End Of A Nightmare

Well it has finally come...the end of the season, many of us have prayed long and hard for this moment so we could consign it to the history books...

A season which begun so full of promise, optimism and financial security...The build up to the season was action packed, the rumors of players being linked to the club had us all excited about what could be this season...

I remember walkin to the Telecom Club for the CCOSC fans forum with Mathews and thinkin to myself, this could be a great season...Yet even as that thought came into my head there was still a sense of trepidation in my step...The rumor mill had gone into over drive the week leading up to the CCOSC meeting with all the talk of the King returning and Moons followin Mathews to City seemed too good to be true...In sweeps Mathews ten minutes late and every eyeball in the room falls on his shoulders waitin for his first words...

I remeber it clearly, Mathews sits down and says "Well, I dont really know what to say to people"...Before he gets a chance to say anymore I reply "That we are going to win the league"...A little chuckle from the room breaks out and Mathews at that moment realises how big the expectations are at this club...

Then Mathews said the words that every City fan was waitin to hear "Sorry for bein late but I was signin Georgie and Mooney, both have signed contracts"...The whole mood changes in the room, people are fidgetin in their chairs excited at the prospect of what is to come...

The new club owners look as though they are pullin out all the stops for us, pre-season abroad, new crest, huge sponsorship deal with Hummel...ah yes, life is lookin good at last...

We trash European opposition in Spain scorin 9 goals while we are at it...

The season kicks off...the moment we have all waited for...Setanta Cup game away to Dungannon, the King scores, we all cheer and sit back rubbin our hands greedily at the prospect of another league title...

The mood before the first home game of the season to Bray is electric, thousands come to the Cross to catch a glimpse at the new look Cork City...we expect a goal feast with the likes of Flynnie, Georgie, Kearney, Healy, Gamble and Mooney all in the team...

9.35pm...Deflated we leave the ground after a scoreless draw, the autopsy starts...It will take time for the players to gel, Mathews is playin Georgie out of position, Mathews is inept, Georgie is a poser...The disharmony starts on the forum, opinions become the norm of the day...

Little did we know on that cold March evening that we would not see Cork City win a game for the whole month...how could that happen? Not even the derby at Cobh could inspire a goal for us...5 draws, least we didn lose a game...

April is a better month for us...4 wins and only one loss...We finally get our first win of the season home to UCD...the big game at home to Drogs will be a real test of our league prospects...Disaster of a game, Gamble sees red and we lose 2-0...

In May we lose more league games than we win, Bohs and Pats both beat us...but how can we forget that Sunday in Inchicore, 2 down to Pats, City fans givin Barry his customary 'Junkie' chant and then....Bang Bang! Flynnie strikes twice, we go mental on the new stand behind the goal, we can sense blood, we urge the team on for the win...****, Pats get a free kick in a dangerous position...Oh **** no!...all that work and nothin to show for it...May is becomin a poor month for us, questions are raised about Devine's ability...rumors start filterin thro to the forum about money problems with Arkaga...

June flies by...Euro 08 means we have a short month, we go unbeaten for the month...3 league wins, all away from home and who could forget that display away to Derry, 2 down and then Moons scores twice before Behan hits the goal of the season to get us all 3 points...One of our better months...

July rolls on, talk off Gamble and Pats are to the fore, Georgie wants to leave the club AGAIN!!...the forum is in over drive...will he, wont he...rumors of money problems persist makin the whole Gamble-Gate and Georgie-Gate a tense time...Yessss! Gamble signs a new contract, this can only mean one thing...Those rumors of money problems are false, why would we make Gamble one of the highest paid players in the league if we had financial woes...

Georgie shags off again...Rat some say, mentally disturbed other claim, either way he is gone...All is not lost tho, we sign Lawrie from Notts County, Lawrie who I hear you say...

Another black cloud on the horizon is our early exit from Europe...What did we expect many say, 'Look at mathews record in Europe, no surpise there'...The debate on the manager goes on and on like a never endin bone of contention...

The fans are divided, Mathews is a tool, he is great...Devine is past it, Devine is the greatest servant the club has had in recent years...

August and what a month it was...Started off so well, Gamble is staying and we are still vyin for all cups...Finished with Examinership and an exit to Wexford in the semi-final stage of the league cup...

To be honest this is a hard month to put in words, I have worked hard to try and forget it...Can I just say that August is a month we should all be proud of, this was the month that City fans came together and took back our club...From that protest after the Bray game to the openin of FORAS for subscriptions...A notable change can be seen on the forum, no more bickerin, no more fightin, no more factions...just harmony, anger and determination...

"They dont care about Mathews,
They dont care about fans,
Cork City Football Club is in the wrong hands,
It's in the wrong hands...It's in the wrong hands,
Cork City Football Club is in the wrong hands"...

Protest over, much needed but now the focus switches from Arkaga to FORAS and the furure...

One day sticks on my mind more than any...August 27th...That was the day I walked down McCurtain street headed to the telecom club, the memories of makin this very same walk a few short months before are fresh in mind, I remember my optimism at that particluar meetin when Mathews told us we had signed Moons and Georgie...now I have a sick feelin in my stomach...This meetin is the most important supporters meetin to date, FORAS's first public meetin...

