Cork City’s new era dawns with owner Dermot Usher aiming high
Dermot Usher’s era as Cork City’s new owner officially got underway on Thursday night at the launch of the season ahead.
Guests attended the Kingsley Hotel where the club’s senior men’s and women’s squads received their new jerseys for the upcoming campaigns – as well as the club’s Amputee team.
The men’s team open theirs on Friday week, February 17, by hosting Bohemians at Turner’s Cross while the women begin later, on March 4, away to double holders Shelbourne.
Although the interest of Usher in purchasing the club arose in November once Grovemoor Limited relinquished their first option to buy, a couple of hurdles had to be overcome to reach finality.
The first of those involved gaining a majority vote from Friends of the Rebel Army Society (FORAS), the fans trust that owned the club since saving it in 2010. After addressing members at a special general meeting on December 4, he received 86% backing from the floor and via email.
There followed a transitional period of eight weeks during which due diligence and employment handovers were completed, leading to a formal announcement last Friday.
Usher’s business background is SONAS Bathrooms, a business he expanded to €40m annual turnover, which he successfully sold a majority stake in 2021 for approximately €30m.
In recent years, he explored investment opportunities across the League of Ireland, amongst them Dundalk, Shelbourne and Waterford, but decided Cork City was the right fit for his plans to lead a best-in-class club.
His manifesto is ambitious – a top-half of the table target in the team’s first season back in the Premier Division underwritten by up to €850,000 of a cash injection in year one.
Equipping manager Colin Healy with a budget 10% superior to what the manager felt was needed to survive following promotion helps.
Furthermore, the portion allocated to fund a proposed newly-created director of football post – abandoned after preferred candidate Pat Fenlon instead chose a similar role at Bohemians – has been rerouted into the playing budget.
Healy has spent the off-season attempting to strengthen his squad for the tougher challenge but with mixed results.
His first challenge was stemming the flow of young talent to the UK clubs for modest transfer fees, usually dictated by agents during contract negotiations.
David Harrington’s stellar form during his first season as first-choice, especially a First Division title one, was always going to attract suitors and though a deal with Everton perished due to surgery on his shoulder, League One club Fleetwood Town snapped up the free agent.
Mark O’Mahony and Franco Umeh both broke into the team last season but once they turned 18 were off to Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace respectively for an upfront combined fee of €140,000. As is the norm in the Irish football industry, the real money will only flow from performance-based increments at club and international level.
Kevin O’Connor’s experience, having opted to relocate abroad for a new venture, will also be missed – emphasising the work remaining to tool up for the 36 games coming thick and fast.
Swedish trio – midfielder Albin Winbo, wing-back Kevin Čustović and striker Daniel Krezic – have been interesting arrivals while Celtic loanee Tobi Oluwayemi, on Thursday night handed the No 1 jersey, will be relied upon to succeed Harrington.
Usher said: “The reason for this jersey presentation was for the players to know how important it is to play for the club and treat it with respect. All we ask is that they do their best.
“I got involved to take this club on a journey and want as many people connected – volunteers, fans, sponsors, players and staff – to feel part of it.”
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