I'll be back... (From Swindon Advertiser)

I'll be back...

6:00am Saturday 1st December 2012 in Sport By Ned Payne

Former Supermarine boss Mark Collier

TWO years on from presiding over the greatest achievement in Supermarine’s history, Mark Collier is ready for a return to management.

Collier guided the non-league minnows to the second round of the FA Cup in November 2010, where they were narrowly defeated 1-0 at League One Colchester.

Since then the 53-year-old has not held a job in management, although coaching spells at Wootton Bassett, Abingdon United and most recently, Wroughton Under 14s, have followed, alongside bits of scouting for Southern League and Conference South clubs.

He might have turned down offers from one club in the Southern Premier and two in Division One South & West, but the Jewson employee has now decided the time is right to make a return to the hotseat.

“I’d like to get back into it at some stage,” admitted Collier.

“I’ve had a little break from it and I’ve enjoyed not having the pressure of training twice a week and travelling to games - it’s been pleasant to get away from all that.

“Myself and Tom Jones (Collier’s former Marine assistant) talk about returning to football most weeks. “We’ve had a couple of opportunities in the past where people have spoken to us and we’ve had little chats with them.

“But at the time it didn’t seem quite right, I want to make sure the club I go to is the right one and that I can help them progress. When the time is right we’ll have a look at it.”

With the two-year anniversary of the trip to Colchester just a matter of days ago, Collier reminisced with a DVD copy of the Weston Homes Community Stadium clash.

“Only last week I watched the DVD - the memories always come up when people are talking about round two of the FA Cup,” he said.

“When you think back we had a very good team of 16 or 17 players and on another day we could have brought them back to the Webb’s Wood.

“Jamie Gosling hit the post, Cookie (Steve Cook) had a chance late on and I can still see Chrissy Allen missing a great chance after 25 minutes “Everyone did their job perfectly and we needed a lucky break on the day, but unfortunately we didn’t get it.”

Since Collier left what was then known as Hunts Copse, Supermarine suffered relegation from the Southern Premier.

But under the tutelage of new boss Dave Webb they are riding high in Division One South & West, and Collier believes his old side have a chance at returning to the level above.

“He (Webb) has done a good job there,” said Collier.

“He has a lot of experienced players who have played in the league above in the likes of (Kyle) Lapham and (Chris) Taylor.

“I’ve watched a lot of games in that division and I’m yet to see a really outstanding side, so I’d imagine they would be somewhere in there.”