| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1960-08-07)7 August 1960 (age 65)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Stella Maris | |||
| Bohemians | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1979–1981 | Bohemians | 30 | (2) |
| 1981–1982 | Home Farm | 5 | (2) |
| 1982–1983 | Bohemians | ? | (0) |
| 1983–1984 | Athlone Town | ? | (11) |
| 1984–1985 | Drogheda United | ? | (10) |
| 1985–1986 | Dundalk | 9 | (2) |
| 1986–1987 | Mansfield Town | 16 | (1) |
| 1987–1988 | Newport County | 7 | (1) |
| 1988 | Cheltenham Town | 6 | (0) |
| 1988–1989 | Shamrock Rovers | 22 | (8) |
| 1989–1991 | Dundalk | 7 | (1) |
| 1991 | Sligo Rovers | 6 | (0) |
| 1991 | Glentoran | 10 | (1) |
| 1991–1994 | Crusaders | 99 | (40) |
| 1993 | →Bohemians (loan) | ? | (?) |
| 1994–1995 | Bangor | 24 | (5) |
| 1995 | Coleraine | ? | (?) |
| 1995 | Cliftonville | ? | (1) |
| 1995 | Bohemians | 0 | (0) |
| 1996 | Home Farm | 8 | (1) |
| 1996 | Larne | 1 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | St. Francis | ? | (?) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1995 | Bangor (player-manager) | ||
| 1998–2001 | Bohemians | ||
| 2001–2002 | Carlisle United | ||
| 2002–2003 | Carlisle United | ||
| 2004 | Dublin City | ||
| 2004–2005 | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 2009 | Floriana | ||
| 2010 | Cork City | ||
| 2011–2012 | Monaghan United | ||
| 2013 | Athlone Town | ||
| 2014 | Derry City | ||
| 2015–2016 | Waterford United | ||
| 2017–2018 | Athlone Town | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Roderick Collins (born 7 August 1960) is an Irish former professionalfootball player and manager.
During a playing career of 18 years, Collins played for many sides across England, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. While towards the end of his career he became a joint-manager and player, Collins eventually turned his hand entirely to management. He managed Bohemians, the side he started his career at and played for during four spells throughout his career, before moving to England to manage Carlisle. After several successful spells in Ireland and one in Malta, Collins is currently unemployed.
Collins was born inDublin. He played for the youth teams of Stella Maris FC, where in 1977 he was scouted and went on trial withFulham FC,Wolverhampton Wanderers andArsenal FC.
He made his competitive debut forBohemians in aFAI League Cup tie againstSt Patrick's Athletic on 26 August 1979, which they lost on penalties. The game atDalymount Park had ended scoreless with Collins being one that had his spot kick saved. HisLeague of Ireland debut came on 9 September on the opening day of the1979–80 season atFinn Harps. Ten days later he made his European debut at theEstádio José Alvalade againstSporting Clube de Portugal in theUEFA Cup.
He suffered a serious leg injury which sidelined him for almost two years before going on to play forHome Farm. After another spell at Bohemians, he joinedAthlone Town, where he scored in the1983–84 European Cup againstStandard Liège.[3][4] He also scored Athlone's goal in their 1984FAI League Cup final loss toDrogheda United. He then moved to Drogheda United before joiningDundalk for six months.
In January 1986, Collins signed forMansfield Town for a transfer fee said to be in excess of £10,000[5] He left to joinNewport County in August 1987, playing seven times in an injury-plagued 1987–88 season which would see Newport lose their place in theFootball League amid a growing financial crisis. Collins then went on to play once forCheltenham Town.
Noel King signed Collins forShamrock Rovers in September 1988 and he made a scoring debut against Bohemians on 30 September in a 3–1 derby win. He also scored in his last game for the club atCork City on 21 April 1989. He was Rovers' top scorer for the 1988–89 season.
Collins subsequently joined for Dundalk, playing twice for them in the1989-90 UEFA Cup.
He later played forSligo Rovers,Crusaders (with whom he won theCounty Antrim Shield and was leading scorer in his first season),Glentoran,Bangor,Coleraine,[6]Cliftonville,Larne and Home Farm. He scored once for Cliftonville in the 1995–96 season,[7] and he made oneLeinster Senior Cup appearance for Bohemians in December 1995. His last club wasSt Francis, where he played in their first ever game in senior football in aLeague of Ireland Shield game in September 1996.[8]
Collins' first foray into management came atBangor in 1994/95 which despite saving them from relegation, was relatively brief.[9] After Nigel Best resigned Collins' first managerial game was a 1–1 draw at home to Larne on 28 January 1995.
In 1998, he found himself thrust into the spotlight when he was surprisingly appointed asJoe McGrath's successor atBohemians.
Bohemians were a side which, despite being tipped as outside contenders for the title at the start of the year, were facing a relegation dogfight when Collins arrived in the 1998–99 season. Collins' start to his reign as Bohs' manager was relatively impressive, and new signings such asKevin Hunt eventually dragged the side out of relegation trouble and to safety. However, a poor run of results at the end of the season saw the Gypsies, which has never been outside of the top tier of Irish football, plummet back into relegation trouble, and were forced to take part in a play-off withCobh Ramblers. Bohemians won the play-off convincingly, 7–0 on aggregate. He remained as manager during the close-season, though he was under pressure from both the supporters and the committee at Bohemians.
