Neale Fenn confirmed as Cork City head coach
Neale Fenn has been appointed as Cork City's new head coach "on a multi-year agreement".
Fenn resigned from his position as Longford Town manager last week and watched City get knocked out of the FAI Cup by Galway United on Friday, ending any remaining hope of major silverware this season.
He has also been assistant manager at Leyton Orient and Drogheda United.
The 42-year-old London-native won the League of Ireland Premier Division with City during a three-year spell on Leeside as a player.
He takes over from John Cotter who was appointed on an interim basis on May 2 after John Caulfield's departure. He will join up with the rest of the management team this morning for their first training session together.
“I can’t wait to get going now. I’ve met the backroom team, a lot of who I know from my playing and coaching career,” Fenn told City's club website.
“We’re committed now to finishing the season as high as we can in the league. There’s a very strong group of players here. The spine of the team is Cork City through and through, you need that to be successful.
His first game in charge is at home to Sligo Rovers on Friday night. The 2017 double-winners are currently seventh in the Premier Division and all but out of contention for the European places.
He added: “It’s fantastic to be back here. I took a walk around Turner’s Cross and the memories came flooding back of the fantastic nights in front of the Shed End – winning trophies and those great European nights.”
Fenn leaves Longford sitting in third place in the First Division, firmly in the running for the play-offs with three games to go this season.
Cork City chairman Declan Carey praised Fenn for implementing an attacking style with Longford:
“It’s great to have Neale back at the club. We all have fond memories of Neale’s playing days at the Cross and he’s done very well at Longford, where they played an attacking style of football. He shares our vision of where we want to go.
“Make no mistake about it, Neale has a huge job now to bring this club back to where it belongs over the next few years. We’ll back him and the whole first team 100% and we hope the Cork public get behind what we’re trying to achieve.
“We’re all in this together – supporters, players, staff, board – everyone.”
