Cork Hibs

**Ali-G** · 15/07/2002, 3:50 PM

Why (and when) did Cork Hibs go bust? And what about the other Cork LOI clubs. What happened them. Was it all down to gangsters in the chairman's seat, or did foreign footie and tv in general drive the crowds away? Or did a giant comet come down from space hit impact in Flower lodge?

**pete** · 15/07/2002, 4:43 PM

I think it was the giant comet myself as theres no way cork business men would steal from their own.

I've heard the failure of the LOI to change their matches from sunday afternoon kick offs in response to the live 'Big Match' on ITV was the reason crowds dropped from 10-20k+ to 2-3k in a few years.

I'd speculate that all the cash generated those days either went into the chairmans back pocket or imported players wages so when attendances dropped clubs went bankrupt. Would seem like virtually no long term investment in those days as well.......

I wonder is the age of the average eL player the lowest for a long time now?

**Troy.McClure** · 15/07/2002, 4:49 PM

Originally posted by pete
I wonder is the age of the average eL player the lowest for a long time now?

If it is, would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

**dalo** · 16/07/2002, 9:36 AM

Originally posted by Ali-G
Why (and when) did Cork Hibs go bust? And what about the other Cork LOI clubs. What happened them. Was it all down to gangsters in the chairman's seat, or did foreign footie and tv in general drive the crowds away? Or did a giant comet come down from space hit impact in Flower lodge?

check out Plunketts carter book from the Lodge to the Box. it deals with cork hibs and cork celtic

**Ali-G** · 16/07/2002, 10:59 AM

Anyone read this book? Can you give me a 2 line summary. Was it gangsters, bad luck, foreign tv?

**dalo** · 16/07/2002, 11:10 AM

a two line answer ? just like george W bush

bad management and a drop in attendances. also the departure of bacuzzi wasn't too helpful either.

as I say read the book there are plenty of nice pictures

**patsh** · 16/07/2002, 2:33 PM

My best memories of soccer in Cork are the days I spent down the Lodge. (Giving my age away now I think!) The early 1970's, bad hair, bad flares but great crowds, and Hibs and Waterford were the top teams in the country. If my brain hasn't completely drowned, I think there was average crowds of about 7 to 8,000 for most games and local derbies with Celtic and Waterford/Shels/Bohs matches would get even more.
We even had the replay of the FAI Cup Final down the Lodge, a day on which it rained so hard that even my purple Penney's underpants got wet! Paddy Roche played in goal for $hels, just before he went to Man Utd. A great goal by Carl Humphries, who had been with West Ham, and then up to the Wimpy for burger's and in to Mad Jacks for pints. (Well I was having Tanora and crips but you know what I mean!)
Now I do not know the ins and outs of what happened, but will tell you what I remember from a fan's point of view.
Dave Bacuzzi made an enormous difference when he arrived and brought a very professional attitude to the football side of the club. I cannot name certain peoples names (I think) but the suits running the club make the current FAI shower look like the management of Microsoft! Probably not an ounce of managerial ability between the lot of them.
So in a few sentences:
Bacuzzi got the boot which really p*ssed people off, there was a few big demonstrations before a few home games, all to no avail, and a good few stayed away from games after that.
Over the years, a lot of money was taken at the gate by the club, and the social club was doing very well, but suddenly all we were hearing was that the club was in trouble and might fold. Where the money went is a "mystery".
Some efforts were made to save the club, but very quickly it folded and was gone.
The AOH owned Flower Lodge, and I think Cork Alberts played there for awhile, which was the best soccer pitch in the country (and I'm not just saying that, it really was), and were going to sell. Most people thought the MFA or FAI would buy it, but the story going round Cork was that the GAA offered a small bit more money, 3 grand was the figure I remember, and the soccer people would not fork out the extra money, so the pitch was lost for good. Now what I'm saying is my memories of the time and what was the story doing the rounds, so whether it is factually accurate I cannot say,(and it probably isn't!!)
But that pitch......I'll try and explain.
The ground had slopes around the pitch for the people, and on the Constitution side was the stand. There was a brick wall all round the pitch about 5 feet high. Inside this retaining wall, there was a layer of stones at the bottom, then sand, then stones then a layer of coke and the pitch was laid on top of the coke. It was dead flat, like a billiard table, wih great drainage, and you could play on it in a monsoon. Happy Days, but I have to say I've had a good few out the box, when I eventually got over my disgust at having to go there......

**dalo** · 16/07/2002, 2:46 PM

great stuff there oddboy. really good email

who were the best players to play for hibs- wiggy, miah, the dav?

also was noel o'mahony as dirty as they say? me landlord who played centre forward for bohs and drogheda in the 1960's and 1970's says he was the hradest soccer player in the country

Neil · 16/07/2002, 2:50 PM

There's a picture of Noel O'Mahoney in the "Lodge to the Box" when he was about 24. But he looks like he does now!

**pete** · 16/07/2002, 2:50 PM

I'd say the story about selling the Lodge to the GAA is almost certainly true as rumours of these things don't usual stay around for years if no truth in.

I only remember (too young) going to the Lodge for Cork City v Derry City in the Cup in late 80's when Derry used to bring massive crowds & also have a programme from Steve (???_ Kennedys ireland/Liverpool testimonial. I knew nothing about the laying of the sod at the lodge but do remember the pitch being kind of ellivated above the terraces.

