There are a number of ways to answer that question.
In our native tongue, forás means ‘development’ or ‘evolution’. FORAS was envisaged as a way that supporters could aid the development of football in Cork by providing sustained, regular investment to build a stronger club. Recent events have meant that FORAS has needed to contribute sooner and in a more meaningful way than we had ever imagined.
Legally, FORAS, or Friends of the Rebel Army Society Ltd., is an Industrial and Provident Society. Based on advice from Supporter’s direct in the UK and following discussions with a number of successful UK supporter’s trusts, it was decided to form a limited company, specifically one which follows the same model in Ireland as your local Credit union or any of the co-operatives throughout the country.
FORAS is registered in Ireland with the Registrar of friendly societies and is bound by Irish company law. A yearly financial report will be released to members, who will have voting rights on all aspects of the Society’s business. Our Society Rules are available on the site. Please take the time to read through them Primarily though, FORAS is there to ensure that those who support football in Cork can continue to do so far into the future
For you , FORAS is there to ensure that those who support Cork City Football Club today can continue to do so far into the future FORAS enables you to place a reasonable amount of money into a trust with other supporters of our club. While individually our voices and our contribution may be small, as a collective, as a trust we can have a strong voice in the future of our club and provide us with opportunities to help our team on the pitch, by providing funding and support off of it. We believe that our collective strength will aid our teams, across all age levels giving us a competitive edge on the field of play. By pooling our resources FORAS know that we can help provide the best for our club.
The main aim of FORAS can be summed up as Guardianship of senior football in Cork . Our objectives are listed in out society rules, but they can be summed up today as follows;
The aim of FORAS is to secure the future of Cork City Football Club by
- attracting and increasing investment by fostering links with local business and civic communities, an area not fully exploited in the past
- raising the local, national and international profile of the club,
doing the above in a way that will give Cork City Football Club a competitive edge long into the future.
Why is FORAS needed?
Quite simply, to ensure the future of the club we support.
It’s been a strange few years for supporters of domestic football. We’ve witnessed progress in recent years; the cross-border Setanta Cup competition has brought new competition and prize money; our representatives in Europe have taken us to new heights, attracting media attention, bumper European crowds and television audiences. The FAI assumed formal control of the league, sanctioning record prize money. The most televised coverage of domestic teams in our history has been promised. We have a primetime highlights and discussion show dedicated to the league for the first time in the league’s history. At times, it feels like we’ve never had it better.
However, the league remains in a financially precarious state, in recent times we have seen Shamrock Rovers fall into receivership only to be saved by their supporters, Dublin City cease to exist and Kilkenny City resign from the league due to the costs involved in competition. As league Champions Shelbourne were relegated to the First Division due to off-field troubles, as were Longford.
The very recent past has seen Cobh Ramblers, Waterford United, Sligo Rovers, Bohemians and Cork City FC all experiencing serious financial difficulties.
Make no mistake, in the short term, FORAS is here to ensure that our club is saved and that next season we will have a team and a club to support. In the longer term our focus will move to ensuring a stable foundation from which the club can move forward.