Over 80 people turn up, the players and employees of the club are there...FORAS outline the discussions with the examiner and the need to raise €5k a week to help keep the club alive, my heart is full of pride as I listen to Dan Murray speak, he speaks as a Cork man, a guy who loves this club as much as I, or any other fan does...No disharmony now, just determination to raise the money...The bank account is open the followin day and thousands start rollin in...people come together and step up to the plate, they give their time, money and everythin else they have to help meet costs and see this club survive...

4 weeks later and the money is still rollin in, people are sellin jersey's, football's, ticket stub's...one guy even sells himself for the day...what dedication...It is hard to find a smile but bein the people we are in Cork we manage to laugh at ourselves more than we would have expected...

September is a blur for me...Exhaustion sets in, meetin after meetin with the Examiner and potential investor's is drainin, workin a full time job and tryin to make time for the kids is takin its toll on me, others are the same, every city fan is exhausted...mentally and physically!...A steely determination can still be found tho, whenever one feels down and exhausted there is always a fellow City fan to urge you on, they are everywhere, on the stands next to you, in the pub and at the work place...City has not only overtaken all our lives, it has become our life...

All I can remember about on field activities with any clarity is the heartbreak of a late equaliser from Derry in the FAI Cup and heartbreak in the replay...Another Devine error cost us the first game but people are too busy savin the club to apportion any blame to any player...

October is upon us before we even know it...Is there light at the end of the tunnel?...We can see it but we blink our eyes to make sure, too many false dawns have us on guard...Finally the hard work pays off, all those late nites on the forum chattin with fellow fans, meeting after meeting, toil and determination have got us thru it...every City fan takes a deep breath as the High Court declare us 'safe'...tears are shed, hands are shook and backs are slapped...This is what it feels like to be a LOI fan...crisis after crisis with massive highs and lows in between, yet one thing remains static in our lives...

Cork City FC...

If August did not bring that home then October just reinforced it for us all...The high of survivin examinership to the low of seein Bohs win the league to the high of beatin Derry in the Setanta Cup Semi to the low of the St.Annes End debacle for the Setanta Cup Final...Just another month in the life of a City fan...

Hope is forever rekindled tho, we have a cup final to play...The tag of bein All-Ireland Champions awaits us...Players, employees, new owners and supporters ensure that the Cross is rockin on November 1st...Nothin can stop us, it is our destiny after the season we have had to endure...We are ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS...there it is, consigned to the history books never to be taken from us...**** You Arkaga!!...

As November proceeds the lows start to creep in again...the normal end of season contract talk rears its head, questions are startin to be asked about the new owner, he is the real deal?...European dance is put on hold as the soon to be bust League Champions beat the All-Ireland champions in the temple that was once the mecca of Irish Football...Dalymount Park...

Alas the story ends...the season is over, emotions are mixed, joy at survival, anger at Arkaga still remains, apprehension at the new owner bubbles to the surface, nervousness at contract talks is keepin the mind tickin over but when all is said and done I know one thing for certain...

Next season I will have a club to support...Not a bad season after all I guess...Roll on 2009...

PR

Extra Security and Road Closed

Just heard that there has been extra security drafted in for the game (on top of the 90 already requested) and that the roads leading to the ground will be closed for all non ticket holder's...

I posted it in the rumour section until it is officially announced by the FAI/Setanta Committee which I am led to believe will be this evening something...

St. Annes End

Bombard Prenderville in the morning pleadin with the powers that be to sort the damn thing out...

No point goin into the politics of it all...Just say that we are disgusted that alot of genuine City and Glen supporters will not get to see this game...Stress we do not care who is too blame, we just want it sorted...

They have 2 full days to get the damn thing done, it can be done, it shoudl be done...but people on all sides need to be willin to do it...

Cant do any harm surely to make a bit of noise about this...

I'm thinkin of givin them a buzz anyway as a local Cllr and pointin out the missed opportunity that is there to promote the City, promote cross border relations, promote our own League...

Weather Forecast for Next Saturday

Sunday 26th - Cloudy but dry, high of 11 and a low of 4 degrees...
Monday 27th - Cloudy with some drizzle, high of 8 and a low of 4 degrees...
Tuesday 28th - Showers, heavy at times, high of 7 and a low of 1 degree...
Wednesday 29th - Cloudy with some sunny spells, high of 7 and a low of 1 degree...
Thursday 30th - Heavy Rain, high of 9 and a low of 3 degrees...
Friday 31st - Rain with high winds, high of 8 and a low of 5 degrees...
Saturday - Cloudy with a 20% chance of Rain, high of 10 and a low of 5 degrees...


Looks like a dry night of football but the pitch could be a bit heavy with the amount of rain due to fall on Thursday and Friday...Thursday and Friday look like bad days with lots of rain...the Cross takes water well tho with only 2 games in 10 years bein cancelled due to a water logged pitch...

FF down 10% in latest poll

This Sunday's Red C/Sunday Business Post poll.

FF - 26% (-10)
FG - 33% (+5)
Lab - 15% (+6)
Green - 6% (-1)
SF - 10% (+1)
PD - 2% (-1)
Ind - 8% (no change)