Doyle’s thoughts never far from Cork City’s troubles

KEVIN DOYLE’S focus right now may be Ireland’s opening World Cup game against Georgia in Mainz tomorrow but the former Cork City player’s thoughts have not been far from Turner’s Cross these past few weeks.

Doyle’s big move across the Irish Sea came on the back of an impressive run of form with the eircom League club and he has kept up to date with the worrying trend of events on Leeside.

Even at his distance, it hasn’t been comforting to hear about Arkaga’s withdrawal and former team-mates and staff agreeing to take a 70% pay cut in light of the financial crisis.

“It’s not nice. I was speaking to Liam Kearney about it last week a few times. For a club that is so well supported in eircom League terms, who haven’t spent as much as some teams in the league, you would wonder how they are in trouble.

“They are well sponsored as well and if Cork are in trouble you would wonder how a lot of the teams are doing. I always felt that Cork or Derry would be the ones who would never get in any financial trouble because they have good backing and support.

“They never seemed in any trouble when I was there but, maybe in the last year or two, they have spent a lot more and, with the owners pulling out it has left them up s**t creek a bit.”

He needs no reminding that, had expectations been fulfilled and he had been transferred to one of the Premier League clubs sniffing around for his signature, Cork would have received a hefty chunk of the fee.

As it was, the Wexford man still found himself contracted to Reading when the transfer window shut at midnight last Monday meaning City will have to ride the storm without any windfall from his direction.

“I had Liam Kearney ringing me about it. I hope they weren’t relying on it because I know it would have helped them out a lot. It’s not nice, players on 30% wages.

“It’s not like it is 30% of 30-40,000 grand a week. It is 30% wages that are vitally needed to pay mortgages and car bills. I know when I was there, if I had been on a 30% wage I wouldn’t have been able to pay my mortgage.

“It’s disappointing. Joe was given a contract a month ago and you would wonder why they would do that if they knew they were in trouble. Hopefully, the club will come back stronger.”