Latest news with #DannyCowley
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Colchester United 'working really hard' to negotiate new deals for key players
COLCHESTER United boss Danny Cowley says they are working 'really hard' to tie six of their players down on new contracts – with all of them keen to stay at the club. Lyle Taylor, Mandela Egbo, Fiacre Kelleher, Tom Flanagan, Kane Vincent-Young and Frankie Terry will all see their existing deals expire at the U's, this summer. But Colchester are in discussions to keep them at the JobServe Community Stadium for the 2025-26 campaign, following the announcement of their retained list. READ MORE: Colchester United announce their retained list The U's have already extended the contracts of Ellis Iandolo, Owura Edwards and goalkeeper Tom Smith, after taking up options to keep them at the club for a further year. Cowley told "We are working really hard to negotiate new contracts for Tom, Lyle, Manny, Fiacre, Kane and Frankie. "I know all of the boys are keen to stay and we would love them to be with us next season and beyond. "It was great to be able to extend Ellis, Owura, Samson and Tom Smith's contracts. They have all played an important role in the team's success this season. "The boys will be the first to tell you that even though Tom Smith didn't actually step on the pitch in the league this season, he played a key role and has very much been the glue that has brought everyone together. (Image: MATT WILKINSON) "We are in such a stronger position this year in comparison with last season. We have a lot of our key players in contract and looking forward to the challenges to come.' Jamie McDonnell, Tyreece Simpson, Jack Tucker, Anthony Scully and Ken Aboh have all returned to their respective parent clubs, following their loan spells at Colchester. However, boss Cowley says he is hoping to lure 'one or two' back to the U's on a permanent basis. READ MORE: Tom Eastman signs for ambitious Isthmian League club Anthony Scully and Jack Tucker have this week been released by their parent clubs Portsmouth and MK Dons respectively, following the expiry of their contracts. Cowley added: "We also have to say goodbye to the loan players. Although we are hopeful that one or two may come back on a more permanent basis! "The biggest complement I can give them all is that from the moment they arrived, they always put the team before themselves! They have all made a brilliant contribution to both the group and the team. 'Nicky and I will be forever grateful to have worked with them and we are so excited to see their careers develop.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Colchester open talks with forward Taylor
Colchester United have opened contract talks with forward Lyle Taylor who finished the season as their top former Charlton and Nottingham Forest striker scored 13 goals for the Essex club as they finished 10th in League Fiacre Kelleher, Tom Flanagan, Mandela Egbo, Kane Vincent-Young and Frankie Terry are also in discussions over their futures with their current deals due to expire in the summer."We are working really hard to negotiate new contracts for Tom, Lyle, Manny, Fiacre, Kane and Frankie," head coach Danny Cowley told the club website., external"I know all of the boys are keen to stay and we would love them to be with us next season and beyond."The U's have taken up options to retain the services of forwards Samson Tovide and Owura Edwards, goalkeeper Tom Smith and full-back Ellis Alfie Bendle and Hakeem Sandah who both featured in the EFL Trophy have been released.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Pivotal' time for Colchester takeover
Colchester United head coach Danny Cowley says the proposed takeover of the club comes at a "pivotal" point for the U' Robbie Cowling, who has owned the League Two club since 2006, is in advanced talks to sell the club to US consortium Lightwell Sports side missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the season and he may soon have new owners to work with as he begins to prepare for the next campaign."It's a pivotal time," the 46-year-old told BBC Radio Essex. "Lots of decisions need to be made and it's harder to make decisions when you don't have complete clarity. "The timing plays a big role because we can't move in terms of provisions, staffing and player recruitment."Colchester went unbeaten in 13 games between the end of January and mid-March to push towards the play-offs but failed to win any of their final four to fall short of the top seven by three it was a campaign of progress for the club, after finishes of 22nd, 20th, 15th and 20th in their previous four seasons which were mostly spent battling to avoid relegation."We'll just continue to work," Cowley added. "We have clarity on where the team is and what we need to do to move forward. I think the club is in the best place it's been for a number of years and I really believe the future is exciting."We're in an important period in terms of planning to move forward, trying to give players certainty and looking to recruit in the areas we need to."Our challenge is to try to keep this group together as much as we can so we don't need a complete rebuild. We feel we've got a platform now that we can push on from. We're hoping we can find a springboard to propel the club forward." 'We've lived these moments before' Dealing with change at boardroom level will not be a new experience for Cowley and brother Nicky, also on the U's coaching staff."I lived it at Lincoln where Clive Nates took over as we progressed from the National League," Cowley said."When we went to Huddersfield, Phil Hodgkinson had just taken over from Dean Hoyle and that wasn't straightforward by any stretch of the imagination."And at Portsmouth we had just signed new contracts, then the next day the CEO Mark Catlin told us he was leaving. We've lived these moments before and we'll try to use our experience to navigate our way through it." Cowley also paid tribute to Cowling after 19 years of ownership."I hate to think of the millions he's invested of his own wealth," the head coach added. "Nicky and I have really enjoyed working with him."Whenever I meet really successful people I always try to work out what makes them so successful. With Robbie it's clear: it's just a relentless determination and work ethic. "It's inspirational the way he works across all of his businesses. The bit that stood out for me was his unconditional love for the club."
