FOOTBALL: All change with the Colts

The former player takes over the reins from club stalwart Victor Hunter in what is Oran Kearney‘s first reshuffle of the youth set up.

Mullan will be assisted by current coaches Mark Crawford and Damian McNamee, with Kearney hoping his links with youth football in the north west will pay dividends for the Bannsiders.

“There’s going to be a change at Under-18 level, with a new manager coming in to take charge of that team with immediate effect,” Kearney revealed to Times Sport.

“Victor Hunter is a stalwart of the club, I had the privilege of playing under him at Ballymoney when I was 16, but I just feel that at this time a change is beneficial to the club.

“I’m bringing in Ollie Mullan, who is a former Coleraine player, who has his A Licence and is currently working towards his Pro Licence, but also manages the County Londonderry Milk Cup under-15 side and has worked closely with the under-17 side.

“I want to bring as many good young players to the club as possible and I feel having Ollie in this position will help.

“It’s the end of an era for Victor as far as the Colts are concerned, but I just want to go on record to thank him for the job he has done over so many years.

“We had a discussion about it on Saturday night and we also spoke about him staying involved with the club.

“The board are meeting on Wednesday night and Victor will attend that meeting, with one of the items on the agenda to discuss a new role for him. “Victor is a fan of the club first and foremost and we are keen that he remains involved behind the scenes in some fashion.”