Tony Cousins

[Titan]

Has left Longford. Not that much of a surprise really

[Martinho II]

Has left Longford. Not that much of a surprise really

at least he quit. I roared at him after final whistle as I was at tunnel as stormed off in disgust after 2nd goal. I told him along with another lad that he had brought shame on the club and it was time to go. He walked on his own and avoided eye contact and was stony faced. I had a feeling that something was going to happen if we lost. Why the club never forced him to quit I never know!

At least he listened to me last night! Never am I so happy and relieved. I know we will go down. But at least with a new manager get rid of the whole squad and start again . Certain members of the board have to go too. Fresh blood badly needed. Theres bad blood between the club and the fans since the FAI Cup Semi Final which has stopped the vocal end of Section O completely and theres bad blood between fans. Hopefully this can be fixed.

[Titan]

Who will take over though? If the problems are so bad within the club then will a new manager really make much of a difference?

[Town Legend]

Who will take over though? If the problems are so bad within the club then will a new manager really make much of a difference?


Its not about this season. Our season is over, we start preparing for next year and hopefully put forward a team capable of challenging for promotion. We could possibly see Cronin finish out the year as caretaker and look for a permanent manager over the winter.

[Charlie Darwin]

at least he quit. I roared at him after final whistle as I was at tunnel as stormed off in disgust after 2nd goal. I told him along with another lad that he had brought shame on the club and it was time to go. He walked on his own and avoided eye contact and was stony faced.
Quite frankly, that's ridiculous. Fair play to him for not decking you.

[bennocelt]

Quite frankly, that's ridiculous. Fair play to him for not decking you.

New to football? Come on Charlie, give over

[ybig]

at least he quit. I roared at him after final whistle as I was at tunnel as stormed off in disgust after 2nd goal. I told him along with another lad that he had brought shame on the club and it was time to go. He walked on his own and avoided eye contact and was stony faced. I had a feeling that something was going to happen if we lost. Why the club never forced him to quit I never know!

At least he listened to me last night! Never am I so happy and relieved. I know we will go down. But at least with a new manager get rid of the whole squad and start again . Certain members of the board have to go too. Fresh blood badly needed. Theres bad blood between the club and the fans since the FAI Cup Semi Final which has stopped the vocal end of Section O completely and theres bad blood between fans. Hopefully this can be fixed.


I dont know whats worse, Tony cousins as manager or you as a "fan"

[TheBoss]

New to football? Come on Charlie, give over

Charlie does have a point though.

Supporters are supposed to support their team, how is roaring your head off at the manager supporting your team. Yes, you may disagree with decisions that the manager has made but the manager did not make those decisions deliberately as I would imagine that he would want to stay in the job for as long as possible. You also have to remember he is a regular person who does have feelings too, how you would you like someone behaving like that towards you when you are trying your best to get your club out of a difficult situation. Whether you shout or talk quietly, managers will often ignore what the supporters say and rightly so, they must do things their way otherwise they are not doing their job correctly if you are listening to others why be a manager.

[Charlie Darwin]

New to football? Come on Charlie, give over
Saying somebody's "brought shame" on a club simply by doing their best? It's ridiculous and I say the same things to Rovers fans who say similar things about our board.

[Longfordian]

There's a tendency to over dramatise these things I have to say. Maybe I'm getting old and jaded. We're ****e, we'll go down, it's upsetting but TC didn't set out to take us down so shouting abuse at him personally solves nothing. We'll get a new manager in and hopefully start to get a bit optimistic again even if we are preparing for the First. And then that new manager will no doubt in time become a **** as well. That's football.

[Philosophizer]

at least he quit. I roared at him after final whistle as I was at tunnel as stormed off in disgust after 2nd goal. I told him along with another lad that he had brought shame on the club and it was time to go. He walked on his own and avoided eye contact and was stony faced.

I'm not sure what's worse. Your vile behaviour or the fact that you're unashamedly publicising it.


Why the club never forced him to quit I never know!

We have laws against this type of thing. It's called unfair dismissal.

