West Ham & West Brom heading to Leeside

Cork City Football Club have announced that a series of illustrious friendlies will take place across the months of July and August, with two Barclays Premier League sides and one npower Championship side visiting Leeside in preparation for their season.

West Ham United are the first to make the trip across the Irish Sea, before Burnley and then West Bromwich Albion lock horns with the Rebel Army in Turner’s Cross Stadium.

The games are part of the Cork Airport International Friendly Series, a campaign initiated by those at Cork Airport to attract big names from across the water to the county. In recent years, the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Watford United and Ipswich have made the journey.

West Ham finished tenth in the 2012/13 Premier League campaign, and are managed by former Limerick supremo Sam Allardyce. They will bring a clutch of internationals with them to Ireland, and should provide a stern test for City.

West Brom are another established Premier League force, finishing eighth last season – the highest in the club’s time in the top flight of English football. The man who leads the line for the club is a familiar face to Cork football fans, as Shane Long is a former City player and current Irish international.

Burnley are another side who will provide Cork City manager Tommy Dunne and his squad of players with a test. They finished 11^th in the 2012/13 edition of the Championship, but will be looking for the best preparation possible in their attempt to secure promotion next season.

Ticket details will be announced at a later date.

Cork Airport International Friendly Series 2013:

v West Ham United, July 7th, 6 pm.

v Burnley, July 15th, 7 pm.

v West Bromwich Albion, August 6th, 7.45 pm.