THE MAN WHO delivered Cork City its first league title in 12 years will return to the dugout next season, as the club on Monday announced that manager John Caulfield had agreed to a new two year deal.
Caulfield joined the club ahead of the 2014 season. Since then he has yielded both league and cup success, finishing runners-up three years in a row to Dundalk before this season bringing the Premier Division back to Leeside for the first time since 2005.
“I am delighted,” said Caulfield shortly after the announcement.
“We discussed it a while ago, but it was just a case of getting down to the formalities of signing the contract. We were in the run-in for the league and we decided to leave it until that was all out of the way.”
Commenting on the manager’s new deal Pat Lyons, Chairman of FORAS, the supporters group which owns Cork City, said: “Having won the league, and with a chance at winning a double next weekend in the Aviva Stadium, it is fantastic for the club.
“That is where we want to be, and we believe that both John and the club share the same ambitions for this club, that is to say, challenging at the top in Ireland and competing on the European stage also. John also understands and shares the FORAS ethos.”
The 53-year-old is the club’s record appearance holder, winning a league title in 1993 and an FAI Cup in 1998 in over 450 appearances between 1986 and 2001.
He won the FAI Cup with City last season, beating Dundalk 1-0 in the Aviva Stadium, and could record a first ever double in the club’s history when the clubs meet again on Sunday.
“I am thankful to the Board and to FORAS for giving me another two years,” he reflected.
“Since myself and John Cotter came in, our aim was to bring the club back to a position where we are in Europe and challenging for trophies.
“The crowds have been fantastic, and the support has been massive all the way through. The management team have worked hard and the backing we have received from the fans has been incredible.
“We want to keep driving on and pushing the club forward. There are no guarantees of anything, but we want to be challenging for trophies and in Europe every year. It is a great time in the club’s history and we are constantly striving to make the club even better.”
Caulfield is the latest to sign a new deal with the 2017 champions. Jimmy Keohane yesterday joined Gearoid Morrissey and Conor McCormack in committing to the club for another season.
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