Here is a transcript of Trevor Welch’s Big Red Bench on Sunday:
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TW: Now then, as promised, let’s continue with soccer and certainly Liam Murphy has been busy over the past few days in the signing stakes. He’s signed a couple of players. Alison Hyland has been speaking to the Cork City boss about his new signings.
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LM: Well in 93-95 Billy was a very good player and he caught the attention of cross channel clubs and he was a team mate of mine and he was signed by Tranmere and from there he went to Portadown and to Rovers and he’s a very experienced player at this stage and he’s still only 28 so he’s just coming into his prime really so, you know, we’re looking forward to seeing him in the Cork City colours again.
AH: Now you have also brought back John Andrews who was formerly at Coventry and Mansfield, defender John Andrews. What can he bring to the side?
LM: Well John Andrews is a fine, is a big lad, he has had a lot of experience playing across the water. He went over at a very young age and he has experience and he’s a former international as well and, you know, he’ll be a very useful addition to the side.
AH: How will their experience benefit what is a quiet young team?
LM: Well, we’re quite a young team in certain areas, but not in all areas, but, you know, I think I felt that we did need maybe to bring in a bit more experience into the squad even though John is only 23 and Billy is 28 I felt, you know, that we still needed to bring in a small bit more experience and, you know, to bring the younger lads on because we’ve some lads who are only 18 and 19 and, as you know, they’ve had a season under their belts last season and we’d be hopeful that they’d be much more mature next year.
AH: Have you any plans to bring in any further new players?
LM: Well, I’d be hopeful of bringing in a striker. I have a couple of names in mind which I have to follow up, but, you know, it’s going to take a while, but I really want to bring in quality, you know, rather than rush into things.
AH: You’ll certainly be in contention for a high place next year in the league.
LM: Well, we weren’t far off it last season to be quite honest with you. We had just a lot of 1-0 defeats and we were in there right up to the last one or two games and we could have quite easily, with one win, finished third or fourth, you know. But we’re all agreed on last season; it’s a season best forgotten and let’s get it on the pitch now, let’s get it sorted.
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TW: Liam Murphy on his new signings for Cork City. We spoke to one of them earlier. I was in conversation with the flying winger Billy Woods, talking to Billy about how excited he is to be back in the Cork City colours for next season.
BW: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it, you know, we’re starting back training now in two weeks so I’m really looking forward to it. It took a while for the deal to be completed but it was finally signed and sealed last Thursday so it’s a good move for me and I can’t wait for the season to begin.
TW: It’s hard to believe Billy that you haven’t played for City since ‘95. You signed in ‘93 and actually left to go to Tranmere in 1995.
BW: Yeah, it’s been seven years now and the seasons have flown by really since I left City. We had a good team there but I think we underachieved while I was there at the time. Hopefully we can get some silverware next season.
TW: Yeah, you had some great memories in that period, most notably, I suppose Billy, playing in the European Cup against Galatasary.
BW: Yeah, I think City did very well when they played over there and they were unfortunate to lose 1-0 back home and the following season we played Slavia Prague, which consisted of a very good team including Berger and Nedved and we got hammered at home, but it was good experience for me.
TW: You’ve certainly had an interesting career to date to say the least Billy – going to Tranmere, around that time of course you played with the Irish under21s, then moved to Portadown and most recently of course and you ‘ve just left Shamrock Rovers.
BW: Yeah, I’ve enjoyed my career so far. I had a couple of years at Tranmere and progressed onto Portadown for a season, which was an experience in itself, and played for Rovers for the last four years, a very professional club to play for and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
TW: Yeah, I suppose it was a bit difficult commuting to Dublin so it’s going to be handier for you because you’re back living in Midleton and working in Cork, Billy, to play with Cork City makes sense obviously.
BW: It does, yeah, with the training side of things and everything, you know. Unfortunately, last year I wasn’t able to train as often as I wanted with Rovers, but this year, training three or four times a week with City I’m going to enjoy it and obviously the games are at home on Friday nights will create a good atmosphere for the club and we can get the crowds back hopefully.
TW: Yeah, how hard do you think, how difficult will it be to compete with, we’ll say the Dublin clubs, Billy, you know so much about the Dublin clubs having spent so much time in Dublin? I mean, they’re all full-time now as such, with Shelbourne, St. Pat’s and Bohemians, at least.
BW: Yeah, I mean obviously they’re going to be favourites for the league again - the three sides you mentioned. They probably have squads consisting of 15 full-time players. Obviously for a club like Cork, you’re an outpost so having full-time players is going to be difficult, but I think we can compete and hopefully get one of the European spots which would be a very good achievement for the team, you know.
TW: Yeah, just on Rovers, the reason why your former boss Damien Richardson, who you had two spells under with Cork City, of course, and Rovers, the main reason he left because he couldn’t get to go full-time and have full-time players.
BW: Yeah, I think the problem that Damien had is that Rovers have no income at the moment without a ground, so obviously they’re paying rent every week to the likes of Shelbourne and St. Pat’s so they just couldn’t see the feasibility in going full-time. Obviously Damien had a difference of opinion with Joe Colwell and they’ve decided to go their separate ways.
TW: Yeah, obviously Billy, as well, you’ll be playing with a whole new-look Cork City compared to the team that you played with in ’93 to ’95. It’s a young side now, as you well know, and I suppose there’s a few surviving members there; you’d have played with Declan Daly, Pat Morley, Stephen Napier and Liam Murphy was a player at that time, now the manager of course.
BW: Yeah, we had a very experienced side then really, probably a lot more experienced than the side is now. I mean we have young players coming through at the moment like Neal Horgan, Alan Carey and Alan Bennett and obviously with a years experience behind them it’s going to help them this year and hopefully we can keep going on from there.
TW: Yeah, you signed a three-year contract Bill, yeah?
BW: Yeah, a three-year contract, yeah, so I’m really looking forward to it.
TW: Okay, well we wish you all the very best. We’re looking forward to seeing you in a Cork City jersey again Billy down the Cross, raiding down the wings.
BW: Yeah, hopefully the good times will come back again, you know we can get the crowds back and on a Friday night we can generate some atmosphere out there and I’m looking forward to the season.
TW: Okay, looking forward to seeing you in action Billy. Thanks for talking to us on Trevor Welch’s Big Red Bench.
BW: Thanks Trevor.
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