Cork City seek €150,000 per year for Turner's Cross naming rights

Stadium naming rights within the League of Ireland are a rarity at the moment. 

CORPORATE PIITCH: An average attendance of 4,000 at Turner's Cross is forecasted for the upcoming Premier Division season. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Cork City have made available the naming rights sponsorship of Turner’s Cross for €150,000 per year.

The venue, owned by the Munster Football Association, hosts the top-flight fixtures of both men’s and women’s teams, as well as periodic underage internationals.

As part of their prospectus pitch to the corporate sector, an average attendance of 4,000 within the 7,485-capacity is forecasted for the new Premier Division season, kicking off this Friday against John Caulfield’s Galway United.

Dermot Usher promised to boost commercial income when he took ownership of the club two years ago, organising a series of events such as golf outings and the upcoming Italia ’90 reunion gigs in Cork and Dublin.

Stadium naming rights within the thriving League of Ireland sector are a rarity – with Drogheda United’s Sullivan and Lambe Park the only current top-flight club with a brand paying for the rights.

“The sponsorship of Cork City’s Turner’s Cross stadium is a unique partnership opportunity for the right brand to align with one of the most strongly supported clubs and iconic stadiums in Ireland,” reads the pitch.

“In addition to the men's senior games, this sponsorship also covers women’s home games, FAI underage matches and approx. 100 local finals annually.” 

Just over 12 months ago, Cork GAA and SuperValu inked a ten-year naming rights deal for Páirc Uí Chaoimh worth an estimated €300,000 per annum for the cash-strapped body.

Around the same time, Virgin Media assumed the name connected with the Musgrave Park rugby stadium situated close to Turner’s Cross. That deal is understood to be significantly less than the marquee GAA package.

Mr Usher is targeting annual commercial revenues of more than €1m as he outlined ambitious plans for the club’s future.

He said the club viewed premises in the city centre last Friday with a view to opening a new retail outlet — part of a series of off-the-field ventures to bolster the business.

Mr Usher took over Cork City in early 2023. Relegation and promotion have followed in the two seasons, at a personal cost of €1.4m but the club is now embarking on the new League of Ireland Premier Division season.

After 24 months of fluctuating financial fortunes, and two years of financial losses, he believes the club can embark on a more secure future. Part of that future involves an increased focus on the retail element of the club.

The club has a retail outlet at Douglas Shopping Centre but Mr Usher said a new city centre premises is in the pipeline.

AMBITION: Cork City owner Dermot Usher wants the club to be successful on and off the pitch. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

“There is a good deal of planning yet before it’s finalised. We viewed the premises last Friday and there's still a bit of work required inside it.” Mr Usher said he sees expanding retail as “a business within a business”.

“We have set up Rebel Army Clothing to take control of our own buying, design, and pricing, reducing the price of our adult shirt from €75 to €60, with a whole range of contemporary training tops, fleeces, and hoodies.

"We have a lot of ambition to grow that business, and with our supply chains fully in place we aim to be in a position to supply other clubs with kits.” 

The club is also branching into other revenue streams, including promotions, next month holding events in the RDS in Dublin on March 14 and Cork’s Opera House on March 15 with members of Ireland’s Italia 90 World Cup squad. The Opera House gig has already passed 600 ticket sales.

Other plans include new LED pitchside signage at Turners Cross. But while these sidelines are all helpful at driving money back into the club, football remains the core business.

While kit pricing has reduced, individual matchday admission prices have risen this season, priced at €25 for adults. Last year individual tickets were available online for €15, while they were available online for €18 in 2023. Mr Usher said the price had not been reflective of rising costs around the club.

“The amount of inflation on costs around the club has been crazy, in some cases up to 50%,” he reasoned.

“Our rental costs are up substantially, and while a minimum wage agreed in the League of Ireland is a good thing the costs have a ripple effect which filters down.” 

He also pointed out that tickets are available in five-match blocks for €100, representing a significant saving, and that season ticket holders who renewed this year are paying just €15 for a game — “€15 was the price 15 years ago to go to a match in Cork so the price hasn’t been reflective. Our season ticket sales, in cash terms, are already way up on when we were last in the Premier Division in 2023."

In December, Mr Usher took in a new investor into the club as David Cronin, a businessman whose other interests include Wylde e-sports, and a former member of the Munster Rugby commercial board took on a 20% stake in the club.

The club is also looking at securing a long-term training base and is increasing its community outreach.

Ultimately, success on the pitch will be key to increasing revenues off it, and survival in the Premier Division is the main aim for the season. Mr Usher said the club’s pre-season spending is finished but that funds could be available for manager Tim Clancy later in the season for the right deals.

“Our mission is to stay in the Premier Division. There are 10 teams in the division and they are the 10 wealthiest clubs.

“The challenge for us is can we be successful on and off the pitch. We have a lot of work to do but I believe we are getting there and I’m looking forward to the season.”