We haven't paid silly money to bring Frannie Collin to Maidstone United, says boss Jay Saunders

MAIDSTONE UNITED unveiled the signing of former Tonbridge Angels’ star-striker Frannie Collin last night.


Collin, 26, joined the Ryman Premier League newcomers after announcing his departure from Conference South neighbours Tonbridge Angels a couple of weeks ago and put pen to paper on a deal after returning from holiday.

Maidstone United is the fifth Kent club for the prolific striker.  He broke into Chatham Town’s first team as a teenager under Clive Walker before joining Gillingham on a free-transfer in 2005, scoring on his debut in a 2-0 League Cup win.

When the then Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler moved to Dover Athletic, Collin joined him at Crabble and his 21 league goals were crucial to the Whites’ promotion from the Ryman Premier League.

After leaving Dover at the end of the 2009-10 campaign, he signed for Tonbridge Angels and in his first season at Longmead Stadium he scored 21 goals in 43 appearances – 16 of those in the league.

Another promotion from the Ryman Premier League was added to his CV and in the following Conference South campaign he won the Golden Boot after banging 29 league goals after the Angels' finished in ninth-place.

Collin made his last appearance for the Angels in their 7-1 defeat to Charlton Athletic in the Kent Senior Cup Final on 1 May, scoring 21 goals in his last season at the club as the Angels finished in sixteenth-place in the table.

Collin joins goalkeeper Lee Worgan, a former team-mate at Tonbridge, at Maidstone United next season, after turning down approaches from Whitehawk and Dover Athletic, who will both be playing Conference South football next season.

Brighton-based Whitehawk won the Ryman Premier League title last season, whilst Chris Kinnear’s Dover Athletic finished in third-place in Conference South but went down to Salisbury City in the play-off final, going down to a 3-2 defeat in extra-time after having Daryl McMahon sent-off.

Maidstone United boss Jay Saunders is delighted to bring Collin, who has dropped down a league, to the club.

“This is a massive signing for us,” Saunders told www.maidstoneunited.co.uk last night.

“When I made him an offer I knew there were other clubs in higher leagues chasing his signature.

“It says a lot about what the club has achieved in the past year and how ambitious it is that someone of Frannie’s pedigree has agreed to join us.

“Despite speculation, we haven’t paid silly money – we don’t have to.  It’s all about sensible offers, the opportunity to play for a club that’s going places and the lure of that bumper Gallagher Stadium crowd.”

Collin and Worgan will return to Longmead Stadium on Thursday 25 July (7:45pm) for a pre-season friendly against Tommy Warrilow’s side.

Saunders freed up some money to be able to bring in Collin after releasing striker Ade Olorunda.

The former Hastings United and Tonbridge Angels striker signed for the Stones last summer, alongside his brother Tim, and made 42 appearances (22 starts, 20 substitute), scoring 18 goals.

Saunders said: “I am gutted to lose Ade but understand his reasons.  His goals in the play-off final will go down as a highlight of our first season back in the town.

“The whole squad will miss him – his all-round attitude and commitment are first class and we wish him every success in the future.”

Ade used social networking site Twitter to explain his departure was nothing to do with his brother Tim’s release from Maidstone United, but due to “work and tax implication” and that he was “gutted” to be leaving the club.

Visit Maidstone United’s website: www.maidstoneunited.co.uk