[Nesta99]

Hmmm I understand the frustration and emotion and it boiled over here no doubt. In the heat of the moment these things happen but I cant help but recall Sean McCaffrey calling a fan to come over the perimeter wall in Oriel after a verbal exchange. No it shouldn't happen but there could be quite a few stones in glasshouses when a club is being pulled apart by management, board and fans, club looking like relegation and nobody with the ability to do something doing anything. The sense of personal ego being put before the well being of a club is all to familiar to me and while I wouldnt be the type to start shouting there are no shortage of those that I know would and did and not just at my own club either!!

[outspoken]

Delighted he's gone it was long over due and as a result the atmosphere around the club was toxic all season. Monday's game will now be a much better place to be becuase if cousins had stayed I wouldn't have seen more than 50 people turning up and the atmosphere would have been awful. There's a Massivs sense of relief among the vast vast vast majority of the fan base now and should be a good atmosphere on Monday now even if no one expects us to win or even stay up. We may as well let Cronnin see the season out now and talk to every available candidate and see what they need to work with and what their plans are. Personally I'd give anything to have Croly he'd change a lot at the club on and off the field. Mathews is being mentioned heavily as usual and while I said previously i wouldn't like to see him back I do feel he may unify the fan base as a lot of the people who stopped going not only this season but ever since our first relegation in 07 may come back given the successful memories that goes with Mathews name. As for talk of the board, a few very silly people are saying Hanley should go. I say silly because they clearly don't realise that if Hanley walked in the morning that would be the end of the club there and then, we can't survive without him. What we do need though in the off season is a first public AGM in 8 years and a clean sweep of the board. Only then will things change at the club.

[bennocelt]

Saying somebody's "brought shame" on a club simply by doing their best? It's ridiculous and I say the same things to Rovers fans who say similar things about our board.

Ridiculous, really, supporters shouting abuse at managers? This is new to you? Its part of the job, you have to take the good days and the bad.
When FC Zurich got relegated the fans ran after the manager down the tunnel (live on TV), management had to barricade themselves into dressing room. Angry fans.......its a managerial hazard.

Anyway Cousins isn't a shrinking violet, im sure he can handle a few f words thrown at him. As for Shamrock Rovers fans......lol, please!!

[bennocelt]

Charlie does have a point though.

Supporters are supposed to support their team, how is roaring your head off at the manager supporting your team. Yes, you may disagree with decisions that the manager has made but the manager did not make those decisions deliberately as I would imagine that he would want to stay in the job for as long as possible. You also have to remember he is a regular person who does have feelings too, how you would you like someone behaving like that towards you when you are trying your best to get your club out of a difficult situation. Whether you shout or talk quietly, managers will often ignore what the supporters say and rightly so, they must do things their way otherwise they are not doing their job correctly if you are listening to others why be a manager.

They are not supposed to do anything.

The fans get happy, the fans get sad, the fans get angry, that's football. Its not rugby, or Gaelic where croke park is like a library, its a passionate game. No one died, emotions boiled over.....that's it....

[Charlie Darwin]

Ridiculous, really, supporters shouting abuse at managers? This is new to you?
No. If you have any follow-up questions I'll be happy to field those also.

[Martinho II]

I didnt go after him.I am totally entitled to do what I did. That was the first time in my life I have done that and it was pure fluke that I happened to be about to go across the tunnel when the game stopped. What is wrong with a bit of passion? Cousins has made us a laughing stock in the league. We were fortunate to finish sixth last season as at one stage we were playing crap and nearly went down.

It has being a long frustrating season. I dont understand what the issue is. From frustration with the board, the supporters club,our fans falling out with each other I am justified in what I did. If we had won I would have applauded them off the pitch. Unlike other fans I kept going to matches in the belief that we would get out of relegation.

With every passing week the situation was getting worse and worse .For such an important game it was such a disppointment to see wot was goin on the pitch. Cousins messed things up with ripping up the squad.The club were even worse in sticking by him when it was obvious that a change was needed. If you were a Longford Town fan you would understand the frustration of our fans.

