Cork City Announce Alan Bennett Testimonial
Cork City FC recently announced that a testimonial match will be held for club legend Alan Bennett. This special match will kick off at 3pm on Saturday 14th of September at Turners Cross. A Cork City XI will take on a squad of Cork City Legends, including Neal Horgan, Liam Kearney and Colin Healy. Bennett was thrilled to be presented with the opportunity to hold a testimonial and said that after ten seasons of his career with Cork City, he felt honoured and privileged. Neal Horgan was the last Cork City player to hold a testimonial and he described the occasion as ‘like marrying yourself’. Bennett has chosen the Samaritans as the beneficiaries of the testimonial as they do great work in the community and help so many people in Cork. Alan reflected on his younger days and being a childhood fan of the club and watching all the games from behind the wall in The Shed. All he wanted to do was play for Cork City. He felt it was important to include the Cork City FC Women’s team. Ciara MacNamara and some of the 2017 cup winning team will also play a part on the day.The man affectionately known as ‘Benno’ has witnessed many changes in football throughout his career, including the transition from Winter football to Summer football and the financial troubles endured by many clubs. Bennett’s skill and commitment was summed up well by club chairman, Declan Carey, who described him as ‘a colossus in defence’ as far back as 2004/2005. He feels the Cork public owe the occasion to ‘Benno’. Alan spoke about his love for coaching and how he is passionate about helping players reach their potential. When his playing career comes to an end, he would like to follow his education and enter another profession. Over the years, Bennett has appeared for big clubs in England including Southampton and Brentford, as well as being capped for Ireland at underage and senior level. It promises to be a great occasion and hopefully the Turners Cross faithful and the people of Cork will come out and show their appreciation for a club hero.
