Cork F.C.

Cork Football Club was an Irish football club based in Cork that played in the League of Ireland between 1924 and 1940. It began life as Fordsons Football Club and changed its name to Cork City before folding in 1940 having got into financial difficulties.

History

The club was originally the factory team of the Ford Motor Company, a major employer in the city at that time and was named after the Fordson tractor, resulting in the nickname The Tractors, playing at Ballinlough Road, now the site of Pic Du Jer housing estate, until 1929 when it moved to the Mardyke.^[1] In 1930, Ford ended its association with the club and they were renamed simply as Cork.^[2] Their name was changed again in 1938 - to Cork City, but the club folded in February 1940 and was reformed as Cork United, who took over the club's results and fixtures for the 1939-40 season.^[3]

In 1924, the club were runners-up in the FAI Cup, losing 1-0 to Athlone Town. Later that year, they were admitted to the League of Ireland, replacing Midland Athletic. As a result they became the first ever club from Cork to play in the League. In 1926, they reached their second FAI Cup final. Fordsons twice came from behind before beating Shamrock Rovers 3-2.^[4] As Fordsons the club also won the Munster Senior Cup four times, in 1930 winning it with a reserve team.^[5]

Several players played for both the League of Ireland XI and the Irish Free State national football team. On February 23, 1924 Bill O'Hagan kept goal for a League of Ireland XI in 3-0 defeat against Celtic. In March 1925 Paddy Kelly also played in a 2-1 defeat against a Welsh League XI. Both O'Hagan and Kelly had also played for the Ireland team selected by the Irish Football Association before joining Fordsons.^[6][7] In November 1925 Frank Brady, the great-uncle of Liam Brady, also played in a 2-2 against a Welsh League XI. In March 1926 Brady played for both the League of Ireland XI and the Irish Free State. He helped the League defeat an Irish League XI 3-1 ^[8] before, together with James Connelly, he played against Italy.^[9] In 1927 Brady also captained the Irish Free State against an Italy B team.^[10] In 1928 when the Irish Free State beat Belgium 4-2 in an away game, the team featured four Fordsons players - Paddy Barry, Charlie Dowdall, Jack Sullivan and John Wade. Sullivan scored the last goal with a penalty in the 79th minute.^[11] This was the first penalty to be scored at international level by an Irish player. Barry and Dowdall, then playing with Barnsley, also played against Belgium in 1929 ^[12] while Frank McLaughlin played against the same team in 1930.^[13] Formers Fordsons players Owen Kinsella and Mick McCarthy were both capped by the Irish Free State after leaving the club. On April 26, 1931 Charlie Dowdall was capped when he played in 1-1 away draw against Spain. On December 13, 1931 Frank McLoughlin played in a return game against the same opponents. Between 1935 and 1938 Bill Harrington won five caps while playing for Cork. In 1934 goalkeeper Jim Foley won two caps before going onto win a further 5 caps while playing for Celtic.^[14] On February 25, 1934 at Dalymount Park when the Irish Free State made their World Cup debut in a qualifier against Belgium, Foley, together with Tom Burke and Tim O'Keefe, was one of three Cork players in the team.^[15] Hugh Connolly won his only cap in a friendly against Germany on October 17, 1936. Two dual Irish internationals, Harry Chatton and Owen Madden, also played for the Irish Free State while playing for Cork.^[16] Madden helped Cork reach the 1936 FAI Cup. However shortly afterwards he became embroiled in controversy when it emerged that, together with another Cork player Jack O'Reilly, he had signed for Norwich City before playing in the cup final on April 19. When Cork, who received no fee, protested over the moves, both Madden and O'Reilly were suspended by the FAI for three years .^[17]

Notable former players

Honours

• FAI Cup: 2
  • 1925-26, 1933-34
• Munster Senior Cup
  • 1922-23, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1928–29, 1929-30 (Reserves), 1933-34, 1936-37, 1938-39: 8

Season placings

See also

• League of Ireland in Cork city

References