Now get over it ! Dont be commenting on other clubs affairs when you havent a clue whats goin on in the background.( this is aimed at certain posters who dont like what I did)

[Olander]

I didnt go after him.I am totally entitled to do what I did. That was the first time in my life I have done that and it was pure fluke that I happened to be about to go across the tunnel when the game stopped. What is wrong with a bit of passion? Cousins has made us a laughing stock in the league. We were fortunate to finish sixth last season as at one stage we were playing crap and nearly went down.

It has being a long frustrating season. I dont understand what the issue is. From frustration with the board, the supporters club,our fans falling out with each other I am justified in what I did. If we had won I would have applauded them off the pitch. Unlike other fans I kept going to matches in the belief that we would get out of relegation.

With every passing week the situation was getting worse and worse .For such an important game it was such a disppointment to see wot was goin on the pitch. Cousins messed things up with ripping up the squad.The club were even worse in sticking by him when it was obvious that a change was needed. If you were a Longford Town fan you would understand the frustration of our fans.

Now get over it ! Dont be commenting on other clubs affairs when you havent a clue whats goin on in the background.
Are you not the full shilling or something?

[Martinho II]

Are you not the full shilling or something?

thanks for the concern.At least someone cares.

[Acornvilla]

We've all been fairly unified in our assessment of TC over the past few years, he took at least a season too long to get us promoted, a top manager may have even gotten us up two seasons earlier in all seriousness, we were a bit lucky to finish 6th last season, by going on a great run, winning the last 4 matches was it?

This season aside, on the face of it, TC has done a decent job, but there's been plenty of little niggling issues that have left fans feel less than satisfied with his stewardship. There has never been any real discernible game plan or style of play, bar hoof the ball up there and see what happens, once we lost Gary Shaw, we lost any sort of player who could possibly make that crap work.

He's never had a great relationship with the fans, silly things like banning drums from the main stand, or not acknowledging traveling fans at away matches, or having little snipes on local radio, get peoples backs up, and when results are bad, just results in even more bad blood. We never even released pre match team news for god sake.. TC never made an attempt to build a relationship with the clubs fanbase, and but for the boards, ineptitude, most clubs would have probably done what Limerick did with Scully, and got him out the door asap.

This season has been a shambles, since the flare fallout after the FAI cup semi final, the club and fans have been at loggerheads, the board are incredibly insular, and seem to have no interest in outside ideas or input, there's a bunch of yes men, absolutely doing their best to keep the show on the road of course, but probably far from up to the task at hand. The squad was weakened significantly, but even allowing for that, there just doesn't seem to be any leadership or desire out there, it's incredibly disappointing.

TC would be a fine manager for a club in the first division looking to rebuild. But he will never be a good premier division manager, he really seems completely unable or unwilling to learn from mistakes and improve.

[De Town]

Are you not the full shilling or something?

He's not, no.

[Town Legend]

TC never had a plan B when things didn't work. All year he's tried to play this new formation of 4-3-3. Even in pre season I could see it wasn't going to work. He got rid of whatever wingers we had at the club to accommodate this formation. We had no other option then when this formation wasn't working as we couldn't switch to a 4-4-2 without out and out wingers. I thought come the window he'd sign at least two but he signed none. It seems like he's a stubborn manager and tries to force things to work and won't hold his hands up and say 'well maybe this isn't working I'll sign a few wingers and switch formation.'

The season we blew a 12 point half way lead he should of been let go. The following season he won promotion but what a lot of people forget is that the squad he had would of put a lot of premier teams to shame and we only clinched it on the second last game of the season. Look at Limerick with a similar squad and practically had it wrapped up at the half way mark. Last season we were very fortunate to finish 6th. And then what does he do? He rips the squad apart and sign in untried young lads and players who got their previous club relegated!! As said above he's a decent first division manager for a club trying to balancing the books and be competitive. But if that club is looking to go places then they may move on from TC.

I appreciate what TC has done for the club when he initially took over but once we got the club on the right road and were looking to go up again we needed to look elsewhere. I wish him well but he did last 3 years longer than he should of.

