'We need to go up as a whole city': Cork City boss Robson pleads for fan unity

Cork City manager Barry Robson is held aloft in the celebrations following their First Division promotion. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Barry Robson insists Cork City’s Premier Division survival hinges as much on club unity as finances.

Friday night’s set of results, primarily City maintaining their 20 point lead by drawing at Bray Wanderers, wrapped up the First Division title with six games to spare.

The Rebel Army are back in the top-flight at the first time of asking but challenges exist to snap the yo-yo cycle of promotion and relegation the club has endured since 2022.

Rancour between fans and club owner Dermot Usher persists too. That was brought to the nation 12 months ago with the ‘toilet-roll’ protest during the FAI Cup semi-final win over St Patrick’s Athletic and chants from the terraces have continued during their second-tier campaign.

Former Aberdeen boss Robson was appointed in January following the abrupt exit of Ger Nash, accumulating an average of 2.3 points per game in the title success.

As players around him celebrated completing the mission, the Scots turned his attention next year while also praising the contribution of Usher.

“The big thing for me to say is that we need the fans, need that connection,” he stressed.

“They’ve been really good this season but we need to go up as a whole city, as Cork next year. We need to be together.

“That means that if we’re not having some good games, we all support each other and are in it together as the whole club.

“If we do that, we’ve got a chance of being successful next year. But if we don’t, that’s when problems arise.”

He added on that subject: “It’s too easy sometimes if you lose a few games for the heads of the players to go down. Or the fans get a bit restless, or people in the club get a bit narky with each other.

“That cannot happen. If we are gonna lose an odd game or lose a couple of games or whatever, we stick together.

“That’s as a club, as a unit, everyone. The fans back the players, and we work hard to help the fans enjoy the games.

“So we need that bit of unity right through the club, and I think this team are starting to build that here with the fans.” As referenced in our earlier article, City’s recruitment has commenced already by extending select current players on contracts and hatching deals for a couple of new recruits.

Robson has seen for himself the step-up in standard in the Premier, both from his side being knocked out of the FAI Cup by champions Shamrock Rovers in extra-time and watching top-flight games in the flesh.

“There will be some players coming in but there’ll be a lot of these players still here,” he explained.

“It’s a big step up, don’t get me wrong, and I think maybe a lot of people will look at us this season and think, “Oh, it’s not gonna be a big step up.”.

“They watched us against Shamrock Rovers and how well we performed.

“There wasn’t much between the teams that night. We do need help in the team, the players will say that, and it’s not a case of emptying people and getting rid of people.

“We want to make sure when we go back up into the big league, that we actually stay in the big league and we really progress as a club.” Asked why the public can be confident of avoiding another immediate relegation, Robson pointed to his work with board consultant Simon Grayson, director of football Liam Kearney and Usher.

“We need to add, strengthen and the four of us have another meeting next week,” he explained.

“If you get the money, you’ll stay up. But Dermot’s has put a lot of money into this football club. The fans have put a lot of money into this club.

“So maybe it needs a bit of continuity, a bit of structure.”