Cork City FC kit man Mick Ring took to X on Monday morning expressing his frustration with the match balls the club has lost in their opening two homes games of the 2025 Premier Division season.
A singular football will cost Cork City €50, the club has already lost 16 footballs so far this season, costing the club €800. Ring stated that if things keep going the way they’re going, the club will loose €7000 across their 18 home games.
Ring highlighted the cost this has had on the club
“You get an allocation from the league at the start of the year but I’m eating through that.”
“I’m already after spending €1,500 on footballs this year, and we’re only a few weeks in, which is crazy. If that continues it’s going to go way over budget and leave a deficit of what you’ve actually budgeted for.”
Ring also stated how the Multiball system has had an impact.
“The multiball system – which is a good idea because it does speed up the game – definitely does contribute towards it, because now a player just picks up another ball as the game goes on, whereas before they’d be shouting into the crowd to get the ball back.”.
Not only have these incidents had an effect on the club financially, it also affects the club’s preparations for upcoming matches. Cork City have a limited amount of footballs in training, whilst they wait for the arrival of new ones, potentially resulting in the players being underprepared.
People may think taking a ball that has been booted into the stands is harmless but as Mick Ring has highlighted, it has a real effect on the club. Ring’s statement should hopefully make more people aware of the problem and make people question why they would cause such damage to their own club.