John Byrne's EL focus CCFC -v- Malmo

[tiktok]

With Euro 2004 concentrating the minds of many, it could easily be forgotten that the new European club campaign starts this week.

Okay, there's no Manchester United, AC Milan or Real Madrid, and the Champions League and UEFA Cup are still far away on the horizon - but the InterToto Cup is still a serious competition, as some of the continent's bigger clubs have used it as a backdoor to Euro success.

For eircom League clubs, it offers the opportunity to play foreign opposition, gain valuable experience and give their fans a few great memories, if recent seasons are anything to go by.

This Saturday Cork City face formidable opposition in the shape of Swedish side Malmo - a club with an impressive European pedigree, including an appearance in the European Cup final (now the Champions League).

And although it's a daunting task - in recent years, Irish clubs have been well beaten by Swedish opponents - our clubs' recent form in this competition would suggest that City have everything to play for at Turner's Cross on Saturday.

In last year's competition, Shamrock Rovers won home and away against Polish side Odra Wodzislaw - a fantastic achievement put in context when Manchester City subsequently lost to similar opposition in the UEFA Cup - before bowing out to imposing Czechs, Slovan Liberec.

The previous year, St Patrick's Athletic beat a Croatian side before losing agonisingly on away goals to Belgian opposition.

Saturday's game should also be a colourful affair as the City fans behind the FourFiveOne fanzine are organising an ultras-style display. The Turner's Cross Shed will be awash with 1,000 green, white and red flags, plus their usual tifo flags, etc., which is sure to create a great atmosphere for both sets of players and supporters Leeside.

For Cork City fans this is the real Euro deal: their heroes aren't Zidane or Totti, but O'Flynn and O'Callaghan.

We wish them well. This week we're all Cork Citizens.

from www.aertel.ie

[max power]

well said, good luck.....but i 'm still from longford

[Pablo]

[QUOTE

This week we're all Cork Citizens.

from www.aertel.ie[/QUOTE]


Ye wish!

[yan]

fair play,

its good to see el fans supporting one another in euro competitions!

[ger121]

[QUOTE

This week we're all Cork Citizens.

from www.aertel.ie

Ye wish![/QUOTE]

now now we are all in this together

[thecorner]

how did john byrne manage to pull himself away from his beloved rovers and actually write about a team from outside of the pale

[ccfc till i die]

And apparently we're creating an "ultras style display".

To achieve this we have organised that about 40 of us will drink 20 pints before the match and then hurl rocks at schoolchildren when inside the ground.

We will then proceed to blame the fighting on anyone but ourselves and will start up a supporters club that is named after right wing facists in Spain.

[exile]

im gald to see john byrne has noticed other teams outside dublin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[SÓC]

And apparently we're creating an "ultras style display".

To achieve this we have organised that about 40 of us will drink 20 pints before the match and then hurl rocks at schoolchildren when inside the ground.

We will then proceed to blame the fighting on anyone but ourselves and will start up a supporters club that is named after right wing facists in Spain.

Yea sure us Cork City fans are all in favour of slavery and racists because we are part of the Rebel Army

Fair play to him for giving us such great nation-wide publicity.

[Colm]

we have organised that about 40 of us will drink 20 pints before the match.

I'm sure we could manage that quite easily!

This week we're all Cork Citizens.

Isn't great to see all these fans of smaller inferior clubs longing to join the Rebel Army!