Advertisement
Cork City manager John Caulfield. Ryan Byrne/INPHO
JOHNNY C

Caulfield hoping to stay with City beyond 2017 as current contract winds down

John Caulfield’s deal with the Premier Division leaders is due to expire at the end of the season.

JOHN CAULFIELD EXPECTS to have his future resolved in the coming weeks as his Cork City side close in on the club’s first Premier Division title in 12 years.

After achieving three consecutive second-place finishes since taking over as manager for the 2014 season, City need just eight points from their nine remaining league games to win the title for the first time since 2005.

In spite of his team’s success so far this year, Caulfield has yet to agree a new contract to remain in charge at Turner’s Cross beyond 2017. The former City striker’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the campaign.

“I hope I am,” Caulfield said, when asked if he expects to be at the helm for a fifth season. “Everyone knows I have a two-year contract which finishes this year. To be honest with you, I’m totally focused on the club and the league. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks something might happen.

“But I don’t go to bed at night worrying about it. My main concern is totally to win for the club and see can we win the league. I’m totally focused on that, but yeah, we’re coming to the stage of the season where maybe something will happen. We’ll wait and see.”

Caulfield, whose side will entertain Athlone Town on Friday week in the second round of their defence of the FAI Cup, is keen to stay with the Leesiders. He believes that although the club has made significant progress in recent years under the ownership of its supporters, there’s better still to come.

“The club is evolving quite a bit in the last couple of years and I believe the club is going from strength to strength, if we can keep it going that way. I believe, and I said it from the first day we came in, we should always be in Europe.

“There’s no excuse for a club of our size, or any of the big clubs in Ireland. You have to be in Europe. Obviously you want to win trophies as well but you have to be in Europe. Thankfully this is our fourth year and it’s our fourth year in Europe so we’re happy with that, and obviously we’re happy that we’re competing and winning trophies.

“But I see that the club needs to keep driving on, so we’ll see how it goes. That’s my ambition. I’d imagine in the next few weeks something will happen.”

Caulfield also praised Dundalk’s decision to extend Stephen Kenny’s contract to 2020. Last week, the Lilywhites boss signed a new contract to remain with the reigning Premier Division champions for a further three years.

“It’s maybe showing that there’s common sense applying here; that this guy has done a fantastic job for them,” Caulfield said. “While they didn’t do as well in Europe this year, the thing is that he’s done a great job and he’ll continue to do a great job.”

Cork City’s imminent Premier Division triumph will certainly increase Caulfield’s stock, which may attract interest in his services from clubs elsewhere. When asked if he eventually hopes to manage abroad, the 52-year-old said it’s a long-term possibility.

Caulfield: “I’ve always said that I’d like to stay in football if I could for the rest of my life. How long that is, we don’t know. You have to mind yourself as well. But at the moment I feel that here, probably after coming off a difficult second year, I feel that the groundwork has been done and that the systems are in place.

“The potential is here to keep driving the club forward. That’s the way I feel about it — obviously within the budgets and all that but you’re well aware of it and I understand all that, because obviously I’ve been working within that and I know what we can do and what we can’t do. But I still feel it’s there for the club to drive on and keep going. I feel it’s a purple patch for the club and we can do that. That’s where I’m at.

“Long term do I think I’d like to coach more and more, and go elsewhere? Yes, I would, when the time comes. But football is volatile because unfortunately it’s not like any other job. It’s that type of job where unfortunately you can have all the greatest plans in the world but you lose two or three games in a row and people want a change. That’s just the way it is.

“But the bigger picture for myself is that I think things here can go further. I think we can go further, that’s what I believe, and hopefully that’s the way it’ll go. Hopefully I’ll be here for that.”

No bitterness from Cork City as Maguire finally receives Ireland recognition

Shamrock Rovers boost European hopes with win in Limerick

Your Voice
Readers Comments
4
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel