John Allen: This Cork hurling team is similar to the 1999 All-Ireland winners

Former Cork All-Ireland hurling winning manager John Allen hopes to pass the baton onto current boss Pat Ryan this weekend.

Allen remains the last bainisteoir to have guided the Rebels to All-Ireland glory which was back in 2005. Cork are looking to end their longest ever drought without winning an All-Ireland title when they face Clare in the decider this Sunday in Croke Park at 3.30pm.

The former St Finbarr’s star is looking forward to Sunday and admits that he has been surprised by Cork’s progress this season.

“There’s great excitement around the place,” Allen said.

“Here in Ballincollig, I saw a fella selling flags and caps last week, two weeks before the game, so it’s definitely a sign that these guys think they will make money because people will want them. There is huge excitement.

“I have been surprised by the team's evolution really. After losing the first two games to Waterford and Clare, we all travelled to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on the Saturday night against Limerick and what excitement matched by the All-Ireland semi-final excitement [against Limerick]. It left people saying we are back in the race. 

Funny enough, I met Gearóid Hegarty’s father Ger, after the game down the Páirc and his words have stayed with me, Cork this year will be dangerous. That was a strong enough statement coming from a man so connected.

As well as leading the Rebels to All-Ireland success in 2005, Allen was also involved in the 1999 and 2004 All-Ireland victories, so what does he make of this current crop of players looking to make history this Sunday?

“I would say this Cork team is similar enough to the 1999 winning team,” he said.

“Especially given how long since Cork last won the All-Ireland and have a number of new players. 

You have a vibrancy and a freshness that had been absent for a while. You also have a good, pleasant, open manager in Pat Ryan. 

"He doesn’t hide behind anything, calls it as he sees it, good with the press which Jimmy [Barry-Murphy] had as well. You certainly have similarities.” 

Cork were in their pomp in 2005 when they delivered the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the second season on the trot, in what was Allen’s first season in charge. In his second and final campaign at the helm in 2006, Kilkenny denied them the three-in-a-row in the decider. The years after were difficult to say the least.

“In my wildest dreams, I couldn’t have seen us waiting 19 years for another All-Ireland after winning it in 2005,” Allen says, who is currently a selector with St Finbarr’s.

“I can remember in 2006 when we won a fantastic All-Ireland semi-final against Waterford and then Kilkenny never allowed us play in the final. I went around shaking the players hands and saying 'ye will be back next year'. 

LONG WAIT

"Unfortunately, next year didn’t come until 2013. I certainly couldn’t foresee 19 years without winning an All-Ireland back in 2005. Hopefully, it will come to an end on Sunday.

“I stepped down in 2006 as I didn’t like the pressure of being a manager of an inter-county team like Cork but I felt the future was bright. The players weren’t too old or anything but so much happened with strikes and a few changes of management, not the best management by the Cork County Board in terms of how they were choosing managers. It was a combination of things that weren’t well managed. 

"I don’t think you had best practice in terms of team preparation. 

It’s a game of inches and you need everything right and there were too many areas where people weren’t pulling in the same direction.” 

Allen is crossing his fingers in the hope that Cork can end 19 years of hurt this weekend which would mean everything to the people on Leeside.

“I hope Cork can win. The amount of effort that these players put in is phenomenal. 

"I always remember Joe Deane saying to me after the 2005 All-Ireland final, 'do you realise that you have led Cork to an All-Ireland?' I said 'I do Joe.' 

"Nearly 20 years on, coming out of Croke Park after the win over Limerick last week, hurling means a lot to people.

“It’s hard to imagine it’s 19 years and people still compliment me so for Pat Ryan, he is a good guy in my eyes as is his management team. I would be delighted to hand over the mantle to Pat on Sunday."