After defeat to Down on Sunday, that run will continue for at least another year. This is cyclical, and the issues run much deeper than any one player, coach or performance on the field.
A plan to help take Cork football back to where it should be, released in , with the aim to have achieved that in But have Cork become All-Ireland contenders at senior level? Do they look like competing for an All-Ireland title any time in the next year or two? Or the management team. The effort is there on that end, and that you can respect. Its condition has slowly deteriorated over the years. So too has the interest from fans.
I remember being in second class of primary school during the build-up to the All-Ireland final. We each made a tin foil Sam Maguire trophy with the red and white ribbons for Cork, red and black for Down. There are certainly people who felt the issue was football itself, rather than the current Cork crop.
People go to games to be entertained. The consistent mediocrity that plagues Cork will hardly encourage fans to go to games. John Cleary has had two full seasons in charge of the team, plus the half year in This is his third full season, the last year in a three-year term. Any belief that Cork football had improved was quickly shut down before this season began. Only three of those were retirements.
But there were two that stood out. Jack Cahalane opting to join the hurlers and Steven Sherlock walking away from the setup. Those two leaving the setup is what raised an eyebrow. Neither of those two leaving and the way that they did is a good look. Particularly for Sherlock. I could end up eating my words. Keep up-to-date with the top stories in Cork with our daily newsletter straight to your inbox.
