I caught up with Roddy Collins just after the FA Cup First Round game against Barnet in North London. Happy with taking the tie back to Carlisle
after the 0-0 draw Roddy was in expansive mood and was more than happy to give of his time, so much so that the BBC's fella was left looking
impatient as he waited for Rodser to finish chatting with his ' fellow paddy' as he affectionately called me.

I first asked Rod, sorry, Roddy, (he does have the beginnings of a Rod Stewart hairstyle), how life was treating him and he professed to, "have taken a great affection for the club" and that his "heart and soul is in it 100%." Roddy was also effusive in his praise for Carlisle chairman Michael Knighton and thinks, "he is a good bloke and has yet to do anything that would deter me from wanting to be in this club."

Having successfully managed Bohemians to the double in Ireland, I was curious to know how Roddy thought they would fare in the English Third
Division. Not only did he think Bohs would hold their own but he also mentioned Shelbourne and Derry city as teams who shouldn't fear weekly
encounters with the likes of Rochdale, Luton Town and Plymouth Argle.

With the Dangerhere Ritchieometer (TM) hovering at around 60,000, I also quizzed Roddy on his opinion of Foran's progress to date. "Ritchie has done well. He is struggling a bit with an ankle injury but he still has to keep playing so I am happy enough with him." 

I later had a chance to have a few words with Ritchie himself that will be published exclusively here next week.

Given that there are now five Irish lads in the Carlisle squad, I asked Roddy if his game plan was to effectively have a League of Ireland team
playing for him. "Not at all," he said professing that he was happy to have good players from any country but as he had a lot of Irish contacts it was
only natural that a lot of his signings would be Irish.

Naturally, I was curious to know who his next signing would be but he wasn't
giving anything anyway. Not surprising really because, a couple of days later, it was announced that  he had made a £20,000 bid for Shelbourne's
young left-winger Wesley Hoolahan who had impressed on November 13th  when he scored a goal in Shelbourne's 4-2 friendly win over Carlisle.

Afterwards, I noticed Roddy hanging with Barnet manager John Still who is a good friend and, coincidentally, recommended him for the Carlisle job. Still seemingly got to know the Collins family through Mickey Halsall, his former assistant manager at Barnet, whose wife is a cousin of Roddy and Steve. He has been to visit in Ireland and talks to Roddy, in his first season of English management, a couple of times a week.

Roddy was very generous with his time and on behalf of everyone at Dangerhere, we wish him the best of luck this season with Carlisle.