Crests
Cork City FC – The History of the Crest
by Michael Hayes & Declan Carey.
Before the formation of Cork City Football Club in 1984, two clubs, Cork Hibernians and Cork Celtic regularly vied for dominance in The People’s Republic and Ireland’s largest county. Both Cork clubs eventually folded; Hibs in 1977 and Celtic in ’79, both citing financial difficulties for their demise. Cork United filled the gap between 1979 and 1982, before also going bankrupt. This led to the birth of Cork City Football Club, founded by members of a number of existing or recently folded clubs. Former Cork Celtic player and manager (and legendary Chelsea forward) Bobby Tambling became the club’s first coach, although he lasted only 13 games before being replaced by Tony Allen.
The Cork coat of arms
Cork Celtic FC
Cork Hibernian FC
1984-1986
The initial Cork City crest leaned heavily on the original Hibs shape and design, featuring the Cork coat of arms of the two towers that once guarded the entrance to the port of Cork and a ship. For the home kit, the club also adopted the green and white colours used by both Cork Celtic and Cork Hibs, with a red trim in a nod to the county colours. The crest was altered slightly in 1985, where it was made into a circle rather than a shield shape.
1986-1999
The club crest had changed in 1986, to a green and white affair with ribboned details and the coat of arms placed before a football. The crest also included the motto “Statio Bene Fide Carinis“, the Cork motto meaning “a safe harbour for ships”. A variant of this crest with a longer banner and slight red outline was occasionally used on merchandise and promotional material.
1999-2003
In 1999, the club adopted a slightly modified red crest, in-line with the club’s recent change of home shirt, which also changed to red. This crest was changed back to green shortly after and both crests were used until 2003 before the green version eventually gained prominence. However, the crest the club used on shirts varied from the one used in posters and other material. Instead, the club used predominantly white crest with wider ribboned detail and red and green trim. Fans will remember this badge as the one on jerseys worn by the league winning side of 2005.
1999-2005
In 1999, the club adopted a slightly modified red crest, in-line with the club’s recent change of home shirt, which also changed to red. This crest was changed back to green shortly after and both crests were used until 2003 before the green version eventually gained prominence. However, the crest the club used on shirts varied from the one used in posters and other material. Instead, the club used predominantly white crest with wider ribboned detail and red and green trim. Fans will remember this badge as the one on jerseys worn by the league winning side of 2005.
1999-Nov 2005
In 1999, the club adopted a slightly modified red crest, in-line with the club’s recent change of home shirt, which also changed to red. This crest was changed back to green shortly after and both crests were used until 2003 before the green version eventually gained prominence. However, the crest the club used on shirts varied from the one used in posters and other material. Instead, the club used predominantly white crest with wider ribboned detail and red and green trim. Fans will remember this badge as the one on jerseys worn by the league winning side of 2005.
Nov 2005-2007
2006 saw the use of a green and gold crest to commemorate the club’s Premier Division title victory. This crest was first introduced in the 2005 FAI Cup Final (a losing effort to Drogheda United). The change coincided with a decision to revert to a vertical stripe design for the home shirt.
2007-2010
Following Arkaga’s purchase of CCFC in 2007, the investment group had initiated a rebranding process for the club upon their initial takeover, modifying the club crest once again. The starker image featured red and black heavily, with no use of the club’s traditional green. A red banner in the shape of a “C” completed the design. The striped home shirt used up until the end of 2008 was also changed to a more solid green colour.
Feb-June 2010
In late 2009, the club’s holding company “Cork City Investment FC Ltd” was liquidated, leading to the supporter’s trust FORAS (Friends of the Rebel Army Society) applying for a League of Ireland First Division licence under the name “Cork City FORAS Co-op”. A new crest was needed in the meantime as legal rights to the “Cork City Football Club” name dragged into the start of the 2010 season. Designed by Declan Carey, the new design featured the official club name at the time, as well as the new year of foundation. The design brought back the club’s traditional green and the badge was simplified to allow for multiple uses. The bold colours and clean lines gave the crest a modern and stark quality. The decision of which crest to use was voted on by FORAS members at an Emergency General Meeting in early 2010.
June 2010-Present
The club played under the Cork City FORAS Co-op name in the First Division in 2010, while FORAS supported the previous Cork City Football Club’s underage teams who simultaneously carried on the Cork City Football Club tradition.
The original club name was restored to the senior team later in 2010 as the supporters trust purchased the naming rights from the liquidator. The club earned promotion in 2011, winning the 1st Division title at the second time of asking.
After the original club name had been re-established midway through the 2010 season, “Cork City Football Club” was again incorporated into the official club insignia.