Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Transfers

The following players have declared their interest to leave

Willie Tyrrel
Eoghan O'Shea.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

History
Initially EMFA competed in the U18 Kilkenny and District Youth League under the management of Donie Butler. Donie Butler served as Commercial Manager of the FAI during the Jack Charlton years. The club was unable to afford a new set of jerseys and so agreed to play in an all white strip. The logic being that all the players had at least one white t-shirt or shirt they could wear. The clubs colours cahnged to claret and blue before changing again to black and amber, coinciding with the renaming of the club.
EMFA graduated from junior football in 1971/72 season. Jim Rhatigan became their manager and the club remained in junior football until 1984. During this period the club purchased 5.7 acres of land from a local farmer by the name of Mick Murphy, owner of the adjacent Tennypark House, for £16,000 punts. They had previously played their home games at the Castlecomer Road grounds, St. James Park. The ground was originally called Tennypark and was later named Buckley Park in honour of Marty Buckley. A bid of One million was made for the clubs grounds in the late eighties by comedian Brendan O'Carroll but was rejectied in the favour of football.
In 1984 the club won the Junior league and cup remaining defeated throughout the entire season. It was decided that he club should apply for admission to the then League of Ireland (now the Eircom League). In their maiden season Kilkenny city then known as EMFA, (from 1985-1989) finished tenth in Division 1.
EMFA won their first honour in 1987, winning the First Division shield defeating Finn Harps 4-2 in Oriel Park.The club changed its name to Kilkenny city in 1989 and Under Eamon Gregg they finished 4th just missing out on a Play off . In 1991 under Joe McGrath they reached the FAI Cup semi-final before suffering defeat to Shamrock Rovers.
In the 1996-1997 season Kilkenny city won the First Division title with 11 points to spare over their nearest rivals Drogheda United thus gaining promotion to the Premier Division. Their stay in the premier was short however as they finished in eleventh the following season and were relegated back to the First Division.
In the 1999-2000 season Kilkenny city finished third and beat Waterford United in a promotion-relegation playoff thanks to a late winning by Brian Jordan in the RSC giving City a 2-0 aggerate win . However, Kilkenny city were unable to extend their stay in the top flight beyond a single season managing only a single league victory throughout the whole season.General manager Jim Rhatigan wrote "Mud, Sweat and Jeers" a semi autobiographical account of the founding of the club.
The club celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2006. The anniversary was celebrated with a memorial mass at Father Fiachra’s Church presided over by Father Willie Purcell and complete with a gospel choir. Dave Bassett, former Wimbledon F.C. manager was guest of honour with former Northern Ireland international, Gerry Taggart also attending the club’s anniversary banquet at the Lyrath Estate Hotel.
Past Managers-1985-2007
Jim Rhatigan(1985-86)-(1988-89)
Eamonn Gregg(1989-90)
Joe McGrath(1990/91 and 2000/2001)
Noel Synnott(1991-92)
John Cleary(1992-93),(1993-94)
Paddy Gallacher(1994-95)
Jimmy Donnelly(Caretaker)
Alfie Hale (1995-1999)
Pat Byrne (1999-2000)
Billy Walsh(2001-2003)
Tommy Lynch(2003)
Ger Bickerstaffe(2004)
Pat Scully (2005)
Adrian Fitzpatrick (2006)
Gary Coad(caretaker)
Brendan Rea (2007)
Tommy Gaynor (July 07-Sept 07)
Noel Byrne (Caretaker)
League
Played 603 Won 146 Draw 150 Lost 281 Goals For 636 Goals Against 899 Points 539
All final positions are in Division 1 unless otherwise stated.
As EMFA (1985-1990)
1985-1986: 10th
1986-1987: 9th
1987-1988: 10th
1988-1989: 9th
As Kilkenny City
1989-1990: 4th
1990-1991: 7th
1991-1992: 8th
1992-1993: 9th
1993-1994: 8th
1994-1995: 10th
1995-1996: 7th
1996-1997: 1st
1997-1998: 11th (Premier Div)
1998-1999: 5th
1999-2000: 3rd
2000-2001: 12th (Premier Div)
2001-2002: 5th
2003-2004: 12th
2004: 10th
2005: 4th
2006: 10th
2007: 10th

FAI Cup 1990-1991: Semi Final(Lost to Shamrock Rovers 1-0,losing finalist that year).
1996-1997: Round 1 (Lost to Bohemians 1-2 in replay at Dalymount Park)
1997-1998: Round 1 (Lost to UCD 0-4)
1998-1999: Quarter Finals (Kilkenny City were forced to forfeit the replay to Finn Harps, the losing finalists that year, after drawing the first game 2-2 as they had only eleven fit players,that include's two goalkeepers)
1999-2000: Quarter Finals (Lost to Bray Wanderers 0-2)
2000-2001: Quarter Finals (Lost to Bohemians 2-7 , winners that year)
2001-2002: Round 3 (Lost to Dundalk 2-3)
2002-2003: Quarter Finals (Lost to Shamrock Rovers 0-1, the losing finalists that year)
2003: Round 2 (Lost to Limerick FC 1-2)
2004: Round 3 (Lost to Waterford United 2-7, the losing finalists that year)
2005: Round 2 (Lost to Finn Harps 0-1)
2006: Round 2 (Lost to UCD 0-2)
2007: Round 3 {Lost to Cork City 5-1}

Kilkenny City Squad 2007.

Gerry Treacy, AJ Murray, James Dermody, Eoin O'Shea, Aaron Ryan, Stephen Grant, Martin Tynan, Barry Ryan, Thomas Hughes, Padraig Fogarty, John McNicholas, Micheal Comerford, William Tyrrel, Joey Mulcahy, Robbie Quan, Colin Bargarry, Tim Kiely, Barry Ryan, Jody O'Grady, Gary Lyons, James Mulligan, Derek Loughnane John Coleman,