Get Your Flags Out for the Lads - Update #2

12th Sep 2007

Get Your Flags Out for the Lads
Finbarr Barry

We sent out twenty-two packages on Friday evening to every business on the top third of Patrick Street. Each pack contained a large red and white flag, a seven metre length of bunting and a copy of last week's article demanding Pana stores get their "flags out for the lads".

When we were all sitting at home with our feet up last winter, Billy's boys were grinding it out on the training pitch. Huffing and puffing, sweating and panting themselves into All Ireland final contenders. Bereft of major trophies in the last ten years, the footballers often play second fiddle to the hurlers particularly in the endorsement stakes. It's understandable to an extent.

Images of Ronan Curran and Seán Óg are far more likely to be splashed across billboards, endorsing big name brands than those of say, O'Leary and Masters so it's certainly not for product pushing cash that the footballers have been slogging it out all season.

Debenhams and Supervalu. A respectable effort for the act formerly known as Roches Stores

The real reason is that Billy Morgan has instilled Cork pride in each and every one of his fantastic footballers. Their pride brings success and the success sparks more pride in the ordinary sham on the street - something which must be maintained, nurtured and most importantly, capitalised on.

The idea of our "emergency support packs" is to focus on one particular area of the street which we could use to gauge whether the alleged apathy and disinterest was real or whether the lack of co-ordination and a cohesive game plan for the all important "sixteenth man" was the true problem.

Check out the reaction.

Pairs and Prime Shoes are owned by the same heads. We do note our flag in the upper left window of Prime.

John McCarthy at Debenhams burst into action with a large section of one of the store's Pana windows now dedicated to the Rebels. To top it off staff have been asked to dress up in red and white on Saturday with a prize for the best outfit. They've also got a €200 competition for the customer who predicts the score in Sunday's showdown.

Similar enthusiasm and some clever creativity has been launched from the window of shoe shop Zerep across the street. Natasha and the crew, were one of the first off the mark on Monday morning and have melded our bunting and flags superbly with their window display.

With Lorna Sparks at the Travel Shop and Liam and the boys at Blacktie adding our support packs to their window on Tuesday evening the entire length of Pana from the Lavitt's Quay end to the Savoy is now displaying full allegiance. All we need is JP at Schuh to find a few minutes to get our pack out of the envelope and on to his front glass and that side of the street will be entirely 'rebel-ised'.

Ladies fashion outlets Japan and A-wear are now "active"

Hats off to the gang at Phelan's Late Night Pharmacy who were seen clambering around their narrow windows early on Tuesday morning, attempting to pack our rather oversized flags and bunting into their Pana display box. Any rebel looking for medicine will automatically feel at ease at the bright sight of so much blood and bandage.

The staff at Japan on the corner of Merchant's Quay had their loyalty on show by Tuesday afternoon under the watchful eye of Helen Murray, and it's hoped that Marks and Spencer will follow up their pledge to add a window for the Rebels before close of business today. We suspect one other big name store may also have been telling us porkies about planned shows of support but we'll wait until Monday to make our judgement.

Phelans Pharmacy stuffed their window full of our flags and bunting. Meanwhile a more modest effort at Permanent TSB although they've got a bunch of flags instore.

Shops who have received our packs have been asked to store them for future Cork events once this year's sporting success has concluded. The idea being, that when the next inevitable sporting success on Leeside is bestowed upon us, that these stores can spring into action with their show of support immediately.

Whether you blame previous apathy on the businesses that turnover tens of thousands of euro every day, City Council or business leaders, the result is the same. Nothing happens. If a few feens like us, can dress up one third of Pana in red and white for under €200 surely the problem is not the cost.

Cavanaghs of Charleville: one the first off the mark in the town which is covered in red and white and the Travel Shop on Pana.

Let's be fair. City Council shell out over €50,000 for the homecoming (60K if they win because they rent a big sreen) regardless of whether Cork win or lose (in most other European cities the sporting organisations themselves have to pay) so our conclusion is not that a lack of enthusiasm exists in making visible shows of support for Cork teams nor is there a detectable decrease in Corkonian pride (anyone who has driven through Charleville of late and seen the amount of flags on display will believe us) but, instead it is a lack of a cohesive plan and leadership in the city centre to implement a mass show of support that lies void.

The Peoples Republic of Cork are here to fill the gap and we'll do our best for the republic but we cannot do it alone.