*Colm Collins. Photograph: Martin Connolly
Club delegates don’t often agree when it comes to meeting of the Clare County Board but they were all on the same page when it came to a proposal to extend Colm Collins’ term as manager of the senior footballers for 2020.
Delegates ratified Collins’ appointment at Tuesday’s meeting at Clareabbey which ensures he will be back on the sidelines for a seventh year in 2020. Only Mickey Harte and Jim Gavin of the current batch of inter-county managers have served longer than the Kilmihil native.
Chairman of Clare GAA, Joe Cooney was delighted to put forward Collins for the position once again and wished him well as they endeavour to qualify for the Super 8s next year.
His term thus far has been successful as the Banner have climbed from Division Four in the Allianz National Football League to retaining their spot in Division 2 for the past three seasons. Cooraclare delegate Sean Chambers remarked that “Clare football has benefited greatly from Colm Collins”.
Speaking after the meeting, Collins confirmed that the same backroom team would be staying on which was “key” in his decision. Head of sport science at UL, Brian Carson will continue as coach along with selectors Enda Coughlan, Declan Downes, Evan Shanahan and All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Declan O’Keeffe.
On what he will be hoping to achieve next year, the Cratloe clubman said, “The most important thing when you work with any group of players is to get the best out of them and get them to play to their potential and give them every opportunity to help them achieve, that’s basically it, whatever group ends up on our panel for 2020 we will achieve what we can achieve with that group of players, that would be key”.
