Collins: Gavin is 'the best football manager ever bar none'

Former Clare manager excited about new football review body.

NEW GIG: Former Clare manager Colm Collins is part of the new football review group. Pic: Bryan Keane, Inpho

Colm Collins says it was a privilege to be asked to join the new football review group led by Jim Gavin who he considers the best manager in the history of the game.

The former Clare manager joins Gavin, Éamonn Fitzmaurice, James Horan, Colm Nally and Malachy O’Rourke among others.

He has lauded new GAA president Jarlath Burns’ appointment of Dublin’s six-time All-Ireland SFC-winning Gavin as the committee chairman.

“No question about it, he’s the best football manager ever bar none so I think he’s a very impressive chairman for the group. I think that anything that Jim does will be done well and he’s a really good choice.” 

Kilmihil native Collins has an association with Gavin whose parents Jimmy, who passed away last year, and Anne came from west Clare. 

“Jim Senior was from Cooraclare and his mam is from Moy. He has never forgotten where he came from, that’s for sure.” 

In a way, Collins follows in the footsteps of his son and former Clare dual star Podge, who was the Gaelic Players Association representative on the outgoing standing playing rules body.

Collins the manager has previously spoken out against the advanced mark and like Gavin has backed the idea of a second referee in Gaelic football. He has also supported the introduction of a shot clock.

Right now, he will reserve his current opinions for the group discussion. 

“Some of the people that are on it, I’m really looking forward to working with. It will be interesting what will be laid out in front of us when we meet and then it will be a case of rolling up the sleeves and seeing what we can do. As far as I know, it’s all to do with the game, not structures but I don’t really know at this stage.

“I’m looking forward to experiencing the dynamic of the group and obviously you have to be practical too. It’s just my wish that we can do something to make the game more attractive and I’d be delighted to be part of something like that.” 

Collins stepped down as Clare boss after nine years last summer. 

Under Mark Fitzgerald, he has taken great heart watching their push for promotion from Division 3 in recent weeks.

The Banner currently lie third behind Down and Westmeath and would likely be ahead of Dessie Dolan’s side but for a Cormac Murray goal being controversially ruled out for square ball in Mullingar earlier this month.

“Mark is a great guy, he’ll do a good job and all the players have come up to the mark. There are still quite a few players out through injury and retirements. He will have more players available in the coming weeks and the panel is going to get stronger too.

“They were completely done out by an absolutely terrible refereeing decision in the Westmeath game. By rights, they should be going into this weekend’s game against Limerick with full points. It was a ridiculous decision, it would have been the winning score because the game was over.”