During the close-season Collins oversaw a massive change in personnel at the club, with old stalwarts such asBrian Mooney,Tommy Byrne (footballer) andPeter Hanrahan being released, and new signings such asGlen Crowe,Mark Dempsey,Wayne Russell andAvery John coming in. Bohemians started the season brightly, and it was evident that this side would not be fighting relegation. Bohemians eventually finished 3rd in the league, and were beaten in a replay of the final of theFAI Cup byShelbourne FC.
The following season, 2000–01, was to become one of the most remarkable, and controversial, in the history of Bohemians. Collins again brought in several new players during the summer break, withSimon Webb,Dave Hill among others joining record signingTrevor Molloy at the club.
Bohemians' opening game was an away tie in theUEFA Cup againstAberdeen FC, which was to be the first time that the club had fielded a starting eleven consisting entirely of full-time professional players. Despite being written off by the local press, Bohs produced one of the all-time great Irish performances in Europe to come from a goal down to defeat the Scots by two goals to one. Bohemians were reduced to 10 men after 45 minutes and were beaten 1–0 in the return leg, due to an own-goal, but progressed on the away goals rule and faced German giantsKaiserslautern in the next round[10][11]
Despite putting in an impressive display, Bohemians who were again reduced to 10 men on the 43rd minute were beaten 3–1 inTolka Park in the first leg, and suffered from some careless defensive lapses and a controversial red card. In Germany, Bohemians shocked the hosts by winning 1–0 thanks to a goal fromGlen Crowe, and were unlucky not to score more (even having a goal ruled out for off-side). Bohemians were out of Europe, and had made history by achieving successive away victories in European competition. It was at this time in his career that Collins was rumoured to have applied for a job with Dublin Corporation as a traffic warden to escape the hectic lifestyle of football.[citation needed]
In the league that season, Bohs were showing good form, though withGlen Crowe emerging as a phenomenal goal-scorer andKevin Hunt marshalling the midfield. Once out of Europe, results began to dip, and Collins found himself under pressure. Shelbourne were clear leaders at the top, and a huge investment in the Bohemians playing side looked set to fail to reap just rewards. In January 2001, Collins was under huge pressure as Bohemians travelled to Santry to take on fierce rivalsShamrock Rovers. At half time, Bohemians were trailing the game by 3 goals, as Rovers scored 4 to Bohs 1. It looked certain that a new manager would be appointed following the game. However, in one of the most remarkable come-backs in Irish football, Bohemians put 5 past a shell-shocked Rovers side in the second half and won 6–4. That result, coupled with a break for several weeks due to thefoot and mouth outbreak in the UK and Ireland, gave Bohemians the momentum to mount a late challenge for the league.
Bohemians went into the last game of the season trailing Shelbourne by one point, as the Gypsies travelled to Kilkenny on the final day. Meanwhile, Shelbourne were hosting Cork City in a game which the hosts were expected to win comfortably. To win the league, Bohemians needed to win and hope that Cork could achieve at least a draw in Tolka. Bohemians won 5–0, while Cork shocked Shelbourne by defeating them on their home patch. Bohemians were crowned champions, and the aftermath of the result would shape the rest of Collins' career.
The following weekend Bohemians beatLongford Town in the FAI Cup Final thus securing their first double in 75 years, a remarkable achievement. The club also recorded a profit for the first time in 20 yrs. After this Collins was supposedly set to discuss a new contract with the Bohemians committee. During this time the club announced that Pete Mahon would be taking over the reins at Bohemians. This ended Collins' association with the club.
To the present day Collins' name is sure to spark intense debate amongst the Bohemians faithful, with some fans opposing and supporting the former manager. He managed the club for 96 league games – winning 46, drawing 23 and losing 27. They scored 136 times, conceded 81 and kept 41 clean sheets.
