New Manager - No Mop

Every day this club surprises me, they sack the most successful and then the most professional manager in a row, the first took compensation and the next still could very well do and now, we’ve managed somehow to sign one of the biggest managers in the domestic game. After public submissions, help from the League Managers Association and dozens of names thrown about former Drogheda United manager Paul Doolin has been appointed the 16th manager of Cork City in their 25 year history. Doolin had a 22 year playing career, winning 5 league titles with Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne and Derry City as well as 5 FAI Cups and a League Cup trophy with Derry. He also played a year in Northern Ireland and won a league and Cup title with Co. Armagh side Portadown. The Dublin native also awarded the PFAI Player of the year on two occasions (1985-86, 1988-89) His first managing job was also as a player, Doolin spent 2 seasons as player-manager of UCD and after a fruitless term he took over newly promoted Drogheda United which was to be a turning point in his career in the dugout, he guided Drogheda to their first FAI Cup success in 2005, beating us in a wet and windy Lansdowne Road. He then beat the Rebel Army in the second final in 5 months and captured the Setanta Sports Cup in it’s second year. He retained the trophy the following year in a dramatic penalty shootout against Linfield at Windsor Park.

Cork City were once again the cannon fodder when Guy Bates struck a 25 yard strike to hand Drogs their first ever Premier Division title. 2008 for Drogheda went the way of a number of other teams getting into financial difficulties which all but ended Drogheda’s chance of retaining their league trophy, the Boynesiders started badly and the season didn’t get any better, Doolin finished his last season with the Claret and Blue outfit after financial cutbacks and after 3 months of unemployment baldy will take the reigns at Cork City, hoping to restore some stability back to the club, don’t expect to see many new faces though!!