Four decades of Cork City: Revisiting the reestablishment of a League of Ireland presence on Leeside

THE START OF IT: Avondale's Jerry Collins heads clear of Cork City players Barry Heiland and Donal Donovan in the Munster Senior Cup back in 1984.

SUMMER OF 1990 and the imminent revolution of Manchester United was in town to be absorbed by the Musgrave Park masses.

Alex Ferguson had rocked into Cork with his FA Cup winners, melding a squad for Premier League dominance, but his directors weren’t getting their own way.

One was so smitten by the bright green Cork City tie donned by Jerry Harris that he offered his United one in exchange. “No thanks,” said the late club stalwart. 

“I wouldn’t part with it for ten grand.” 

That garment around his neck symbolised the resurrection of League of Ireland football in Cork. Ties were gifted to those who took up membership during the 1984 birth of Cork City FC.

Last week marked the 40th anniversary of the club staging its first competitive game, the August 19 Munster Senior Cup fixture against Avondale United.

Two years had passed since the cessation of Cork United, leaving the county without a league representative for the first time since 1924.

Jim Hennebry and Chris Herlihy led the application to the FAI, supported by a squadron of volunteers and supporters. 

That Guinness was onboard as main sponsor, through the benevolence of Tim O’Sullivan, and his namesake Tony worked for kit supplier Adidas, presented a jumpstart.

Once the FAI accepted membership at their 1984 AGM in Bundoran, top-tier football beckoned, as it wasn’t until the following year that the First Division was introduced.

“There was talk of Cork Hibs being re-established but this was a new name and new brand,” explained Tony O’Sullivan. “The support was there to get football back up and running but it wasn’t easy.” 

Firstly, they had to appoint a manager and the availability of Bobby Tambling, an adopted son, made the decision a formality.

There remained a core group of players from the previous iterations on the Leeside scene Tambling was involved in as both player and manager while the surge of non-league Cobh Ramblers to the 1983 FAI Cup semi-final was opportune. 

Paul Crowley was an astute addition.

Tambling returned to his native England to recruit David Bleadsdale, Bobby Woodruff and one Stuart Ashton – who settled in Cork and remains synonymous on the football beat.

City, draped in a kit of green and white hoops with a thin red line, were ready for action. Avondale, where many players and Tambling had moved from, were also ready to spoil the occasion at Flower Lodge.

Billy O’Sullivan fired the underdogs ahead approaching the interval before an equaliser from substitute Jim Leahy paved the way for Donie Madden to seal a 2-1 win from the penalty spot.

“We always knew our first match would be hard,” Tambling told Irish Examiner reporter Billy George afterwards. 

“It takes time for players to get to know each other and coming from behind is encouraging. Perhaps it’s better to build gradually in this way and, in any case, it’s important to get the foundations right.” 

Enlisting dual star Dinny Allen helped his project. An FAI Cup winner with Hibs in 1973, he was a fan of Tambling’s from their days shared on the pitch. “It was great to have League of Ireland football back in Cork but a lot of us players were burning oil at that stage of our careers,” said the Cork legend.

Tambling’s reign lasted merely 13 games, Allen concentrated solely on GAA, and Tony Allen took the hotseat.

“We were from the same area, had the same surname but I never knew Tucker well, nor played for him,” explained Dinny.

Assisted by Donie Leahy, Tucker put his own stamp on City – Terry McDermott being the first of many big-name English players imported to help bolster crowds.

O’Sullivan recalls the disparity of events during those early years. From using the streetlights of Centre Park Road for training to Flower Lodge being packed for the visit of Derry City for the FAI Cup quarter-final. Over 7,000 away fans made the journey.

Anto Whelan was captain that day – one of two Dubliners, along with Paddy Hughes, enticed from Shamrock Rovers for the second season.

“Tucker sold me Cork City when I met him in Naas and it was the best move I made,” he admits. 

“Cork is a sport-mad county and the team spirit developed by having pre-season on the beaches – and pubs! – of Crosshaven helped get us to a Cup semi-final.” 

It wasn’t until 1993 that the league title was brought home but the forefathers of Hennebry and Herlihy, who both died in 2020, can be proud of reestablishing Cork’s League of Ireland presence.