Another new era begins for Cork City Football Club today. The appointment of Alan Matthews as manager opens a fresh page in the history of the club. The one thing a professional football, and those involved in it, must get used to is change. Change comes fast and furious in the moderm game and it reflects the world we live in.

I do not know Alan Matthews very well. Obviously I have came in contact with him before and after Cork City's FAI Cup win last December and during other games between City and Longford Town, but it is difficult to get to know somebody in such circumstances. Managers in England have a better style of acquainting themselves with their opposite number at a game. Across the water the manager of the home side would invariably invite the away manager into his office for a drink after the game. In this manner English managers would create relationships around the country and around the Leagues.

The fact that almost all games are played on a Saturday afternoon encourages the players also to mingle in the Players Lounge immediately after the match. Almost every football club in England has a Players Lounge and it is traditional, irrespective of what has gone on in the game itself, for the players to avail of the apre match facilities. As a player myself I have had some genuine disagreements with players from the other team but all was usually forgotten, if not forgiven, in the company of a beer or two after the heat had died down.

This gives the opposing managers time to also have their own chin-wag accompanied by their assistants and coaches. This informal style of conversation helps managers to realise that while the result matters most, professional football management is also about understanding each other. When I managed Gilingham I had some amazing after-match conversations with my opposite number and indeed as a young naive manager I learned much during this type of socialising. But most importantly I acquired understanding and a greater sense of respect for other managers despite whatever had gone on on the pitch earlier in the afternoon. Of course while all this was going on, the directors from both clubs were also engaging in their own after match bonding which sometimes was not too good for the health of the managers. But regardless of this, the tradition of meeting after the game in a completely different environment is, in my opinion, a fine one and most certainly an enjoyable one.

Travelling around England in this fashion I have come out of some managers offices with more than one or two drinks behind my belt. Some managers could give the drinks cabinet a fair old bashing in the 30 or so minutes we would be together. My office was quite popular because I had two fridges and one was exclusively for Guinness. The amount of empty Guinness cans left strewn in my office for the cleaning staff to clear on the Sunday morning always got some comments especially if the opposing Chairman or team Captain had to come looking for his manager to inform him the team-bus was ready to leave. But it was, and still is, a little known aspect of the professional game. Watch at the end of a game on television when the two opposing managers shake hands. If the home manager moves his head sideways of points his finger into the main stand you can bet your life that there is going to be a little get-together after the official after match business is completed.