Cork City F.C (1938-1940)
After
the demise of Cork FC, a new football club in Cork appeared. Cork City F.C was
the name chosen for the new club, continuing from Cork FC’s legacy. The new
club took their place in the League of Ireland season of 1938-39. They also
managed to retain some of the players who played for Cork FC, including Jimmy
Turnbull and Jim Foley. The club continued to play at the Mardyke, however
there was a change in colour from their usual green and white strip. Instead,
the club now wore a combination of red, yellow and black hooped shirts.
The
new club, Cork City, had moderate early success, reaching the Dublin City Cup
final in their first season with their new name. Most notably, they defeated
Shamrock Rovers, 7-0, in the semifinal, which remains The Hoops biggest defeat
in their history. Despite this big win, they lost the final to St James Gate,
6-0.
The
club finished 11th in the league and didn’t make any impression in
the FAI Cup. However, the season wasn’t a total disaster, as the club managed
to reach the Munster Senior Cup final. They easily defeated Munster rivals,
Limerick, 4-0, at the Mardyke. Jimmy Turnbull scored a hat-trick in the final,
consolidating his hero status in the county of Cork, no matter which side he
played under.
With
the recruitment of Owen Madden and Billy Millar for the 1939-40 season, hopes
were high for Cork City to compete in the League, however, after it emerged
that Millar was already registered as a Shelbourne player, Cork City were hit
with a fine from the FAI. It didn’t help the already vulnerable financial
situation that had followed on from the previous Cork club. With travel costs
proving too much once and the added fine they had to pay, Cork City were unable
to pay the 20% gate fee to visitors, Shelbourne FC when they came to town.
The
writing was on the wall for the club, and on Sunday, 28th January
1940, Cork City played their final game at the Mardyke versus Bohemians FC,
winning the game, 2-1. With failure’s to pay gate fee’s to opposition clubs,
the club faced expulsion from the FAI, however, two weeks after their game with
Bohemians, the club announced it was dissolving itself. On February 13th,
1940, the club was declared gone, however, history repeated itself, and a new
phoenix club appeared and took it’s place in the league that season, playing
the remainder of their games. That club was named Cork United, a club who would
become the most successful Cork side to have existed, so far.
This
is one of the shorter chapters in the story of Cork football, with the club
only lasting one and half seasons, however they did lift some silverware in the
Munster Senior Cup, which is something some Forgotten Football Clubs can say
they have never done. Lift silverware that is.