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Lyle Taylor: Forward hoping for new Colchester United deal
Colchester United striker Lyle Taylor hopes he has done enough to earn a new deal with the League Two club for next season. The 35-year-old was United's top scorer this term with 13 goals, but ended it on crutches after suffering a calf injury early in the 2-0 win at Newport County on 12 April. The former Nottingham Forest forward joined the U's last summer on a 12-month deal, reuniting him with Danny and Nicky Cowley, for whom he played at Concord Rangers early in his career. "I have decided against going away this summer, I've got about nine weeks of rehab to do before I'll be back on the pitch with everybody else and I'd like that to be in a Colchester United training top," he told BBC Essex Sport. "Unfortunately that's not up to me at this point. I want to be here next year, that's as plainly as I can put it and let's hope the powers that be and everything goes in my favour and we can make it happen." Colchester missed out on the play-offs, finishing 10th in League Two following a goalless draw with Barrow. And the club is now considering the retained list amid reports that owner Robbie Cowling is negotiating to sell his stake to a US consortium. Taylor had travelled to their penultimate game at Salford City despite his mobility issues in order to support the team. They lost that game 4-1 and he joked: "By the time I managed to get out of the dressing room on my sticks, it was already settled."
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Football romantic' Cowley hopes for play-off spot
Colchester United boss Danny Cowley hopes his good final-day record can help to conjure up a place in the League Two U's are 10th following defeats in their past two games, but only two points below Salford City, who are must beat Barrow on Saturday and hope none of Salford, Grimsby Town or Chesterfield are victorious in their games."I'm a football romantic so I always believe anything is possible, for sure," Cowley told BBC Essex Sport."We've had some good moments last day of the season - in my first-ever season at Concord Rangers, Essex Senior League, there were three of us that could all win the league and we won 1-0, that was a good memory."At Maldon & Tiptree we won to get into the play-offs, we'd come from nowhere in our first season in Ryman Division One North."Cowley also tasted success at Braintree, who beat Wrexham in their penultimate game to get into the National League play-off places and managed to hang on by beating Altrincham in their final added: "At Lincoln, last game of the season, we drew with Yeovil to get into the play-offs in our first season back in League Two. Great day that was." The final day has not always been positive for Cowley, though, as his Portsmouth side lost to Accrington at home in front of an empty stadium because of Covid in 2021, allowing Oxford United to claim the final League One play-off spot."Football works in mysterious ways and I'm hoping it will turn the other way for us this time around," said at Doncaster Rovers and Salford City saw Colchester slip from seventh place, which they must now reclaim to have a chance of returning to League One for the first time since Ellis Iandolo said, however, that negative results throughout the season had made the players work even harder."Anything can happen in this league, we're going to do our best to try to get things done on Saturday and hope for the best," he told BBC Essex Sport."Naturally as a player you look at the league, look at the fixtures and play different scenarios out in your head but ultimately we know we can only do what we can do."That is us working as hard as we can to get ourselves in the best shape possible and put a good performance on and I think we deserve that as a group."