In early July 2001 Collins expressed an interest in forming a consortium to takeover one of his former clubs Drogheda United.[12] His role as consultant did not last long as he was appointed manager of Carlisle weeks later.[13]
Collins was appointed as manager ofCarlisle United in July 2001 signing a two-year contract.[14] A club that was under financial embargo with only 8 senior professional players and bookies favourites for relegation, was 14th in the league by April their highest position in 5 seasons.[15] Collins was sacked in April 2002 after stating that he would resign unless ownerMichael Knighton completed the sale of the club as promised to the investorJohn Courtenay (chairman).[16]
Courtenay finally took control of the club in July 2002 and instantly reappointed Collins as manager. Due to the long drawn out completion of the sale Collins worked with a weakened squad. He again though retained their League status and took them toCardiff'sMillennium Stadium for the2002–03 Football League Trophy final. Conceding goals in the last 12 minutes byLiam Rosenior andLee Peacock, Carlisle lost 2-0 toBristol City with a 50 000 attendance at the game.[17]
In July 2004 he took over as manager ofDublin City,[18] but left in November 2004 three weeks from the end of the season to manageShamrock Rovers.[19]
As manager of Shamrock Rovers, Collins struggled both on and off the pitch. Following a points deduction because the club presented fraudulent documents to theFAI licensing committee, after a season of poor results and in-fighting at the club, Shamrock Rovers faced relegation. Collins was first suspended for a week in November 2005 pending the resolution of an internal investigation.[20] After Rovers were relegated for the first time ever Collins' contract was terminated.[21] He later brought a claim of unfair dismissal against Shamrock Rovers to the Employment Appeals Tribunal in Dublin, the case was settled out of court in November 2006.[22]
In 2006, he applied for the vacantGlentoran job.[23] In his weekly column he continues to question the merits of the league while ironically also being retained as a pundit for the national broadcaster for live league games. In March 2008, Collins profile as a soccer pundit was raised higher in Irish football media circles through his weekly appearances on Irish state broadcaster,Radio Telefís Éireann, in their weekly league review television show,Monday Night Soccer. Collins was named as the man heading an Irish consortium to purchase SPL club Gretna on 15 March 2008 following the club's financial crisis and possible closure. A week later (21 March 2008) Collins and his consortium were also in talks to take over at cash strapped Rotherham United, a football club inFootball League Two.
Collins was appointed General Manager of Scottish sideLivingston in April 2008.[24]
On 30 June 2009, Collins was unveiled as the new Manager of Maltese Premier sideFloriana F.C.[25] At the media conference, held in the Embassy ofMalta in Dublin, Collins stated his delight at returning to the dugout and the large media presence was unheard of for a Maltese club. Floriana's Development Officer, Mr. Alan Moore, thanked everyone for being present on such a great occasion for the club and this was echoed
However an even greater unveiling took place inFloriana itself the very next day. After meeting his players for the first time Roddy was part of Maltese football history. Never before had such an event taken place on the islands where a manager was introduced to the fans. Introduced by Tony Zahra he spoke alongside new President John Camillieri, John Borg, Dominic Mc Donnell and Alan Moore, receiving massive applause for pledging himself to makingFloriana F.C. a force to be reckoned with. The fans appreciated his honesty and applauded in agreement when he told them that "we are embarking on a long term project, all of us will stand together and make this club greater still!"
Having worked as a pundit forRadio Telefís Éireann, Newstalk Radio andThe Star on Sunday, Collins began pre-season withFloriana F.C. on 2 July 2009. The club are also known as "The Irish" and footballing partners of, his former club,Shamrock Rovers and Russian sideFC Volga Ulyanovsk. Collins had a very shaky start to his time in Floriana winning only 1 pre-season game and none of his first 3 competitive games including a humiliating 6–0 loss to eternal rivals Valletta F.C.. However just before he left the club he had guided the team to 7 unbeaten games.
On 15 December 2009, Collins suddenly announced his departure from Floriana FC and returned to theLeague of Ireland to take charge ofCork City, where it was announced that he had signed a 12-month contract on 23 December 2009.[26]Collins spoke of his delight at the appointment and said that it was a job he had wanted "for many years".[27] In February 2010 the holding company Cork City Investments Fc Ltd. was wound up and he was not reappointed. Collins didn't manage a single competitive game with Cork City.
In March 2011 Collins was appointed manager of First Division Monaghan United.[28] He has achieved promotion to the Premier Division in his first season at the Mons. After a poor start to the 2012 season, whilst lying in last position in the league table, on 18 June 2012, Monaghan United announced their withdrawal from the League of Ireland citing financial reasons as the main factor in their decision.[29] Collins was released as a free agent.
His son, also Roddy, made his debut in theEA Sports Cup.[30]
On 22 November 2012, Collins was named as the new manager of First Division sideAthlone Town,[31] and in his first season guided them to theLeague of Ireland First Division title in September 2013[32]
However, in November 2013 in a club statement it was revealed that Collins had "requested hisP45" and had left the club.[33]
On 19 November 2013, Collins was named as the new manager ofDerry City.[34][35]
On 11 May 2014 it was announced on the Derry City website thatDerry City and Roddy Collins had departed by mutual consent.[36]
After taking charge ofWaterford United in the 2015 season, he led them to 7th in his first league season. After signing players he was more familiar with in the 2016 season his squad showed some early promising signs at the start of the season but many on and off the field problems caused disharmony and with two games left in the season Collins parted ways with Waterford United
On 12 May 2017, Collins was appointed as the head coach ofAthlone Town,[37] a role which he held until February 2018.[38]
On 6 June 2014, Dublin radio stationRadio Nova announced that Collins and broadcasterCon Murphy had signed to present a newWorld Cup phone-in programme for the duration of the2014 tournament.[39][40]
He is the brother of former world champion boxer,Steve Collins. His son Roddy Collins Jr. was a League of Ireland footballer who played for Athlone Town, Derry City and Waterford United.[41]
Carlisle United