BBC Sportfootball

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Related BBC sites

Page last updated at 14:01 GMT, Thursday, 17 February 2011

Mark Collier quits as manager at Swindon Supermarine

Mark Collier
Mark Collier's Marine finished 14th in the Southern Premier last season

Mark Collier has resigned as manager of Swindon Supermarine after having his playing budget cut by 30%.

Assistant manager Tom Jones has also departed the Southern League side.

Collier, who joined Marine in 2004, led them to the FA Cup second round earlier this season, when they lost at League One's Colchester United.

"I understand the club's longevity is important but from a management side I think it's a difficult one to take," he told BBC Wiltshire.

The budget was increased as a result of the cup success but it is now less than it was before the season started.

Collier announced the decision to the players after his side's Wiltshire Premier Shield semi-final defeat by Chippenham Town on Wednesday night.

"Myself and Tom Jones have sat down and thought about it and it's almost unworkable," he continued.

"Swindon Supermarine Football Club is bigger than any individual.

"We've never worked to the biggest budget, it's one of the smallest in the division. I just feel that we've gone a step too far in the wrong direction.

"We wanted to try and move on and get into the play-offs and continue the progression of the football club, but that's an almost impossible task to put in front of us."

Collier quit the club in pre-season after Richard Carter was appointed as director of football, but returned soon after Carter's departure.

Experienced utility player Gary Horgan will take the reigns for Saturday's home Southern Premier game against Bashley.



Print Sponsor


see also
Colchester 1-0 Swindon Sup'marine
27 Nov 10 |  FA Cup
Supermarine survival guaranteed
16 Jun 10 |  Fixtures
Consolidation key for Supermarine
12 Aug 10 |  Non League
Bluebirds book Shield final date
17 Feb 11 |  Non League