University College Cork A.F.C.

University College Cork Association Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Cork. It was founded in 1952 by students at University College Cork. Its senior men's team currently play in the Munster Senior League Senior Premier Division. They also regularly compete in the Collingwood, Crowley and Harding Cups, along with the FAI Intermediate Cup, and FAI Junior Cup. They have also played in the FAI Cup. UCC A.F.C. currently fields teams in the Munster Senior League, the Cork Athletic Union League,[1] and the FAI College & Universities Football League[2]

UCC A.F.C.
Full nameUniversity College Cork A.F.C.
Founded1952
GroundThe Mardyke
The Farm
OwnerUniversity College Cork
LeagueMunster Senior League
Cork Athletic Union League
FAI College & Universities Football League
WebsiteClub website

History

Intervarsity

UCC A.F.C. is affiliated to the Irish Universities Football Union and competes in three annual intervarsity competitions – the Collingwood Cup, the Crowley Cup and the Harding Cup.[3] UCC A.F.C. first won the Collingwood Cup in 1974. However subsequently they only enjoyed sporadic successes. Then during 1990s they won it twice in a row – 1990 and 1991. However, in more recent times they have been far more successful. They won it again in 2000 and then between 2002 and 2005 retained it four times in a row.[4] In 2011, with a team featuring Josh O’Shea and Michael McSweeney and managed by John Caulfield, UCC won the Collingwood Cup again. O’Shea, McSweeney and Caulfield all subsequently joined Cork City F.C.. In 2015 UCC A.F.C. enjoyed one of its most successful intervarsity seasons. In addition to winning the senior Collingwood Cup, they also won the Crowley Cup, the reserve team competition, and the Harding Cup, featuring teams made up of freshers or first year students. UCC A.F.C. actually entered two teams in both the Crowley Cup and the Harding Cup. In February 2015 UCC A.F.C. hosted the Harding Cup. The UCC freshers team defeated teams representing Dublin City University, NUI Galway and University of Limerick over three consecutive days to claim the cup. In the final played at The Mardyke on 8 February, UCC defeated Limerick 1–0. Later in the same month the UCC senior team won the Collingwood Cup. In the quarter finals they defeated defending champions Maynooth University, managed by Ger O’Brien, 7–6 on penalties. In the semi-final they defeated NUI Galway 1–0. The final, which was played at Eamon Deacy Park on 26 February, saw UCC defeat Dublin University 3–1. In March UCC completed an Intervarsity treble when they also won the Crowley Cup.[5][6] In 2015 they completed an Intervarsity treble – winning the Collingwood Cup, the Crowley Cup and the Harding Cup.

MSL and EA Sports Cup

In addition to Intervarsity success, UCC A.F.C. has also enjoyed recent successes in the Munster Senior League. In 2011–12 they won the Senior First Division and as a result were promoted to the Senior Premier Division. In 2013–14,2016–17 and 2018–19 they were the Senior Premier Division champions.[7] As a result, they qualified to compete in the 2015 League of Ireland Cup. After knocking out League of Ireland First Division teams Wexford Youths and Cobh Ramblers in early rounds they reached the quarter-finals where they played the holders, Dundalk, at The Mardyke. Dundalk were also the 2014 and 2015 League of Ireland champions and proved too strong for UCC.[8][9][10][11][12]

Following the club's MSL Premier Division win in 2017, they qualified for the 2018 League of Ireland Cup, losing 4–1 to Premier Division side Waterford FC in the first round at the RSC.

Home Grounds

UCC A.F.C. play their home games at two grounds. Their traditional home has been The Mardyke. However they also played at the UCC Sports Grounds at Curraheen Road, Bishopstown. This ground is commonly referred to as The Farm. [3][13]

Quarry Cup

The club hosts an annual tournament known as the Quarry Cup as a means to raise funds. It is a knockout competition featuring nine-a-side teams made up of University College Cork students playing forty minute games.

Honours

Notable former players

Notable former managers

References
  1. "Tables 2015/16". Murphy's Stout Cork Athletic Union Football League.
  2. "Irish Third Level Football - Cufl.php - League.php". thirdlevelfootball.ie.
  3. "Irish Third Level Football - Iufu.php - Clubs.php - Profile.php". thirdlevelfootball.ie.
  4. "Irish Third Level Football – Irish Universities Football Union – Competitions – Collingwood Cup – History And Winners". thirdlevelfootball.ie.
  5. "UCC's Historical Soccer Year". Student Sport Ireland.
  6. Adrian Russell. "UCC claim Collingwood Cup title with impressive final display". The42.
  7. "Munster Senior League – Official Website". sportsmanager.ie.
  8. "EA SPORTS Cup First Round draw made". sseairtricityleague.ie.
  9. "Wexford Youths v UCC – Ferrycarrig Park – Extratime.ie – League of Ireland Fixtures". extratime.ie.
  10. "UCC v Cobh Ramblers – The Farm – Extratime.ie – League of Ireland Fixtures". extratime.ie.
  11. "UCC v Dundalk – The Farm – Extratime.ie – League of Ireland Fixtures". extratime.ie.
  12. "Dundalk demolish UCC in the EA Sports Cup". RTÉ Sport. 18 May 2015.
  13. "UCC AFC to Host the Harding Cup 2015". ucc.ie.
  14. "John Caulfield named as new Cork City boss". The Irish Independent.
  15. "College Corinthians AFC". College Corinthians.
  16. "History – UCC Wandsworth Celtic". clubwebsite.co.uk.
  17. "CBSL Premier Division Champions 2017 – 2018". facebook.com.
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