Collins set to extend Clare reign into an eighth season

COLM COLLINS is close to confirming an eighth consecutive season in charge of Clare footballers.

Collins has not yet been officially ratified to remain as Banner boss once more but the expectation is that he will be at the helm whenever the new season gets under way.

With Mickey Harte (now with Louth) gone from Tyrone after 18 successive years, Collins’ tenancy in Clare, once confirmed, will be the current longest with the same county. His eight years is one more than Kieran McGeeney’s seven in Armagh.

Collins’ time in charge has brought great consistency to football in the county. Having taken them on in 2014, they won promotion from Division 4 and then followed up two years later with a further promotion to Division 2, beating Kildare in a memorable Division 3 final.

For the past four years, they have maintained their status as a Division 2 team as counties like Armagh, Cork and Down dropped down.

In last year’s league they came close to getting promotion when they drew level with Armagh in the last-round game in Ennis with just 10 minutes remaining. A win would have given them eight points and put them level with Kildare, who they’d have surpassed on the head-to-head, having beaten them earlier.

However, Armagh pressed on to win. Left on six points, the Banner men maintained their Division 2 status on the head-to-head that their win over Cavan, also earlier in the year, gave them.

Clare made an early exit from the Munster SFC when Tipperary beat them in a quarter-final.

Collins, once confirmed, will have to do without Gordon Kelly, who has been ever-present since 2006. There is also a big question mark over whether Gary Brennan will return.

Collins is expected to have former Kerry goalkeeper Declan O’Keeffe as part of his backroom team but there is some uncertainty that UL-based coach Dr Brian Carson can commit in 2021.