Collins leaves St Peter's to take up Athlone Town post

LOCAL junior club St Peter's are on the lookout for a new manager, after Mickey Collins decided to take up an offer to coach Athlone Town's under-17 team. Collins, 33, spent two good years as player-manager with St Peter's, memorably guiding them to the FAI Junior Cup final in 2009, but the lure of progressing his coaching career with Athlone Town - where he spent 13 years as a player - proved too tempting for him to turn down. During his tenure at McCarthy Park, Collins also led St Peter's to the Paddy Cotter Cup last year, and the Combined Counties Cup just last month. However, Collins is now determined to have an impact at Athlone Town, despite the club's youth system and player recruitment policy coming in for criticism in the past. "I had two very good years with St Peter's and have fond memories of that, but this is a new challenge for me," Collins said. "I spent 13 years with Athlone Town and always enjoyed my time there as a player. There's a good set-up in place now and the facilities are very good. I want to make it attractive for the best young players in Athlone and its surrounding areas to come and play for a League of Ireland club. There's great talent around and the club seem to be realising they need to get it right this time," he added. Athlone's under-17s will play in the second tier of the Dublin & District Schoolboy League, and the season is due to begin in September. Collins hopes to bring in an assistant before then, and is already working on drafting young local players into his squad. An open trial is also planned for next month, with training beginning during the second week in July. "I made my first-team debut for Athlone at 17, so if these young lads come to the club and are good enough, then I'm sure the first-team manager will have no problem bringing them into the first-team squad. If young players have ambition then I think they should be with a League of Ireland club, and I want to give them every opportunity to make an impression with the club," Collins said. Meanwhile, Collins' departure means St Peter's are now inviting applications for a new manager (see St Peter's FC notes).