By Dylan O'Connell
It’s an eight-minute drive from Bishopstown Stadium to Turner’s Cross, but for Cork City Women it was a ten-year journey to the spiritual home of football on Leeside.
This afternoon the Rebel Army will move to the same pitch as the club’s men’s team, a historic moment for football in Ireland’s Second City.
Up until now, the team, who were founded in 2011 and relaunched in 2016 as Cork City Women’s FC, played their home games at Bishopstown, the club's training base.
Their opponents will be high-flying Shelbourne and manager Rónán Collins, who has been with the club on and off since 2012, is counting down the seconds to kick-off.
"We’re all looking forward to the game," he said, "A lot of hard work has been put in from people in the club, the Munster Football Association, and certain players. Everyone wanted the male and female teams to play in Turner’s Cross."
"We have a 'one club one mentality' and for the move to happen is fantastic. This is fantastic for the club and long may we continue to push in the right direction. As a club we are really setting new standards for women’s football."
The move to Turner’s Cross will coincide with the club’s tenth anniversary in the Women’s National League. To Collins, the ground swap is another marker in growth of the club.
"The club’s anniversary is one way to look at the move, but I think this is more about an arc of progress," he said.
"From a results point of view, there were seven or eight seasons where the club finished higher than the season before with a greater points total."
"From the point of view of off the pitch, things have also been progressing. Off the pitch, go back three or four years, there was just one team. Now there is a senior team and an academy. There was only one set of players and coaches. Now there are numerous players and coaches around the club. We’re training four nights a week, when originally we trained two nights a week."
"The girls' standards are rising all the time. Even from a league perspective, there is a new streaming service online and there is much more integration between the male and female League of Irelands. This shows that there is a lot of momentum."
"It is important that the momentum keeps kicking and pushing the women’s game on."
Central to the Rebel Army’s evolution has been Chris O’Mahony. The Douglas local has been with the club since their inception since 2011 and he has been one of the main architects for the growth of women’s football in Cork.
"I'm looking forward to Saturday's game," he said, "It will be great to be back in Turner’s Cross, it's been awhile since we played there."
"It's the home of soccer in Cork and it is a top quality venue. Every player in Cork wants to play there. Cork Women's FC played there during the 2012-13 season. The last game of the first Women’s National League season, between Cork & Wexford was also played there. Lauren Murphy scored a pen to ensure third place finish for us. We also played the Women’s National League Shield final there a couple of years ago."
"To be based there now for the full 2021 season and hopefully long after that is great. It shows the commitment the club has to women's football and of course the players are delighted. It is really great to be able to call Turner's Cross the home of Cork City’s male and female teams."
O’Mahony’s work has allowed the club to build from their humble origins at Bishopstown Stadium, to the force that they are today.
A real sign of progress for the club has been their ability to attract top talent from across the country. Club captain Becky Cassin, who won a clean sweep of domestic honours with Wexford Youths, is one of the big names who made the move to Leeside.
"I’m really excited for the game. We all are as a group. We’ve been talking about the game in Turner’s Cross quite a bit," she explained.
"The two teams sharing the same pitch is huge, it really is. Ideally this would have happened a few years ago. We’re just glad this has happened now. To have the male and female teams playing at Turner’s Cross is massive for the league as it encourages other teams. The move is big and it will really set us up going forward.
"City is a huge club as it is, and playing in Turner’s Cross will make us feel even bigger."
SATURDAY'S SSE AIRTRICITY WOMEN'S NATIONAL LEAGUE FIXTURES
Athlone Town v Treaty United, 7pm
Cork City v Shelbourne, 2pm
DLR Waves v Wexford Youths, 6pm
Galway v Bohemians, 2pm
