COMMENT: Neill Collins exit shock at Raith Rovers

For most Raith Rovers fans, the departure of Neill Collins will have come as a massive shock.

Just a matter of 15 hours earlier, the Stark’s Park boss was urging supporters to enjoy their Saturday Christmas shopping.

Instead, they were finding out that their manager – in place for just 109 days – had left the club with immediate effect.

A return to the United States with Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship had proved too enticing.

Those three months in charge have been suitably a bit of a rollercoaster for Collins given he was appointed after a 30-day wait for a successor to Ian Murray, who was unceremoniously dumped just one league game into the new campaign.

A 3-2 debut defeat to Ayr United in the SPFL Trust Trophy came after a blistering start from Rovers that had them two goals up after just 14 minutes.

It was a portent of things to come.

Just six days later, Collins made his bow in the Championship and found his side a man down after only 14 minutes following a rash decision from Euan Murray.

A 2-0 Fife derby loss was not the best way to get fans onside.

Raith then threw away a 3-1 lead to draw with Hamilton Accies in their next outing.

Collins’ Raith record

But ending Falkirk’s 43-game unbeaten run was certainly a moment to celebrate as the topsy-turvy ride continued.

In the end, he leaves with a record of six wins, three draws and six defeats.

Collins had difficulties to contend with in an at-times troubled stint at the helm.

Lewis Vaughan required hamstring surgery to rule him out for four months and then Callum Smith suffered an ACL rupture to end his season.

When skipper Scott Brown and short-term signing Fankaty Dabo both suffered injuries in a ‘sobering’ defeat to Falkirk it was a further blow to Collins’ plans.

The former Wolves and Sheffield United defender spoke only recently of looking forward to the January transfer window and the opportunity to shake up the squad he inherited from Murray in September.

But that will now be someone else’s business.

Raith’s pursuit of Collins was a protracted one and almost resulted in David Healy being appointed, before the Northern Irishman got cold feet at the last minute.

Collins then arrived with ambitions of returning the club to the top-flight and penned a three-year contract.

Incredible twist

What has now become clear is that agreement included a get-out clause should another club meet Rovers’ financial demands.

The Stark’s Park hierarchy will not have been expecting that scenario to play out quite so quickly.

And neither will have the supporters, who celebrated a win over Queen’s Park at Hampden the previous night and were told to enjoy their Saturdays.

Instead, a turbulent season has taken another incredible twist.