Allen ready to remain in charge of Cork

Unless there is some typographical error John Allen will be the Cork hurling manager for at least another year. Speaking at yesterday's launch of the AIB club championship, Allen admitted once the "i's are dotted and the "t's" are crossed" he would start making plans for Cork's defence of their All-Ireland hurling title - and the chase for a third in succession.

"I've spoken to all the backroom team now," said Allen.

"I obviously wanted to give everyone time to reflect, because even for myself it's the end of seven years' involvement, bar one year . . . The commitment now is huge, so I wanted everyone to have a bit of time to reflect, without all the hype of the week after the All-Ireland final. So I think that process has been done now."

Allen agreed to take the job from Donal O'Grady this time last year on the basis he could walk away at the end of the season.

With the backing of the board, plus the renewed commitment from every player (including Brian Corcoran), his continuation was practically inevitable.

An often forgotten fact about Allen - perhaps because his management career is so recent - is he holds four All-Ireland club medals with St Finbarr's, two in football (1980 and '81) and two in hurling (1975 and '78). He also lost the 1984 hurling final to Ballyhale Shamrocks of Kilkenny.

He has seen the club championship change in many ways in the intervening years. He remembers when crowds of about 35,000 would attend the county final, but also when the stands of Croke Park would be largely empty come St Patrick's Day.

"The days of massive crowds for the county final do seem to be gone, although I'm not sure why when you see the attendances at championship matches. But I've no doubt there'll be a huge crowd this time when Cloyne meet Newtownshandrum.

"But then I remember my second final, in 1982, and it must have been the first time they played the final in Croke Park . . . There wasn't a huge crowd, and it certainly didn't have the same hype or draw as it does now."

Allen also said Newtownshandrum's breakthrough in 2004 ultimately influenced Cork's style of hurling: "It's true, in that up to this year's final we did very much play a support game, and people were all amazed that players were coming through to the centre and then laying off the ball to the left or right, when a shot over the bar would seem on. So it's certainly had a bearing.

"I think Cloyne are playing that style of hurling now. Allied to that you have Ben and Jerry O'Connor and Pat Mulcahy becoming hugely important Cork players. So I think what Newtownshandrum has done is fantastic, a little country parish winning the All-Ireland, and influencing Cork's style of hurling at the same time."