Benno signs off for City
Twenty years after first playing for the club, Cork City FC’s Alan Bennett announced his retirement this week. The veteran defender, who first joined the club in 2000 before departing in 2006, returned to Turner’s Cross in 2015 after spending almost ten years in the UK with teams including Southampton, Brentford and AFC Wimbledon.
39 year old Bennett, or ‘Benno’ as he’s more affectionately known, was one of only two players to win the Premier Division title with City in 2005 and 2017, alongside goalkeeper Mark McNulty. In a statement released this week, Bennett said football “took a country boy from Ballinora and showed him the world”.
He continued: “To my family, I hope I made you proud, it was without doubt my sole focus. We had great days out. As a paradox, I was selfish as a brother and son. To my wife, thank you. The conversations I wasn’t fully in, the walks I couldn’t go on, the endless foam rolling and ice packs in the freezer. The living to the fixture list and the constant uncertainty. It also gave us incredible memories and opportunities, many more of these to come.”
He went on to thank his teammates and backroom staff, saying: “To all my fellow players I defended the same in training and in matches. It was never personal, if you had the ball I wanted it. I wanted to keep a clean sheet. If the ball was to be won, I wanted it. Intercepting, reading, judging, tackling, organising, encouraging and winning. I’ll miss competing, laughing and living with you the most.
“Thank you, staff members, for your time. For one more look at that, one more bit of kit, one more rep, one more trigger point of a muscle, one more ticket, one more pass.”
Acknowledging the work he put in when no one was watching, Bennett said he was fully present in every training session and that losing hurt “as much from the start to end of my career”.
“To football, thank you again. My greatest friend but also my greatest foe. What an incredible vehicle you are for passion, love, friendship, fitness, health and joy. You broke my heart, created self-doubt, paranoia, fear and mistrust. You also brought me sheer euphoria, freedom and relief. This is what true love does to you.”
During his career, as well as winning the League twice, Bennett also won the FAI Cup twice in 2016 and 2017, was a member of the Brentford side crowned League Two champions in 2008/2009 and he secured promotion with Wycombe Wanderers in 2010/2011.