Patrick Collins

I see that Addick Patrick Collins is going to retire on January 31st of next year. The Mail on Sunday journalist is 70 and plans to spend his last day working covering the Rotherham game at The Valley, if his boss allows him! (more)

Patrick, whose son Mick, is also a huge Charlton fan and a terrific writer, has worked at the Mail on Sunday since it was launched in 1982 and has covered 10 World Cups, the first being Argentina ’78, and every summer Olympics since 1972 apart from Montreal in 1976.

He has also won the Sports Columnist of the Year five times, the last time as recent as 2012 proving that Patrick’s inquisitive mind and wonderful way with words only got better with age.

Addicks will know him because he would give little old Charlton a voice when no one would listen or more likely care. We may not always have agreed with what he said, but then you won’t with your mate down the pub, however Collins’ grasp of old fashioned values and perceptive reality hit home with me like it did with many others and his views will be missed.

“That he is now retiring is Fleet Street’s loss and Charlton Athletic’s gain, as he can now go and watch them rather than endure the Premier League, Olympics, World Cups, World title bouts and rugby internationals!” – Jon Ryan, a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association and one of Collins’ former editors.