Paul Coggins steps down as London senior football manager

Paul Coggins has stepped down as London manager, bringing to an end his five year association with the Exiles' senior football team.

The Roscommon native seen his team knocked out of this year’s Connacht championship after a 1-14 to 0-10 defeat to the Rossies in Ruislip back in June.

They were subsequently dismantled by Cavan in the qualifiers; 2-22 to 0-11.

Interestingly there is a vacancy back in Roscommon at present with John Evans having also stepped down as senior manager there, although any such link is purely speculative.

The highlight of Coggins' half decade tenure came in the 2013 season in which London reached the Connacht final following wins over Sligo and Leitrim - before being beaten by Mayo.

Since then though the closest they have come to a championship victory has been three points, having had to contend with the usual high yearly turnover of players in the English capital.

A statement upon the announcement of his decision read as follows:

“After a lot of thought and having met with the main officers it is with regret and a heavy heart I have decided not to put my name forward for the coming season for the post of London County Senior Football Manager.

“I would like to thank so many people individually but at this time I firstly want to thank the London County Committee and London clubs for giving me the huge honour for the past five years of being the County Manager and it always was a honour to be given the job.

“I have enjoyed it hugely. We gave it everything we had and I am sure that will continue in the future.

“I urge the County Committee to continue working to make our County teams as well prepared as possible as we are a competitive county and the work put in to achieve that needs to continue with the County Committee playing a key role in helping to make that happen.

“I sincerely wish to thank all the clubs in London who have backed me one hundred per cent since I became manager and while there were many walls put up in front of us with the great support I received from the clubs we kept knocking them down and will continue to do so I’m sure.

“Finally a huge thanks to my wife Ann who has backed me over the past five years and longer, she has been the main reason I was able to do what I love doing.”