Planet Cork

Venue: Murphy’s Farm, Bishopstown

Team Colours (Shirts, Shorts, Socks): Purple & White, Purple, White

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✍? In March 2020, Planet Cork’s current manager Matthew Cooney put pen to paper and updated the CBL on when the team was originally founded and how the 2019 / 2020 season is currently going for them.


The team was originally founded in 2016 by Damien O’Sullivan (Pudsie) and was formerly known as Supervalu Glanmire. This is the team’s second year in the Cork Business League as Planet Cork. The teams debut season in Purple was the 18/19 season where we started to find our feet in the Business league and finished 2 points off promotion in the SportsGear Direct First Division. This season the team is under new management. Matthew Cooney took over the team with assistance from his father Greg Cooney who completed the treble with Youghal Yarns back in the 92/93 season and is no stranger to the then Shipping league. Previous Manager Eoghan Ryan was taking a step back after the birth of his beautiful daughter Hailey. Congratulations to Eoghan and his fiancé Kaylie.

Pre- Season 2019/2020

We wanted to start this season all guns blazing so we started training in June. This started off with a lot of running out in Tramore Valley park. The lads were absolutely smashed from hill runs but we all knew (prayed) it would pay dividends come the start of the season. Our stint in Tramore Valley park was short-lived until we were politely told to F*** off by the park warden as it was a public park and not for team training. Moving swiftly on, this bought us to Mayfield Sports Complex every Thursday night for ball work. We also returned to Ken Hurley up in Planet on Tuesday nights for sports yoga. Ken is a strength and conditioning coach and involved in the Irish Olympic set up. Every player will tell you that the training with Ken benefitted us massively as a team and helped prevent a lot of injuries. We are now based down in District gym in Silversprings for training on Thursday nights.

The games came thick and fast in preseason. We played UCC United, Colso Celtic, CPL and Doolans Cow prior to the beginning of the shield. We were delighted coming out of those games with only a narrow loss to UCC and a draw with the Cow who would later in the season take revenge in the shield Quarterfinal.

CBL Shield 19/20

We were drawn in a tough CBL shield group against 3 well-seasoned CBL teams in Dell EMC, Cork Hospitals and Voxpro. We were also drawn the newly formed Martin Harvey Solicitors. We managed to top the group after 4 tough games. The biggest delight for the team was the strength and resilience the defence was showing only conceding 1 goal in the group stages. Credit must be given to the lads as we had several new signings and it didn’t take long for the players to get used to each other and this really showed in the pre-season games and now also the shield. We had the following new signings: Charlie Murphy, Pierce O’Keeffe, Stephen Crowley (Giggles), James Morrissey (Morry), Rob Mugabe & Ryan O’Keeffe.

The joy of the group stages wasn’t to last long though after we were drawn against Doolans Cow in the quarter-final of the competition. This game was going to be toughest yet for the team with the cow coming off some massive cup runs themselves. The cow got their revenge from the preseason draw in a 6-0 affair. The same game saw the captain Damien O’Sullivan suffer a knee injury in which he is just coming back into fitness from now.

First Division League

We have carried the form from preseason into the league, we are currently sitting joint top spot with Janssen but we hold a two-game advantage. As a team, we are extremely happy with the way the first half of the season has gone. Playing 10 games winning 8, Drawing 1 and just the one loss. We can only hope that the 2nd half of the season will be played out amid the concerns of the coronavirus outbreak.

The team has really found its rhythm the defence has been rock solid and the midfield and forwards have been starting to play some lovely ball. The two full-backs Alan O’Connell and Eoghan Ryan have been in fine form these past few months. The centre back partnership has been changing throughout the season after Lee Cooney moved to Sweden with work, Damien O’Sullivan has been out with injury so a huge credit to the lads that have come into the centre of defence. Cousins Sam Lyne and Shaun Healy have been formidable in the past few games.

The midfield has been a huge strength of the team this year with the partnership of Gary McCarthy and Morry, two guys that have chipped in with a lot of goals. Gary has turned into a maestro from the free kicks. It says a lot when the free kick is out on the right and we shout at Gary to let a left leger hit it and he says no its okay, readjusts his run and hits it with his left leg top bin.  Morry has also collected a handful of goals as he causes so many issues for teams from set-pieces with his strength.

Up top, the main man this season and biggest goal threat has been the formidable Joe Cullagh for a man as tall as Joe he has some unbelievable pace and just seems to get out of trouble with the ball glued to feet. Joe has had several different strike partners this year Pierce O’Keeffe, Dylan Sheridan & Rob Mugabe and all have played their part.

Here’s to hoping we can play out the rest of the season and hopefully the Planet lads can come out on top. After a tough first few years as a team, it would be the least the lads deserve. Planet Abú!


Meet the Planet Cork Players

Planet Cork are going to run a weekly “Meet the Players” segment on their social media channels, where one of their current players will be interviewed about everything football. What better way to start the first week then to include it in the Planet Cork segment for the CBL. Skipper Damien O’Sullivan up first!

Name: Damien O’Sullivan

Position: Centre Back

Years with the team: I was involved in the team since the beginning. I was working in SuperValu and started the team there. I managed the team also for the first two years as SuperValu Glanmire.

Your sporting hero?  John O’ Shea the man would play anywhere for the team. It was never about him just the team. Sure he even played on goal, Proper Irish legend.

Best team you have played against? It would have to be Doolan’s Cow. They play great football and have been the best team in the CBL for the last 6 years and have the silverware to show it.

Best Business League Memory? This is a tough one but there is one game that stands out this year. It was a cold rainy day in Murphy’s farm, we were down to 10 men after our Swedish emigrant Centre back (Lee Cooney) got two yellows. We were fighting to hold on to a 2-0 lead and credit to Cork Hospitals they bought it back to 2 apiece. Then on the stroke of full time, there was a break down the wing and Charlie Murphy riffled one top corner. I have never seen celebrations like it.

Toughest in Training? Joe Cullagh hands down. If you can go toe to toe with Joe, then you know you are doing a good job the man is a machine. Walks through people with the ball stuck to his feet.

Best Signing? James Morrissey (Morry). He is one of our leading goal scorers this year and for a defensive midfielder that is pretty impressive. He is very influential in the team and has turned into a real leader on the pitch and a person other players listen to.

Biggest Bluffer? Ryan Teele. All-day long a constant joker and always lifts the spirit of the team.