The GAA haven't done much with the Lodge & would have made an excellent 10-12k all seater stadium & room for bar & clubhouse 'n all.

Neil · 16/07/2002, 2:54 PM

Originally posted by pete
Steve (???_ Kennedys ireland/Liverpool testimonial.

I was at the Dave Langan testimonial at the Lodge. Ireland Select v Liverpool. And also at that City v Derry cup game. Derry had about 3-4,000 down that day (as far as I can remember)

**patsh** · 16/07/2002, 3:05 PM

Originally posted by dalo

who were the best players to play for hibs- wiggy, miah, the dav?

also was noel o'mahony as dirty as they say?

My own two favourite players were the midfield duo of Sonny Sweeny and John Lawson. Sonny was blond, full of pace and fight, while Lawson was a fantastic passer of the ball and playmaker. Lawson still works in the shoe shop on Winthrop street, I think. Gerry Finnegan, Miah and Fada, Martin Sheehan, were all great players from Guranabraher, and Joe O'Grady was a soldier and the best keeper I ever saw.
Noel O'Mahoney was a filthy player ! but a great defender. There is a famous clip of him, during a derby game against Celtic, of running half the length of the pitch and jumping both feet first into a Celtic player who had touched his brother Declan (who was in goal for Hibs) (long before that w*nker Cantona did it!!)

I really think Lawson was the best Hibs player ever....

(Rodney f*cking Marsh being the worst!!

)

**Hecko** · 16/07/2002, 3:14 PM

One version of the rumour that I heard was from a bloke who said he met Plonk in town one day coming out of his solicitors (which Plonk has spent a lot of time since) and Plonk was celebrating that he'd just bought the Lodge from the AOH. It only turned out afterwards taht they'd also been dealing with the GAA and the difference in money sounds about right....

Are city now the longest surviving team in Cork LoI history - I think they might be in the League as long as Athletic???

**joe** · 16/07/2002, 3:31 PM

Originally posted by pete

The GAA haven't done much with the Lodge & would have made an excellent 10-12k all seater stadium & room for bar & clubhouse 'n all.

they've been doing some work in the past couple of months, including a brand, spanking new set of floodlights. I believe they also have proper terracing behind the goal that used be just a slope and by the looks of it some sort of a stand is being built alongside the clubhouse.

**yiddo** · 16/07/2002, 6:09 PM

oddboy. great stuff. I see your are of the same vintage as myself.
The lodge was sold by the AOH ground comittee to the GAA. City aka plonk odonovan wanted to buy the ground in his own name and wouldn't agree to a clause stating that it would always be used for sporting purposes and not for housing. The Gaa bid 10,000 more (IR260,000)and agreed that it would only be used for sporting purposes. So then plonk moved the tribe to Bishopstown... I think you know the rest....
Best player? hard to say probably Lawson or Wiggy. John Lawson was up there with Beckham in the free kick scoring stakes. Wiggy was just in a class of his own. I think you are being unfair to Rodney Marsh. What about the great goal he scored against Celtic in the 1-1 draw at the Lodge?
The player Noel O'Mahoney jumped on was Paddy Short who also played with Cobh, Waterford and Limerick. Hibs won 3-1 that day
one of the goal scorers was Micky Niblock who is now a selector with Cork gaelic football team (

oddboy surely Marshy was better than Niblock. Oh yea before the Celtic fans attack me they won the league the same season winning 2-1 at the Lodge.
Does anyone remember going to the Examiner office after the game at Lodge/Cross to find out how the other LOI games went?

**Peadar** · 16/07/2002, 7:45 PM

...the story I heard, bearing in mind that I was only about 10 at the time, the GAA let Michael Jackson ponce around up in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and used the money they made from that to buy the Lodge. They then skimmed the surface off the pitch and shipped it up to Croker.
A lack of vision among the football people in Cork is what let this happen.

**patsh** · 17/07/2002, 7:12 AM

I think you are being unfair to Rodney Marsh
I mean from the point of view that he came here for a few games, took a lot of money from the club, then f*cked off back to England, and probably never thought of Hibs again...

Ahh, Micky Niblock was great. He was the original Hartigol, but with a sense of humour and making some attempt at playing. He used to play Gaelic football with Derry, but I heard he had to get out of the north sharpish. (Scurrilous rumour??)

Himself and John Brohan have a special place in my memories..

**Troy.McClure** · 17/07/2002, 11:09 AM

Originally posted by yiddo
The player Noel O'Mahoney jumped on was Paddy Short who also played with Cobh

Well done so Noel!

**yiddo** · 17/07/2002, 12:46 PM

Theres a story in Marsh's autobiography about his 1st game for Hibs. Crowds were pouring in about 15mins before ko. Marsh told the chairman John Crowley that he wanted the money up front before togging out and playing. Crowley goes away and comes back a few minutes later with 800 pounds stuffed in an envelope.
Marsh takes the envelope, gets ready. Just before leaving the dressing room Marsh decides he can't risk leaving the money lying around in an empty dressing room and he can't take it onto the field with him. Theres only one thing he can do and thats give it back to Crowley "for safe keeping"!

until after the game!

BTW Hibs won 2-1 Dave Kirby and Wiggy scoring. Marsh laid on both goals.