DCU plays key role in Bohemians’ unprecedented title success

Bohemians’ manager Pat Fenlon has hailed the DCU Sports Club as “the best in the country.” He also praised the Club’s facilities and spoke of the role the University played in his team’s title-winning success.

He said: “We improved the standard of the training largely because of the good work of DCU. The strength and fitness of the players improved and the University should take great credit for that.”
Most of the work that Bohemian FC do with the University is in partnership with the CEO of DCU Sport, Ken Robinson.

Fenlon (39) said this is one of the major factors that have contributed to a successful campaign for the Phibsboro outfit.

He said: “Winning league championships are fantastic achievements because of the amount of work that goes into winning them. You can win Cups over three or four games, but to win a league championship requires a lot of hard work and dedication.”

Bohs, who last won the league title during the transition season of 2002/03, secured top spot with four games to spare. When asked of the key reason behind his team’s success this year, Fenlon replied, “The attitude has been the top one. From the day we came back, to now, it has been spot on.” Adding, “If you’ve got that within your own group, you’ve got a great chance of being successful.”

At the start of the season, the main goal of the Bohs’ manager was to build a squad capable of challenging for the league. Despite achieving one of his long term goals in his first season, Fenlon insists the hunger for more success is still there. “You never sit on your laurels, you always try to better yourself’ said the Ireland U23 coach. “We’d like to win the (FAI) Cup final and rack up an unbelievable points tally and that’s the target.”

The Dalymount club are on the brink of making history as they hone in on two league records. First on Derry City’s tally of 24 wins and then Dundalk Town’s record points haul of 80. Fenlon, who played for Bohemians in the early 1990s, believes his group of players have the makings of a special team.

“Records are there to be broken,” said Fenlon. “This group are hungry and can be successful if they keep working as hard as they have done.” Bohemians’ title win is Fenlon’s fourth league honour in managament having previously had success with former club Shelbourne in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

Winning the league, according to Fenlon, is a just reward for the effort his players put in during the season. “A lot of the credit goes to the players for putting in all that hard work and that they got their reward in the end.”

Photo: Sportsfile.