scarce. The 90s began with a few league title challenges — one of which came to fruition — and ended with an FAI Cup and another second-place finish. But the bits in between were mostly mediocre.
The smirks on the faces of the passing motorists who would enquire about the latest result never aggravated me as much as they probably should have. They wore an I-know-something-you-don’t look that seemed to say: “These poor fuckers have no idea that there’s far better football out there to be watched. They should have just stayed at home, turned on the TV and they’d have seen it.”
They pitied my friends and I — the naive youngfellas spending their pocket money on League of Ireland match tickets, programmes and Milky Moos. But the irony of that situation was that their outlook didn’t bother me because I was the one who felt sorry for them.
There are many things I’m grateful to my father for, but right there towards the top of that long list is his decision to bring me to Turner’s Cross for the first time in 1990 for a game against Derry City.
Despite being repeatedly told in the days before the game that he played for Celtic, not Cork City, I wore my recently-acquired Packie Bonner kit anyway — just in case Packie felt like having a kick-around and turned up looking for a game. My six-year-old brain managed to rationalise that as a distinct possibility.
From that day onwards, I was with my dad and older brother in The Shed for nearly every home game until the club relocated to Bishopstown in 1993. I’d sit on top of one of the green railings and watch the games, while simultaneously wondering why the men around me were chanting things like ‘Iraq! Iraq! Iraq! Iraq!’ and ‘Bring on the plank!’
As I got older, City returned to the Cross and I started going with my friends instead. There were days when I absolutely hated being there, but there was never a time when I didn’t look forward to going.
The first few years that followed the return from Bishopstown were bleak. Three-figure attendances, freezing cold Sunday afternoons and Paul Wimbleton. The words ‘Never again’ were uttered often, but never acted upon. No matter how bad it got, I was back for the next game.
Because Cork City were my club. I had stayed for far too long to back out now. “If you’re not standing in The Shed on Sunday at 2pm to watch City playing Finn Harps in their ridiculous luminous yellow shirts, what else are you going to do?” I’d ask myself.
I never came up with an alternative. Because deep down, I didn’t want to. Because Cork City were my club. And because Patsy Freyne.
Something about a picture taken during their Champions League second-round qualifier against FH Hafnarfjordur last week which appeared on Dundalk’s official club website really resonated with me.
In a team news article on DundalkFC.com, you can see David McMillan celebrating his goal in the first leg in front of the fans at Oriel Park. What struck me about the image — which you can see by clicking here — was an elated red-haired kid in the crowd who looks ready to hop the barrier to embrace McMillan.
The emotion on the kid’s face suggests that he could easily be looking at Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. But neither of those guys had just given his team the lead in a Champions League tie. David McMillan had.
The law of averages dictates that most of his friends’ heroes probably play their football in England or Spain — heroes they’re more than likely only ever going to see on a TV screen. But he’ll see his in the flesh every second week at Oriel Park. He’ll shake their hands after the game and get a good profile pic for his Facebook. He might even see them doing their shopping down the town.
When I was that kid, Patsy Freyne was my David McMillan. And when Patsy was having his own ‘Never again’ moment on the morning of a game and was subsequently nowhere to be seen at the Cross, Dave Barry filled that role.
Patsy was majestic, one of the most gifted footballers I’ve had the pleasure to witness. That he often managed to produce something special the day after a late night merely added to his magnificence. During my first media job with RedFM in Cork, a mutual acquaintance offered to try and set up an interview with Patsy. Great, I thought. Let’s do it.
But the interview never materialised. I bottled it. He was my first sporting hero and I didn’t trust myself to be able to string enough broadcastable sentences together to get through it.
Why did I feel sorry for those drivers who sneered at me for going to Turner’s Cross? Because all those scoreless draws and 3-0 defeats to Monaghan United were a small price to pay to be in attendance to see my club — the club that represented my city, comprised of players I idolised — drawing with Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup and coming close to eliminating Galatasaray from the Champions League, to name just a couple of the many memorable games.
I felt sorry for them because they were football followers who had no idea that they were missing out on special football nights in their own backyard. I felt sorry that they weren’t fortunate enough to have been introduced to the League of Ireland by their fathers. I felt sorry that their kids might end up being oblivious to those occasions too.
The current generation of Cork City supporters were rewarded for their loyalty at Turner’s Cross last night.
“How did they get on?”
They knocked the Swedish Cup holders out of the Europa League.
The 5,336 supporters who were at the game had long since dispersed by the time I left the ground after John Caulfield’s post-match press conference, but I’d like to think last night’s walk along Curragh Road was a particularly satisfying one for them.
