Cork City FC is delighted to announce the appointment of John Cotter as interim men’s First Team manager.
Cotter will take charge with immediate effect and is currently preparing the team for this Friday’s game away to Bohemians at Dalymount Park.
Cotter, who has been on the coaching staff of the club since 2014, joined the club’s reserve team as a player under Cormac Cotter for the 1996-97 season, before stepping up to the first team in the 1997-98 season. Cotter had a successful playing career with Cork City and then Avondale United, which saw him win the FAI Cup and League Cup with City before moving into management, where he enjoyed great success with Avondale at both local and national level.
Speaking on the appointment, Cotter, who is a UEFA A Licence holder and currently on the Pro Licence course, said “I’m delighted and honoured to take up this new interim role. I’m looking forward to getting the head down now and trying to get the club back up the table as quickly as possible. We have an excellent team of backroom staff that can achieve that.”
The club is also delighted to confirm that Alan Bennett and Colin Healy are to join the management team with immediate effect.
Alan Bennett, who takes up the role of interim assistant manager, is the club captain this season. He first joined Cork City FC in 2000, rising through the youth set-up and was a first team regular when the club won the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division in 2005. He went on to have a lengthy career in the UK following a move to Reading in 2007. He re-joined City in 2015 and went on to win two FAI Cups and a second league crown. More recently, he has been part of our academy coaching team, working alongside manager David Moore with the club’s Under 13 team.
Commenting on the news, Bennett said: “It has been an honour to play for and captain this club, and I am now looking forward to working with John and the rest of the backroom staff over the coming days and weeks. Our focus now is on preparing the team for tomorrow’s game at Dalymount Park and trying to put together a run of results that will help propel the team back up the table.”
Healy is the club’s current Head of Academy, having enjoyed a playing career that saw him win thirteen senior caps for the Republic of Ireland, as well as playing at the very highest level of the game. After playing for the likes of Celtic and Sunderland, he originally joined Cork City in 2007 and went on to make over 150 appearances over two spells for the club before retiring after the 2016 season. In his time with Cork City, he won two FAI Cups, a Setanta Sports Cup and a President’s Cup. As well as overseeing the Academy, he is also the current manager of the club’s Under 19 team, and will continue in both of these roles, alongside his first team duties.
Healy told CorkCityFC.ie “Having spent the last eighteen months working with the club’s Academy, I am now looking forward to getting involved with the First Team and helping John and Alan, as well as the players.”
Cork City chairman Declan Carey said “John Cotter is a very experienced coach and manager, with a long association with our club. He is highly respected both within the club and in the wider footballing community. He will take up the position on an interim basis, and the board will soon begin planning for our longer-term options for first team manager.”
“Both Alan and Colin are steeped in Cork City FC and have had highly successful playing careers, both here and further afield. Their experience, knowledge and passion for the club will be great additions to our First Team coaching staff, and I know they will both be a huge help to John Cotter over the coming weeks.”
John Cotter’s first home game in charge will be against UCD on Friday, May 10th at 7.45pm. Tickets are now available via Eventbrite and all usual outlets.