[Charlie Darwin]

Now get over it ! Dont be commenting on other clubs affairs when you havent a clue whats goin on in the background.( this is aimed at certain posters who dont like what I did)
All I said was fair play to him for being the bigger man and not escalating the situation. I understand everyone gets emotional about their team but you have to maintain a bit of class too (and like I said I criticise Rovers fans for the same).

[redarmyfaction]

When John Coleman was at Southport, he offered to meet anybody , in the stand, who abused him, in the carpark after the game.

[Nesta99]

Ridiculous, really, supporters shouting abuse at managers? This is new to you? Its part of the job, you have to take the good days and the bad.
When FC Zurich got relegated the fans ran after the manager down the tunnel (live on TV), management had to barricade themselves into dressing room. Angry fans.......its a managerial hazard.

Anyway Cousins isn't a shrinking violet, im sure he can handle a few f words thrown at him. As for Shamrock Rovers fans......lol, please!!

Rovers players lock themselves in the dressing rooms and leave the management outside! There is an amusing report of a referee having to lock himself in his room after a game in the old Athletic grounds in Dundalk I think 1930s and needing a Garda escort to the train station which isnt the brisk little walk it is now. Sure there wasnt a whisper to Van Gaal and his ilk last season when an unfancied club were strutting their way to a league...

[jinxy lilywhite]

It seems Longford fans seem to blaming everything going wrong with the club firmly on the door of Tony cousins.

Be careful what you wish for as the next guy may be worse or have less resources than TC.

[Town Legend]

Jinxy, he was only part of the problem. If you bothered to do a bit of research before posting you'd realise that.

[outspoken]

Jinxy, he was only part of the problem. If you bothered to do a bit of research before posting you'd realise that.

Exactly I think most town fans on here have laid blame with the board. Acornvilla is right they don't want outside input and are a bunch of yes men

[WoodquayBoy]

Lads, we tried to warn ye about Cousins. And if we didn't try to warn ye, then we're very very sorry about that. An awful dose of a man when it comes to management

[GC13]

Word is Alan Matthews is being considered for the job

[Acornvilla]

Word is Alan Matthews is being considered for the job
He's already publicly said he'd be interested afaik, would be a bit of a meh appointment, given where his career has gone since leaving us the 1st time. Not sure I'd like him back, but he might be able to get us a few results.

[Mr A]

From the outside looking in it always looked like Longford were in for a difficult year. Budget reduced and some of the core players moving on aren't easy to replace.

A football club can be a very unpleasant place when things are going badly. When the team is losing, every little thing gets on people's nerves. It can very easy for a board and/or management to put the heads down in such circumstances and the whole thing can spiral further. Trying to keep some level of communication going is vital and it sounds like this isn't happening at Longford at all. Although it isn't really their job, probably the first thing the new manager should do is get people talking again.

[outspoken]

From the outside looking in it always looked like Longford were in for a difficult year. Budget reduced and some of the core players moving on aren't easy to replace.

A football club can be a very unpleasant place when things are going badly. When the team is losing, every little thing gets on people's nerves. It can very easy for a board and/or management to put the heads down in such circumstances and the whole thing can spiral further. Trying to keep some level of communication going is vital and it sounds like this isn't happening at Longford at all. Although it isn't really their job, probably the first thing the new manager should do is get people talking again.

Cousins said the other day in his departing interview the budget is the same as last season. He simply couldn't handle the big presence players like rice who would speak out in the dressing room I'm sure and signed a load of kids from outside the LOI who wouldn't dare question their new manager. You're exactly right there's zero communication at the club. A New manager will only do so much. Some People have been giving out about fans slating the club online but the reason for that is they have absolutely no other platform to air their frustration or ideas for that matter. I know of a couple of life long fans who sent the club an email at the End of last season listing their concerns about the way the club was being run and the total breakdown between fans and board but never even got a reply. No public AGM in 8 years has left to a stale board. New blood is needed especially with more fan representation even if it's through a SLO which every club should have IMO.

[Mr A]

Surprised to hear that on the budget- I swear I've seen it said in a couple of places it was reduced. Honestly if you can't believe random web sources I don't know what the world is coming to.

