Patsy Freyne – Former CBL League Winner and Cup Finalist Honoured at Awards Ceremony!

Former Cork City favourite Patsy Freyne recently received the much coveted Hall of Fame award at the AUL Cork Soccer Awards at the Kiln, Murphy’s Brewery, writes Finbarr Buckley.

Patsy began his schoolboy career with Shandon View in the mid seventies winning the U-12 Schoolboy Cup Final at Turner’s Cross. At 16 he travelled to Lancashire for a trial with Bolton Wanderers but failed to settle. He went on to rejoin his former Shandon View team-mates at Central Rovers where they caused a major shock by defeating the much fancied Ringmahon Rangers c2-0 in the 1983 AOH Cup Final at Turner’s Cross in the company of some well known Cork luminaries like goalkeeper and later League of Ireland referee Aidan O’Regan, Sean Hegarty, Bertie Cullinane and the late Rockmount star Jamsie Corcoran.

Former Cork Hibernians’ captain Noel O’Mahony gave him his League of Ireland debut with Newcastle West in the first divisionin 1985 before the two joined Cork City in 1986. He went on achieve League Cup success over Shamrock Rovers in 1988 and played in the losing FAI Cup Final and replay against Derry City a year later. He was outstanding in both legs of the next season’s first round European Cup Winners’ Cup tie against Moscow Torpedo.

He left City for Cobh Ramblers in the summer of 1991 after Dundalk’s Tom McNulty’s solitary goal whipped the title from City’s grasp in the winner takes all last match of the season at Turner’s Cross. He stayed for two seasons before going on to play with Avondale United and Everton in the Munster Senior League.

He donned his boots again to help SuperValu to the first division league and cup final in 2007/08.
Having pipped Silversprings Hotel to the title under the stewardship of CBL treasurer Ken O’Callaghan, Patsy was denied one final triumph at Turner’s Cross on Tuesday, May 13th 2008 when Freescale’s man-of-the-match Conor Fitzgerald scored a dramatic last minute winner to win the Frank Linehan Cup for the first and only team, 4-3. Patsy continued in football, managing Castleview and Douglas Hall in the MSL and took up refereeing for a period. A true Cork soccer legend!