Looking to the Future
As the curtain comes down on another successful season for Cork City FC, we can look back on the positives of a very consistent campaign which included finishing runner up in both the league and the cup. It is very convenient for people to criticise and point out what went wrong for City this season, yet it is twice as important to look to the future and see all the exciting prospects that await this wonderful club in the coming months.Cork City’s squad this season is a very dedicated and optimistic group. Despite the club not having the big financial backing that the likes of Dundalk FC have, the players work very hard and are committed to bringing the club back up to the top where they belong. There are some fantastic young players who will certainly play a big role in maintaining the super standard of football that Cork City fans have enjoyed over the past few seasons. As everybody knows, perhaps the brightest talent currently wearing the famous Cork jersey is Kieran Sadlier. Having joined City in the middle of the 2017 season, he went on to score five goals in the remainder of the season plus the winning penalty in the FAI Cup final which brought the league and cup double home to the banks of the Lee for the first time.Sadlier hit the ground running and in his first full season at the club, he scored 26 goals while setting up an additional 13. he certainly played a pivotal role in Corks domestic success. Sadlier’s contract is expiring this year and there are already rumours circulating around the media suggesting that an English club are looking to acquire his services. Portsmouth have been said to be eyeing up the young English born striker but there has been no paper signed yet.The likes of Shane Griffin who produced 6 assists from the left back position last season and Shane Daly-Butz, who are both in their early twenties, will also prove vital to the teams continued success. It is very important that the standard of the youth players in the team is kept at a high level to ensure a steady flow of talent into the squad. The acquisitions of 21 year old right back Dan Casey from Bohemians and Garry Comerford, who enjoyed two great seasons with Waterford FC will certainly add to the already determined band of players at the club.Cork City has a huge fan base around the city and county. It is these supporters who keep the club going, both financially and on the pitch. They are the lifeblood of the team and contribute greatly to the clubs progress and triumph. The club have been known to be very rewarding to the fans in the past. This is set to continue with the recent announcement that the price of season tickets will be frozen for the coming 2019 season which begins on Friday, 15th of February. Season tickets are one of the main sources of revenue for the club. Cork City had over 1,450 people sign up for a season ticket in the 2018 season which is the highest in the clubs history. The average attendance per game has also increased to almost 4,300 during the past season which is the highest in the league. The club has also announced that they are considering the introduction of reserved seating across all of Turners Cross for home league games next season. There has been some excitement building over the past few weeks about the ‘Back to black’ promotions that have been popping up on the clubs various social media pages. Many fans are anticipating a sleek new black away jersey for next season. Some have suggested that the jersey will be one similar to the black jersey worn by the Leesiders a number of years ago. All will be revealed on Friday the 23rd of November.Over the past few seasons, the League of Ireland has been contested mainly by Cork City and Dundalk. In 2010, when Cork City FORAS FC emerged, the many members and fans could never have anticipated the extraordinary levels of success that the club would reach. From a club with severe financial problems less than a decade ago, City met their challenges head on and won the first division in only their second season. City have finished in the top two in the premier division for the past five years and won two domestic cups. This is an incredible achievement and is a credit to the enthusiasm and loyalty of the supporters. This is an encouraging boost heading into their eight consecutive season in the top division. The sky is the limit for this young and confident Cork City team.