James Ryan is a natural choice but the WC is coming a bit soon for it. I wouldn’t like Sexton as captain as I think he plays and leads better without. POM if he was in better form you would think.
@Brian O’Driscoll: cian healy or keith earls wouldn’t be bad candidates. Never let ireland diwn even when the rest of the team usually do
@Brian O’Driscoll: don’t think it’s too soon at all. Could be refreshing to have young leadership. Warbburton was a similar age in 2011 and they should have made the final.
@Brian O’Driscoll: James Ryan would a really interesting option
@Brian O’Driscoll: Ryan definitely has the pedigree. It would be unusual for JS to award captaincy to someone so young and relatively inexperienced. He’s usually cautious like that. Rob Kearney is a potential captain. I agree, at any other time it would be a no brainer, give it to POM but unless he has a big game in one of the next two tests his starting position could be under threat. Personally I’d like to see Ryan get it. As long as its not Johnny. He’s just too mouthy.
@Ger: Ryan seems the natural choice at the moment. Jonny and POM would probably still make all the decisions, but what a standard bearer!! and BOD, you’ve got a point about Jonny being too mouthy. My favourite moment was him telling gauzere, ‘i know you don’t like me, but you’ve still got to talk to me’
The only guaranteed starters who have actually played well in 2019 are Cian Healy and James Ryan. With all due respect to Cian, there’s only one option to be the captain.
@sup: it is reallt strange to have our captain effectively already retired but there are no outstanding candidates other than sexton and he does that anyhow with or without title. I don’t get impression Ryan is a very vocal guy. Leads by actions which is fine. I cant imagine him giving a “fear of god” type pre match speech. Maybe he will grow into that but def too early now.
@Kevin McCarthy: BOD never struck me as the type to give that chat either. There’s many different types of leadership, and actions often speak louder than words. Ryan would also be better at working the ref than someone like Sexton, that’s for sure.
@Kevin McCarthy: Can’t imagine Best lisping out a fear of God speech either so that shouldn’t be a factor . In any case those speeches can have more impact on tv viewers than on players in the dressing room .
In my opinion i’d love to see Garry Ringrose as captain. He has everybodies respect. Word on the grapevine is he works super hard in training be it with Leinster or Ireland.
James Ryan would be an interesting captain.
Would be interesting to see who Joe would pick as captain at the world cup instead of Best. (If he had to)
@Donal Peoples: Yea Sexton certain to start but has his issues as captain. O’Mahoney probably best choice but not a cert to start anymore
@Luke walkee: Ruddock, if he can get in the team ahead of PO’M, would be perfect. Big argument as to whether you’d drop PO’M.
@Cian Nolan: he’s a good captain but he might struggle to make the squad. I think if JS brings Klein it will be at the expense of a backrow. Beirne will be brought as a 2nd row/back row hybrid and Ruddock would be the most likely casualty. Personally I didn’t see anything from Klein against England or Italy that merits his place in the squad but JS seems to like him.
The main thing is Best should be left at home. No matter what his friends in the media say
If Rory isn’t captain there’s no need for him to travel.
Captain is a PR position who primary role is dealing with the media. Best is captain of the team but there are plenty of players who are leaders within the squad already. Dumping Best as captain would just create a media storm. Keep him in the position and if needs be he doesn’t have to start the big games.
@Eddie Hekenui: Have your (uninjured) captain on the bench for the World Cup? Sure then you have to make someone else who’s actually on the pitch captain anyway, so now you’ve two lads with their authority undermined. Plus you’re reinforcing a belief that some people are undroppable no matter what.
@Pseud O’Nym: Too much stock is placed in the idea of a captain as this leader and tone setter when it’s largely a symbolic role just dealing with the referee on the pitch, the media off the pitch and representing the players in the management group.
When BOD was captain it was often POC who would take the final team talk and be the vocal leader on the pitch. When there were fractures in the squad in 2009 it was Rob Kearney who stepped up and forced a honest discussion on the squad dynamic. Peter O’Mahony regularly takes a vocal role in the build up to games as does Sexton. Ireland have a team packed with leaders and having Best as squad captain but not in the starting team would have very little impact on that.
Just sit back and watch him answer his critics.
None of the other hookers come close and couldn’t lace his boots.
For me we need to be looking at the new breed of young hookers coming through
Ruddock would be my choice at this stage. Nothing special as a player but at least you realise he’s playing as opposed to POM and Best. Sexton is too much of a spoilt brat.
Jim Ryan