A good portion of the Cork City squad which will arrive at the Aviva tomorrow for the FAI Cup final will have finished in the runner-up position in the league for the third year in a row.

Finbarr Flood was a safe pair of hands on and off the pitch, writes Liam Mackey 

LEESIDE LEGEND: Cork-born Jackie Morley signs for West Ham in 1955 where he spent three seasons before returning in 1958, joining League of Ireland newcomers, Cork Hibs.

Romance was in the air at Ford’s showrooms in Sandyford, Dublin on Tuesday but, despite the gleaming array of new and vintage motors on display, that special tingle had nothing to do with the lure of the open road or the magic in the night that Springsteen had in mind back when him and Mary were “pullin’ outta here to win”.

A soccer fortress turned GAA ground, once home to Cork Hibs, presently the secondary venue of the Cork County Board.

New Manchester United coach Jimmy Lumsden, who has joined manager David Moyes from Everton, spent part of his playing career with Cork Hibernians in the 1970s.

There aren’t too many men who have created a sporting legend at Páirc Uí Rinn, Turner’s Cross and Musgrave Park. Perhaps former Cork City manager Noel O’Mahony, who died on Thursday night at the age of 73, is the only one.

CORK City’s new chief executive Tim Murphy says he wants to see the club become “one of the powerhouses of Irish football”.

WITH a few weeks to go, I feel we are still at a safe enough remove from the European Championship play-offs for your (admittedly nervous) correspondent to make an unusually bold prediction: Ireland will qualify for the 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine.

THE household names have given way to the names of households.

THE GAA recently outlined its latest figures for attendances and revenues. As Croke Park says farewell to the Six Nations this evening, Michael Moynihan enlisted academic and All-Ireland-winner John Considine to look beyond the figures.

GARDAÍ are preparing a file for the DPP following an attack on a former Republic of Ireland international soccer player who is fighting for his life in hospital.

GARDAÍ last night issued another appeal for witnesses to an assault that left a former Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest soccer player in critical condition in a Cork hospital.

ONE is pleased to wish Fran Gavin and Noel Mooney a Happy Christmas and, with even more than the usual reflex festive cheer, a particularly prosperous New Year.

EIRCOM League champions and current leaders Shelbourne at home to Derry City was the pick of the bunch when the draw for the Carlsberg FAI Cup second round was made in Dublin last night.

BOLTON Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce brings a strong squad, led by captain Jay Jay Okocha, to play a Cork

WORLD CUP winner, Youri Djorkaeff, and Nigeria’s star midfielder, Jay-Jay Okocha, will, barring injury, be included in the Bolton Wanderers team to play a Cork selection on Wednesday of next week at Turner’s Cross.

THE German managers of Scotland’s international football teams were full of praise for the under-age structure that Brian Kerr has established in Ireland.

THE FAI should not have to wait for Bryan Hamilton’s short-list to arrive at a replacement manager for Mick McCarthy. If they apply logic to the issue, Brian Kerr should be the next Irish team manager.

CORK CITY have injury concerns about the fitness of leading goal-scorer John O’Flynn who may be forced to miss tonight’s important eircom league tie against Bohemians at Dalymount Park.