Collins wants in on Cork job
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Roddy Collins has this evening announced that a return to League of Ireland football is imminent. Speaking on Newstalk’s Off the Ball, Collins confirmed that he has spoken to Cork City’s under-fire chairman Tom Coughlan about the vacant managerial spot at Turner’s Cross.
Issued amid continuing questions surrounding Coughlan’s authority to appoint any new acquisitions at the club given the chairman’s recent 12-month ban from all footballing activity, Collins was adamant that his tenure at Maltese club Floriana had reached its conclusion. The exit, ironically given the club he is set to join, was prompted by wages owed to the Dubliner.
“Finished up in Malta definitely," Collins revealed. "It’s just a matter of unpaid money to me to be ironed out legally so my solicitors are on to that one. The situation with Cork is I’ve spoken to Tom [Coughlan], I’d be delighted to go down to Cork and we’ve to have another meeting in the next few days and I’ll be looking forward to going down there.”
Floriana have in the past week been highly critical of Cork City amid allegations of approaching Collins without their consent. The ex-Carlisle boss said that gripes about the Cork club solely lay in Floriana‘s court.
“If you ask me about Cork City, it’s a fantastic club, a fantastic stadium, excellent supporters and putting a squad together won’t be a problem. There are players all over the place. That’s all my discussion about Cork, critical(sic) from anyone else is not my business.”
Suggestions in the past few days that he had walked away from Floriana were lost on Collins and he spoke of any move back to Ireland being of a contrary nature.
“It wasn’t a case of walking away from it; it was the other way around. It was contractual problems with them over there, financial problems; unpaid wages, a lot of stuff that legally I don’t really want to talk about, my solicitors are onto it.”
Floriana enjoyed a run of nine games unbeaten under Collins but succumbed on Sunday to a 6-2 home defeat to Qormi FC in their first game since Collins’ departure.
As with Cork City, Floriana’s troubles off the pitch have mirrored a deceptively cohesive spirit on it. Collins was quick to acknowledge the work put in by all his charges at the Maltese club.
“It was brilliant, I would have loved to have seen it out. The lads were one of the best bunches I’ve had since the Bohemians team [1998-2001]. There was a bond between us, it was fantastic. It went nine games [unbeaten] and the momentum was building up. I introduced sixteen-year-olds and seventeen-year-olds but we had no resources. The players hadn’t been paid for months a lot of them but we kept just firing away and it was great. So from that point of view, yeah, one hundred per-cent, I wish I could have just lifted the whole group and [brought] them with me.”
The Dubliner cited financial difficulties culminating in his family’s departure from Malta as being one of the key factors in ending his time in the Mediterranean.
“They [his family] had to come home in October because of the lack of funds for the house and car, they [Floriana] took them back but I stuck it out, and I flew in and out and I kept it going but coming to Christmas it came to a halt. I agreed to stay until Christmas with them. Then when I came home I rang Tom [Coughlan] to see was there a job up for grabs so that’s the story.”
Cork City’s year has been one to forget as controversy rumbles on toward the start of a new one but Collins dispelled any thoughts of uncertainty going forward with the Leesiders.
“I’m confident because I’ve done it at Carlisle, I’ve done it at Bangor up the north in the Irish League. I’ve done it at Bohemians when I went in. That was a shambles as well. Am I daunted by the task?
"No. Am I looking forward to taking it on? Yes. Football to me is not about politics, it’s about the pitch, the players, the training facilities. If you get it right on the pitch everything else goes away."
Given City’s qualification for Europe amid a bombardment of chaos bordering on the absurd, it is an opinion many Cork fans would certainly agree to differ with. Collins went on to say his work lies on the field of play and, ironically given his current situation with Floriana, matters off the pitch were not his prerogative.
“Off the pitch I’m not too well versed and I’m not too interested to be honest. I’ve just left a club where there hasn’t been wages paid, there’s players that haven’t been paid in months. I’m there to manage a football team. Whatever goes on in the background I think you have to talk to Tom Coughlan about that one.”
Contrary to many opinions held on the Cork City chairman, Collins said he had no issues with Tom Coughlan and had found him amicable on their two recent meetings.
“I’ve found him a good man and good company to be in. I don’t have a problem with [him]. People vilify people every day in this life. There was an ex-International manager (unnamed) who absolutely slaughtered me in a function last night [Monday] who has never really been in my company. That’s where we live, how the world is.
“People’s impression of Tom is their impressions. I met him a couple of times. I only judge people on how I meet them and I don’t listen to hearsay. I enjoyed his company. I understand the difficulties he has inherited…but I do understand where he wants to go.”
Now back in the country for Christmas, Collins stated he will spend time with his family in Dublin before any possible move south.
