|
" Why Gretna? Why not Gretna? At the end of it I know the area, I have a feel for the area, I had a great time in Carlisle, I enjoyed living in the area. They are a club in trouble at the moment, it's terribly unfortunate what has happened to Brooks (Mileson), he is not well. I just feel that it is a sad situation but sentiment is not the driving force here. The tribe that want to get involved in professional football have asked me to source a club, I've spent some time here in Ireland in advanced talks with a club (Longford Town).
" Then I looked at the Gretna situation last night, I don't know, maybe it's just sentiment from my point of view but I have asked the people involved if they would go and meet David (Elliott) the administrator and they said they would. So we've taken that step to contact David Elliott and come over on Tuesday and sit with them and look at the situation. It's a shot in the dark I'll be totally honest with you, but I was employed to source a professional football club and I've pointed them in the direction of Gretna.
" The consortium is a company called McMullens Properties, they have developments all over the world, Canada, Jamaica, Marbella, they build all these villages. They are an Irish based group, the leader of the pack Anthony McMullen was an Irish under-age international so he has a history in the game. His father and his uncles are all steeped in football tradition. They just came to me, they said that they had followed my career, it was a call out of the blue for me to be totally honest. They had followed my career at Bohemians where they were supporters and they felt that I got a raw deal at Carlisle.
" They felt that I hadn't had the best of luck since I came back with the clubs that I have tried to take on who had no money. So they felt that with the backing that I got at Bohemians that I could achieve anything, and they are prepared to go and back me. So I sat down and met them on many occasions, they have assured me that they will back me to the hilt and that's the way we are at the minute. So I'm going to find them a club, they are going to back me and see where it takes us.
" I would be the manager, what I do best, what I did at Carlisle in keeping them in the league for two years with no backing from the chairman with no finances. Getting them to an LDV final in Cardiff to generate cash for the club, that's my role, I did it with Bohemians before I went to Carlisle and I was very successful, and then I was at Carlisle. "
" So I haven't gone away, I have been working constantly on the media, I have the height of respect from the media over here, I am just going to do a live game now actually. So people who have forced me out of the game have continued to keep me out of the game, but the phoenix will always rise from the ashes and I think that this is my day coming back to me.
" The end at Carlisle was very difficult, it was a horrendous time and like any manager it is difficult to be rejected. The way that it happened though with the family moving over, after taking the club to a final, scraping through the season with loan players and the like and then to be sacked three games into the season was absolutely horrendous. Particularly sacked by a man who assured me, and actually hugged me two days before the sacking, that he would never sack me unless it was crucial.
" For him to turn on me like that, he really did, he did a judas on me, it was really hard to take. We haven't crossed paths but I have sent him solicitors letters on numerous occasions because I have been led to believe that there were instances when I went for work and there were interventions being made by individuals. So let's just say that we wouldn't be on speaking terms, I find it hard to forgive him for what he did to me and my family but it's in the past, it's history.
" Roddy Collins has worked extremely hard to acquire his coaching badges, to continue to stay in the game albeit through a media vehicle. Now it looks like my rewards, or my endeavours, are being rewarded by people with plenty of money who believe in Roddy Collins again and that makes me feel very good.
" I think it is very sad at Gretna, I think that Brooks Mileson deserves a hell of an amount of credit because we all know Gretna was when I was at Carlisle. They hadn't got a training ball, sometimes I had to give them some gear, it was really difficult for them. Brooks went in, the fairytale went on, unfortunately Brooks's health has failed him. "
" It's really sad but let's not forget all the good times, cup finals, European football, their march up through the leagues. Let's not forget that and let's, most importantly, consider Brooks Mileson's health because at the end of the day football is a game and I know that. The health and wellbeing of people though, as I have learned to my cost, is the most important thing.
" So for me, Gretna I do like because I like Brooks Mileson a lot, and I like Gretna because I went up on many occasions and played friendlies against them and I love Carlisle. Because I moved all my family there and I intended to be there for a long time, but that wasn't to be. So Gretna, why not? Bournemouth were on to us, other clubs were on, people representing clubs and I said no, Gretna, why not?
" The media is just to keep me ticking over, I'm contracted to do the live games, I do a radio show every Thursday and I do the newspapers every Sunday. Like everything else though I'd pack it all in to get back in that dugout because that's what I do best. The people that are coming in with me, wait until you see the enthusiasm they have and the love for football. So please God as I say, it is a shot in the dark, I don't know, I've pointed the arrow in this direction of Gretna.
" I hope it works out I really do, because I would love to reside back in Carlisle. I would love some day to sit with the people of Carlisle and explain to them who Roddy Collins is, not the Roddy Collins that they have been led to believe I am. Gretna fans should take us very seriously because these lads have dropped the club here (Longford), we have made the announcement in the last hour that we are not going to pursue this club any further.
" We have spent four days in meetings with this club, they put their proposals on the table this club but I felt, I don't know what it was, I just don't know what it was. It was like a calling or something, why not Gretna? I was actually a bit apprehensive in suggesting it to the boys and when I did they received it in the way that I wanted them to. So I don't know, football is a funny game, life is a very funny thing and you don't know but we are seriously going over there with enthusiasm to help out Gretna, and particularly Brooks Mileson, if we can in any way, shape or form. "