Roy hoping friendly will boost Cork coffers

ROY KEANE says that he hopes Ipswich Town’s visit to Turner’s Cross tomorrow will be a financial boost for embattled Cork City.

“If it can get a few bob into the club, fantastic,” Keane said after last night’s friendly. “Cork City have had their troubles but, please God, if there’s a decent gate, it will help. League of Ireland clubs have lost out over the last few years with a lot of players going to England and the clubs probably not getting their just reward. So if we can help them raise a few bob, fantastic, although the main reason we come here in pre-season is for tough games.

“But you need clubs like Cork City and Waterford. Look at what happened to Cobh Ramblers – they’re soon forgotten about. And it’s very, very sad. What’s happened to that club has broken people’s hearts. There are people out there who love their football clubs.

“Obviously, we all get bogged down about players getting 150 thousand or 200 thousand a week but there are people who have put their hearts and souls into League of Ireland clubs for 20, 30, 40 or 50 years and never made a penny out of it. They’re the people you have to remember, they’re the life and soul of any football club.

“Hopefully Cork City will survive their troubles. The city of Cork has a great tradition in a lot of sports – hurling, football, every sport going. And they love their football there. Hopefully, they’ll get through it.”

On matters more pertinent to his own club, Keane last night confirmed that, having failed to entice former Sunderland and Waterford United man Daryl Murphy to Ipswich, he would not be trying a second time in the wake of the collapse of the player’s proposed move to Hull.

“That’s dead in the water,” he said. “Nothing personal. I like Murph but you have to move on.”