It'd be a brave person took on the SLO role at this stage :)

On a serious note Longford must have one, at least on paper. But most clubs don't take it particularly seriously as yet. I don't think FHFC did really until this year. Would like to see the FAI take more of an interest also, I emailed to say hello at the start of the year and ask for an up to date contact list- got nothing. No SLO I have spoken to has got anything back either. But like the clubs the FAI have too few people covering too many roles so it ain't easy. Would expect the Irish Supporter Network to contribute in this space over the next few years though.

[Town Legend]

I was told at the very start that the budget was the exact same as last season. The reason the main players were let go has been posted up here all year.

[Ezeikial]

I remember this other guy called Tony Cousins with great fondness

http://www.dundalkfcwhoswho.com/player.php?id=369

[GC13]

He (Matthews) sounded out (by phone) some free agents Saturday re their interest in Longford, I was with one of them at the time

[outspoken]

Why oh why didn't we sack him 10 games ago. What an effort from the players tonight. Gary Cronnin a real fans favourite even after that defeat.

[Acornvilla]

Why oh why didn't we sack him 10 games ago. What an effort from the players tonight. Gary Cronnin a real fans favourite even after that defeat.
If that sustains, I'd like to see Gary get the nod for the rest of the season, unless we could possibly get Trevor Croly, or someone of his ilk.

[Town Legend]

What a massive improvement tonight. So unlucky not to get a point but each and everyone of the players battled til the end. It's been so long since I seen a Town team do that.

[Martinho II]

He's not, no.

thanks very much you and your comrades for ruining Section O hope you can live with yourselves..

[Martinho II]

All I said was fair play to him for being the bigger man and not escalating the situation. I understand everyone gets emotional about their team but you have to maintain a bit of class too (and like I said I criticise Rovers fans for the same).

you try and support your team when you go 23 long games without a league win.its easily the worst run in our history since 1984. only once in our history have we gone without winning a game at home which was the mid nineties under John Cleary. Theres only so much you can take.

Even tonight the ban of the drum from the stand still continues. Few lads asked why and was told due to complaints from our home fans. And guess what this was instigated by Cousins himself. I will never forgive TC for what he has done. It was him that told our security.

[Charlie Darwin]

He (Matthews) sounded out (by phone) some free agents Saturday re their interest in Longford, I was with one of them at the time
Were you driving the car?

[De Town]

thanks very much you and your comrades for ruining Section O hope you can live with yourselves..

I can, thanks for your concern.

[Charlie Darwin]

you try and support your team when you go 23 long games without a league win.its easily the worst run in our history since 1984. only once in our history have we gone without winning a game at home which was the mid nineties under John Cleary. Theres only so much you can take.

Even tonight the ban of the drum from the stand still continues. Few lads asked why and was told due to complaints from our home fans. And guess what this was instigated by Cousins himself. I will never forgive TC for what he has done. It was him that told our security.
You'll never forgive him? My god. You'd swear he'd done a Nick Leeson or something instead of banning a drum and only keeping you in the Premier Division for two years with a First Division squad.

[bluewhitearmy]

You'll never forgive him? My god. You'd swear he'd done a Nick Leeson or something instead of banning a drum and only keeping you in the Premier Division for two years with a First Division squad.

They hardly had a first division squad last year tbf

[Charlie Darwin]

Maybe. Would they have finished ahead of Wexford and Finn Harps last year?

[bluewhitearmy]

Maybe. Would they have finished ahead of Wexford and Finn Harps last year?

They finished 6th in league above so I imagine they would alright. I think they would have won the first division last year from the tiny bit I seen of it.

[Charlie Darwin]

They got off to a great start last year but they were awful for half the season too. And funnily enough it was players like Rice and Salmon that the fans here were saying weren't good enough anymore.

[bluewhitearmy]

They got off to a great start last year but they were awful for half the season too. And funnily enough it was players like Rice and Salmon that the fans here were saying weren't good enough anymore.

Always the way when we had Joe Gamble some lunatics were saying he wasn't good enough the season he left same people were saying we miss Joe Gamble.