Raith Rovers announce shock departure of manager Neill Collins

Raith Rovers have been dealt a bombshell blow after announcing the departure of manager Neill Collins.

The former Wolves and Sheffield United defender has been in the Stark’s Park job for just 109 days.

However, he has opted to depart the Kirkcaldy club in favour of a return to the United States.

California outfit Sacramento Republic have activated the ‘financial release clause’ in Collins’ contract and he will ‘depart with immediate effect’.

A statement from the Raith board of directors reads: “Last Sunday, we were informed that Sacramento Republic were prepared to activate the compensation clause in Neill’s contract to appoint him as their manager.

“We met with Neill to express our desire to retain him as manager, but he made it clear that his ambition has always been to return to the United States, and this opportunity was too good to turn down for him and his family.

“We would like to thank Neill for his dedication and commitment during his time at Raith Rovers, and we wish him every success in California with Sacramento Republic.

“The process of appointing a new manager is already underway. In the meantime, Colin Cameron and John Potter will oversee first-team duties on an interim basis.”

United States career

The 41-year-old kick-started his managerial career at Tampa Bay Rowdies in May 2018 and spent five years at the helm of the USL Championship outfit.

His reputation Stateside earned him a switch to Barnsley last July but he was sacked in April despite the League One side sitting in the promotion play-off places.

The one-time Queen’s Park and Dumbarton player then returned to Scottish football for the first time in 20 years when he was appointed boss at Rovers on September 3.

It came after David Healy had pulled out of a deal to become successor to Ian Murray at the 11th hour.

But Raith chief executive Andy Barrowman insisted that Collins had been the club’s number one choice from the outset and that their ‘persistence had paid off’.

Collins endured an inauspicious start to life in the dugout at Stark’s Park, with an SPFL Trust Trophy defeat to Ayr United on his debut followed by a Fife derby loss to Dunfermline.

He eventually got a win in his fourth game in charge, with a shock success against Falkirk.

The topsy-turvy form continued, however, and left him with just one victory in his first seven outings.

But Friday night’s swan-song, at old stomping ground Hampden, earned Rovers back-to-back wins to sign off with the team sitting in sixth place ahead of the Saturday fixtures.