What do you think?
Rate this book
Second City: The Fall, Death and Rise of Cork City FC, Part Two: Season 2009
Enter the turbulent dressing room at Cork City FC in 2009 as Neal Horgan and his teammates fight for their careers during a bizarre and fateful season. Witness the players' ‘annus horribilis’ of bounced cheques, delayed payments, pay cuts and evictions.
Then, suddenly, a message carried down from the top of the bus. Someone near the card school heard it and it got relayed to us at the ‘Christ – they’re saying the bus driver won’t drive up, and that we have to get off.’
‘You’re f**king kidding!’ exclaimed Muzza.
But Murph answered, ‘No Muz, it’s true. Tommy’s the one saying it. They haven’t been paid and are refusing to move until it’s resolved.’
There was a mixture of excitement and bewilderment all around.
‘What the f**k are we gonna do?’ asked Muzza.
Alan Smith, The Guardian
This book is not just a must-read for League of Ireland supporters but an account that any football fan should read.
Daniel McDonnell, The Irish Independent
The most entertaining and insightful account of the life of a League of Ireland footballer that you will ever read.
Liam Mackey, The Irish Examiner
...a love letter to the enduring power of dressing room solidarity – not to mention the benefits of gallows humour – in the face of almost daily adversity.
Emmet Malone, The Irish Times
I laughed a lot only for it dawn on me more than once that I should have been crying...Anyone, regardless of their club loyalties, who wants to know what is really going on in the game they love should read it too. That they’ll enjoy the read immensely might be considered a bonus.
Then, suddenly, a message carried down from the top of the bus. Someone near the card school heard it and it got relayed to us at the ‘Christ – they’re saying the bus driver won’t drive up, and that we have to get off.’
‘You’re f**king kidding!’ exclaimed Muzza.
But Murph answered, ‘No Muz, it’s true. Tommy’s the one saying it. They haven’t been paid and are refusing to move until it’s resolved.’
There was a mixture of excitement and bewilderment all around.
‘What the f**k are we gonna do?’ asked Muzza.
Alan Smith, The Guardian
This book is not just a must-read for League of Ireland supporters but an account that any football fan should read.
Daniel McDonnell, The Irish Independent
The most entertaining and insightful account of the life of a League of Ireland footballer that you will ever read.
Liam Mackey, The Irish Examiner
...a love letter to the enduring power of dressing room solidarity – not to mention the benefits of gallows humour – in the face of almost daily adversity.
Emmet Malone, The Irish Times
I laughed a lot only for it dawn on me more than once that I should have been crying...Anyone, regardless of their club loyalties, who wants to know what is really going on in the game they love should read it too. That they’ll enjoy the read immensely might be considered a bonus.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2016
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 10, 2024
Thank you to Neal for sharing such a humanizing, detailed account of the 2009 season that brought with it such turbulence & strife for Cork City FC. Not one to complain about the way things were, Neal's focus was on now it affected the team as a whole (using the training facilities by torch light), the players individually (young Timmy being evicted due to not being able to make rent), and League of Ireland as a whole (how can teams grow professionally, individually, and it be sustainable?)
You get the sense that Neal, upon retirement, felt a degree of bitterness and cynicism for his profession. The long-time love of the game and passion had been killed by the state of ownership. This perhaps gave Hoggie a sense of more brutal honesty that he may have avoided if he was still enamoured by the sport. Still, it is a shame that such a great servant to the club felt this way at the end of his career.
The state of the League of Ireland has improved much since this was published, but it is a strong reminder of the world that is never too far away, the world that threatens each club if things were to slip again. Without sustainability & a centrally organised professional game, financial ruin within the League of Ireland is never too far away.
You get the sense that Neal, upon retirement, felt a degree of bitterness and cynicism for his profession. The long-time love of the game and passion had been killed by the state of ownership. This perhaps gave Hoggie a sense of more brutal honesty that he may have avoided if he was still enamoured by the sport. Still, it is a shame that such a great servant to the club felt this way at the end of his career.
The state of the League of Ireland has improved much since this was published, but it is a strong reminder of the world that is never too far away, the world that threatens each club if things were to slip again. Without sustainability & a centrally organised professional game, financial ruin within the League of Ireland is never too far away.
January 4, 2022
I might be biased as a Cork City fan, but this is another really enjoyable book from Neal Horgan. Horgan's talents clearly extend beyond the football field. His intelligence and astute analysis shine through in what is effectively the second book in a trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews