Kilkenny City A.F.C.

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Kilkenny City

Full name

Kilkenny City
Association Football Club

Nickname(s)

Black Cats, The Cats

Founded

1966

Ground

Buckley Park, Kilkenny,
County Kilkenny
(Capacity 6,500 (1,500 seats).)

Chairman

Gerry Meaney

Manager

Position Vacant

2006

10th





Home colours





Away colours

Kilkenny City A.F.C. was an Irish football club. The club played in the First Division of the Football League of Ireland until 18 January 2008 when they announced that they resigned their position in the league citing “lack of finance, poor results and paltry attendances”.^[1]

The club hails from Kilkenny and used Buckley Park as their home pitch. Buckley Park has hosted many International under age soccer games.Kilkenny City will be entering the under 20 division this season which run co-currently with the schoolboy season (August to May).

1 History
2 Notable Former Players
3 Notable Former Managers
4 Honours
5 Competition History
6 Attendances
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

In 1966 a group of Leaving Certificate students made the most of having a free class at the local Christian Brothers school. They debated the pros and cons, devised a plan and, finally, resolved to start a football club. The club was originally known as EMFA, becoming Kilkenny City in 1989. Jim Rhatigan was appointed as the club’s secretary a position he still holds and since then he has become closely associated with football in Kilkenny. EM stood for Emmett Street and FA for Fatima Place where Jim Rhatigan grew up.

Initially EMFA competed in the U18 Kilkenny and District Youth League under the management of Donie Butler. Donie Butler served as Commercial Manager of the FAI during the Jack Charlton years. The club was unable to afford a new set of jerseys and so agreed to play in an all white strip. The logic being that all the players had at least one white t-shirt or shirt they could wear. The clubs colours changed to claret and blue before changing again to black and amber, coinciding with the renaming of the club.

EMFA graduated from junior football in 1971/72 season. Jim Rhatigan became their manager and the club remained in junior football until 1984. During this period the club purchased 5.7 acres of land from a local farmer by the name of Mick Murphy, owner of the adjacent Tennypark House, for £16,000 punts. They had previously played their home games at the Freshford Road grounds, St. James Park. The ground was originally called Tennypark and was later named Buckley Park in honour of Marty Buckley. A bid of One million was made for the clubs grounds in the late eighties but was rejected in the favour of football.

In 1984 the club won the Junior league and cup remaining defeated throughout the entire season. It was decided that he club should apply for admission to the then League of Ireland (now the Eircom League). In their maiden season Kilkenny city then known as EMFA, (from 1985-1989) finished tenth in Division 1.

EMFA won their first honour in 1987, winning the First Division shield defeating Finn Harps 4-2 in Oriel Park.The club changed its name to Kilkenny City in 1989. In 1991 under Joe McGrath they reached the FAI Cup semi-final before suffering defeat to Shamrock Rovers.

In the 1996-1997 season Kilkenny city won the First Division title with 11 points to spare over their nearest rivals Drogheda United thus gaining promotion to the Premier Division. Their stay in the premier was short however as they finished in eleventh the following season and were relegated back to the First Division.

In the 1999-2000 season Kilkenny city finished third and beat Waterford United in a promotion-relegation playoff returning to the Premier. However, Kilkenny city were unable to extend their stay in the top flight beyond a single season managing only a single league victory throughout the whole season. General manager Jim Rhatigan wrote "Mud, Sweat and Jeers" a semi autobiographical account of the founding of the club.

The club celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2006. The anniversary was celebrated with a memorial mass at Father Fiachra’s Church presided over by Father Willie Purcell and complete with a gospel choir. Dave Bassett, former Wimbledon F.C. manager was guest of honour with former Northern Ireland international, Gerry Taggart also attending the club’s anniversary banquet at the Lyrath Estate Hotel.

The previous manager was the former Shelbourne FC player Pat Scully. Scully's successor Adrian Fitzpatrick was sacked in October 2006. Gary Coad took over as caretaker manager until the end of the 2006 season.

The club appointed Brendan Rea as their new manager in preparation for the 2007 season until July when he resigned. Tommy Gaynor then took over as manager. Subsequently Tommy Gaynor parted company with the club leaving Under 21 Manager Noel Byrne as the last ever caretaker/ manager.

[edit] Notable Former Players

[edit] Notable Former Managers

Jim Rhatigan: 1985-86, 1988-89
Eamonn Gregg: 1989-90
Joe McGrath: 1990-91, 2000-01
Noel Synnott: 1991-92
John Cleary: 1992-93, 1993-94
Paddy Gallacher: 1994-95
Alfie Hale: 1995-99
Pat Byrne: 1999-2000

Billy Walsh: 2001-03
Tommy Lynch: 2003
Ger Bickerstaffe: 2004
Pat Scully: 2005
Adrian Fitzpatrick: 2006
Brendan Rea: 2007
Tommy Gaynor: July 07-Sept 07

[edit] Honours

FAI First Division
- Winners 1996-97: 1
League of Ireland First Division Shield
- 1987: 1

[edit] Competition History

League

Played 603 Won 146 Draw 150 Lost 281 Goals For 636 Goals Against 899 Points 539

All final positions are in Division 1 unless otherwise stated.

As EMFA (1985-1990)

1985-1986: 10th

1986-1987: 9th

1987-1988: 10th

1988-1989: 9th

As Kilkenny City

1989-1990: 4th

1990-1991: 7th

1991-1992: 8th

1992-1993: 9th

1993-1994: 8th

1994-1995: 10th

1995-1996: 7th

1996-1997: 1st

1997-1998: 11th (Premier Div)

1998-1999: 5th

1999-2000: 3rd

2000-2001: 12th (Premier Div)

2001-2002: 5th

2003-2004: 12th

2004: 10th

2005: 4th

2006: 10th

2007: 10th

FAI Cup 1990-1991: Semi Final (Lost to Shamrock Rovers 1-0,losing finalist that year).

1996-1997: Round 1 (Lost to Bohemians 1-2 in replay at Dalymount Park)

1997-1998: Round 1 (Lost to UCD 0-4)

1998-1999: Quarter Finals (Kilkenny City were forced to forfeit the replay to Finn Harps, the losing finalists that year, after drawing the first game 2-2 as they had only eleven fit players, that include's two goalkeepers)

1999-2000: Quarter Finals (Lost to Bray Wanderers 0-2)

2000-2001: Quarter Finals (Lost to Bohemians 2-7 , winners that year)

2001-2002: Round 3 (Lost to Dundalk 2-3)

2002-2003: Quarter Finals (Lost to Shamrock Rovers 0-1, the losing finalists that year)

2003: Round 2 (Lost to Limerick FC 1-2)

2004: Round 3 (Lost to Waterford United 2-7, the losing finalists that year)

2005: Round 2 (Lost to Finn Harps 0-1)

2006: Round 2 (Lost to UCD 0-2)

2007: Round 3 {Lost to Cork City 5-1}