“As soon as I get legally sorted out with this crowd over in Floriana and they pay the money they owe me or come to some arrangement with what they owe me I’ll march on then. There’s no great hurry, Christmas is upon us. I’m going to enjoy that with my family. I’ve been away from them for three months on and off. When it happens then it happens.”
Issued amid continuing questions surrounding Coughlan’s authority to appoint any new acquisitions at the club given the chairman’s recent 12-month ban from all footballing activity, Collins was adamant that his tenure at Maltese club Floriana had reached its conclusion. The exit, ironically given the club he is set to join, was prompted by wages owed to the Dubliner.
“Finished up in Malta definitely," Collins revealed. "It’s just a matter of unpaid money to me to be ironed out legally so my solicitors are on to that one. The situation with Cork is I’ve spoken to Tom [Coughlan], I’d be delighted to go down to Cork and we’ve to have another meeting in the next few days and I’ll be looking forward to going down there.”
Floriana have in the past week been highly critical of Cork City amid allegations of approaching Collins without their consent. The ex-Carlisle boss said that gripes about the Cork club solely lay in Floriana‘s court.
“If you ask me about Cork City, it’s a fantastic club, a fantastic stadium, excellent supporters and putting a squad together won’t be a problem. There are players all over the place. That’s all my discussion about Cork, critical(sic) from anyone else is not my business.”
Suggestions in the past few days that he had walked away from Floriana were lost on Collins and he spoke of any move back to Ireland being of a contrary nature.
“It wasn’t a case of walking away from it; it was the other way around. It was contractual problems with them over there, financial problems; unpaid wages, a lot of stuff that legally I don’t really want to talk about, my solicitors are onto it.”
Floriana enjoyed a run of nine games unbeaten under Collins but succumbed on Sunday to a 6-2 home defeat to Qormi FC in their first game since Collins’ departure.
As with Cork City, Floriana’s troubles off the pitch have mirrored a deceptively cohesive spirit on it. Collins was quick to acknowledge the work put in by all his charges at the Maltese club.
“It was brilliant, I would have loved to have seen it out. The lads were one of the best bunches I’ve had since the Bohemians team [1998-2001]. There was a bond between us, it was fantastic. It went nine games [unbeaten] and the momentum was building up. I introduced sixteen-year-olds and seventeen-year-olds but we had no resources. The players hadn’t been paid for months a lot of them but we kept just firing away and it was great. So from that point of view, yeah, one hundred per-cent, I wish I could have just lifted the whole group and [brought] them with me.”
The Dubliner cited financial difficulties culminating in his family’s departure from Malta as being one of the key factors in ending his time in the Mediterranean.
“They [his family] had to come home in October because of the lack of funds for the house and car, they [Floriana] took them back but I stuck it out, and I flew in and out and I kept it going but coming to Christmas it came to a halt. I agreed to stay until Christmas with them. Then when I came home I rang Tom [Coughlan] to see was there a job up for grabs so that’s the story.”
Cork City’s year has been one to forget as controversy rumbles on toward the start of a new one but Collins dispelled any thoughts of uncertainty going forward with the Leesiders.
“I’m confident because I’ve done it at Carlisle, I’ve done it at Bangor up the north in the Irish League. I’ve done it at Bohemians when I went in. That was a shambles as well. Am I daunted by the task?
"No. Am I looking forward to taking it on? Yes. Football to me is not about politics, it’s about the pitch, the players, the training facilities. If you get it right on the pitch everything else goes away."
Given City’s qualification for Europe amid a bombardment of chaos bordering on the absurd, it is an opinion many Cork fans would certainly agree to differ with. Collins went on to say his work lies on the field of play and, ironically given his current situation with Floriana, matters off the pitch were not his prerogative.
“Off the pitch I’m not too well versed and I’m not too interested to be honest. I’ve just left a club where there hasn’t been wages paid, there’s players that haven’t been paid in months. I’m there to manage a football team. Whatever goes on in the background I think you have to talk to Tom Coughlan about that one.”
Contrary to many opinions held on the Cork City chairman, Collins said he had no issues with Tom Coughlan and had found him amicable on their two recent meetings.
“I’ve found him a good man and good company to be in. I don’t have a problem with [him]. People vilify people every day in this life. There was an ex-International manager (unnamed) who absolutely slaughtered me in a function last night [Monday] who has never really been in my company. That’s where we live, how the world is.
“People’s impression of Tom is their impressions. I met him a couple of times. I only judge people on how I meet them and I don’t listen to hearsay. I enjoyed his company. I understand the difficulties he has inherited…but I do understand where he wants to go.”
Now back in the country for Christmas, Collins stated he will spend time with his family in Dublin before any possible move south.
“As soon as I get legally sorted out with this crowd over in Floriana and they pay the money they owe me or come to some arrangement with what they owe me I’ll march on then. There’s no great hurry, Christmas is upon us. I’m going to enjoy that with my family. I’ve been away from them for three months on and off. When it happens then it happens.”
