Athlone Town ‘not trying to get rid’ of Roddy Collins after advertising post

Athlone Town have denied trying to ditch Roddy Collins after advertising for a first team manager just a few weeks after the Dubliner led them back to the Premier Division.

The former Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers boss said he was "shocked and disappointed but not surprised," afer the club website invited expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates keen on managing the team in the top flight next season and said that he would be turning up as planned to a meeting with the board tomorrow week in order to outline his plans for the club.

Club secretary David Dully said that was perfectly fine with the board but that the club had felt the need to cover itself given that Collins has been talking to other clubs over the last week or two.

“We’re not trying to get rid of Roddy at all,” he said, “and our preference is that he stays on but he has been linked with other jobs and we do need to ensure that if he were to leave we wouldn’t be left without a manager.”

North honoured
Sligo Rovers striker Danny North has won the Airtricity/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland Player of the Month award for November for his match winning impact on Sunday's FAI Cup final against Drogheda United.

“I was obviously gutted not to be in the starting 11 for the final,” he said yesterday. “I knew it was touch and go between me and Elds (Elding) and he got the nod but I always felt that I could make an impact once I got on the pitch.

“People can call me super sub if they want, it’s not a bad thing really as someone like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a career out of it and look at how it worked out for him,” said North who missed most of the season through injury.

Luke Byrne has become the second player to join Shamrock Rovers in a matter of days with the young defender, who spent the last couple of season at Bohemians, having apparently been impressed by Trevor Croly.

“I didn’t know the manager before I spoke to him,” he said, “but I had heard that he is a really good coach and when we spoke, I liked the sound of how things are done at Shamrock Rovers and I think it will be a really good place for me to be.” Simon Madden returned to the club earlier in the week.