The following season the FAI Senior Cup
was reached for only the second time but
Galway Utd proved to be too strong and ran
out 2-0 winners. After a couple of near
misses the 1st Division Championship was
won in 1998/1999.
1999/2000 proved to be a very
unlucky year as both the Beamish Cup and
the O’Connell Cup were lost at the
final stage. However finishing runners up
to a very good Rockmount in our first season
back in the Premier Division was a great
testimony to the skill and hard work of
the players and manager alike. This feat
was repeated in 2000/2001 when a draw on
the final day against College Corinthians
instead of the necessary win again deprived
us of the title.
An unwanted but nonetheless
worthy hat trick was achieved in 2001/2002
when we again finished runners up to a very
good Rockmount side.
The 2003/2004 season proved
less successful and the seniors could only
finish 8th after their previous brilliant
seasons. A good run in the Munster Senior
Cup was ended by local rivals Cobh Ramblers.
The Junior side having been
overshadowed by the seniors for so long
had a magnificent season in 2000/2001 winning
the 1st Division Championship under manager
Jamie Cullimore. A feature of the successful
season was the breaking of the club goal
scoring record by Jason Cronin with 30 goals,
a record previously held by Joe Stack and
Mick Lynch on 28 goals. The following season
a very creditable 3rd position was achieved
at the higher Premiership level.
At the start of the 2003/2004
season the club was thrown in to turmoil
when the Senior team had to withdraw from
the MSL .Manager George Mellerick decided
to take a break from the game and a number
of players decided to try their luck elsewhere
making it impossible to field anything like
a strong enough side for the premier division.
This was a very sad day for the club after
all the hard work over the years to achieve
Senior status and then to do so well at
that level. This was not that uncommon a
problem with other clubs also at that time
as it was proving harder and harder to attract
players against the easy option of Night
owl football and saturation TV coverage
of football from all over the world.
The Junior team managed to carry on valiantly
under manager Mossy Mahony. The highlight
of the season was reaching the semi final
of the League Cup before losing to Ringmahon
Rangers.
The senior team re-entered
the MSL the following season 2004/2005 but
at the lower level under manager Mossy Mahony.
Trying to field two competitive teams was
still proving difficult and the Junior team
suffered the consequences by being relegated
that season.
This current season the Senior
team was taken over by the very experienced
Barry McGovern who assembled a number of
young and talented players which it is hoped
will stay together over the coming years.
Unfortunately Barry resigned later in the
season and the reliable Ken Sisk took control
to guide the Seniors through to 3rd place
in their section of the league. One of the
main failings was the number of draws, 8
in eighteen matches.
Nevertheless there is hope that after this
seasons experience the team will regain
its rightful place in the premier division
next season.
The Junior team enjoyed a
very good season under managers Sean Geasley
and Jimmy Hally. They played a lovely attractive
brand of football and after topping their
section in the league lost out in the round
robin play off, drawing two matches and
losing one. A big feature of this team was
the goal scoring feats of Mark Moran who
broke the club goal scoring record with
32 goals and scored five goals on two separate
occasions.
The success of both teams
is being matched off the field also. The
dressing room facilities are the envy of
many a club and the playing surface of the
pitch at Old Church Park is improving every
season despite some recent difficulties.
Chairman John Barry has been
largely responsible for supervising the
work on the pitch and the dressing rooms
along with his various FAS workers over
the last few years .The dressing room facilities
were again funded by bank loans, club funds
and especially a National Lottery grant
for which the club is very grateful.
As already mentioned we are very grateful
for the FAS scheme which we have had for
the last couple of years and the quality
of their workers is reflected in the great
condition the new ground and facilities
are now in.
Finally the club would like
to pay special tribute to Joe Stack and
Ter Shealy who were founder members of the
club back in 1981 and who are still greatly
involved as secretary and committee member
respectively all these years later. They
and so many more people have contributed
over the years to keeping the club alive
through good times and bad and it is hoped
some of the younger generation will get
involved off the field as well as on it
to continue the great work which has gone
on before them.
Here is to the next 25 years
and beyond!
Tim Stack
CORK
EXAMINER, MONDAY, MAY 7, 1934
Jim
Cotter
