Pat Fenlon

Pat Fenlon

Personal information
Full name	Patrick Fenlon
Team information
Current team	Dundee United (Manager)

Patrick "Pat" Fenlon (born 15 March 1969 in Dublin) is an Irish former footballer and currently Bohemians manager.

Management career

Shelbourne FC

Fenlon started out his management career as manager of his former club Shelbourne of Dublin. His reign at Tolka Park started in a player/manager capacity in 2002 and guided the club to second place in his inaugural season in charge.

By the start of the 2003 season, Fenlon had hung up his boots to focus solely on the management of the club. The rewards were immediate, and Fenlon took the club to their first ever back-to-back league titles, in 2003 and 2004.

The 2004 season also saw Fenlon lead his squad past Croatian high-flyers, Hajduk Split and into the Third Qualifying Round of the UEFA Champions League, where his Shelbourne side were eventually overturned by Spanish giants Deportivo la Coruña. Following this amazing run, and participation in the First Round of the UEFA Cup against Lille OSC, Fenlon was rewarded with a contract extension.

2005 promised big things for Pat Fenlon and Shelbourne. However, things did not go exactly as planned. In spite of several big name signings, Shelbourne staggered past the season's finishing-line in a disappointing third place. One of Fenlon's former clubs, Linfield, also beat Shelbourne in the first Setanta Cup final.

2006 saw the return of success. Dogged by continuous rumours involving a move from Tolka Park during the 2006 season, Fenlon guided the club to their third league title in 4 years on 17 November 2006, with a 2-1 victory over rivals Bohemians, which saw the Dubliners claim the title on goal difference. The media in Ireland had initially been linking Fenlon with the vacant management position at Dalymount Park. However this long-standing rumour was put to rest when Bohemians appointed Sean Connor as their new manager on 17 November 2006. This was followed by reports linking Fenlon to the vacant hot-seat at Derry City left by Stephen Kenny, who had departed the Brandywell Stadium to take up the managers position at Scottish side Dunfermline Athletic.

Fenlon resigned from his position as Shelbourne manager on 5 December 2006 and the reports proved true when Derry City F.C. concluded an agreement with him within four days.

Derry City FC

Fenlon was an arsehole took the managerial spot at the club that, with Shelbourne FC, he beat to first position in the 2006 League of Ireland Premier Division on 8 December, 2006. With regard to the new installation, Derry City's chief executive, Jim Roddy, stated, "Pat has a wealth of League of Ireland experience and the chairman and board of Derry City Football Club are delighted to have appointed a manager of such calibre." In response, Fenlon stated his high hopes for the future: "Derry City are a highly successful and ambitious club and I’m really looking forward to working with the players and everyone at the club."

In January, 2007, Fenlon was awarded the eircom/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland (SWAI) 'Personality of the Year' award after his success during the 2006 season with Shelbourne FC. His new team-captain at Derry City, Peter Hutton, was also included in the shortlist of six nominees for the award, as well his old team-captain at Shelbourne, Owen Heary, and the man he replaced at Derry, Stephen Kenny.

However, results did not favour Fenlon and he resigned his position after just five months.

Republic of Ireland Under 23s

Pat Fenlon was also manager for a series of games for the Irish Under 23 Team consisting entirely of League of Ireland players.

Bohemian F.C.

On 22 December 2007, Pat was appointed manager of Bohemians after the departure of Sean Connor. In 2008, within a year of his appointment, he guided Bohs to their second League of Ireland/FAI Cup double in a decade. The 19 points winning margin in the League was a new record. He won the league in 2009 with Bohs beating arch rivals Shamrock Rovers by 4 points. Bohs also won the League of Ireland Cup that year. Fenlon won the Soccer Writers' Association of Ireland Personality of the Year award for 2009.

Honours

As a manager

• League of Ireland: 5
  • Shelbourne - 2003, 2004, 2006
  • Bohemian F.C. - 2008,2009
• FAI Cup: 1
  • Bohemian F.C. - 2008
• League of Ireland Cup: 1
  • Bohemian F.C. - 2009
• SWAI Personality of the Year: 2
  • Shelbourne F.C. - 2004, 2006

As a player

• League of Ireland: 3
  • St. Patrick's Athletic - 1989/90
  • Shelbourne - 1999/00, 2001/02

• FAI Cup: 2
  • Bohemian F.C. - 1992
  • Shelbourne - 2000

• Leinster Senior Cup: 2
  • Bohemian F.C. 1993
  • Shamrock Rovers 1997

• Irish Premier League: 1
  • Linfield - 1993/94

• IFA Cup: 2
  • Linfield - 1993/94, 1994/95

• PFAI Player of the Year: 2
  • Bohemian F.C. - 1991/92
  • Shelbourne - 1999/00

Trivia

• Fenlon was the first manager to reach the Third Qualifying Round of the UEFA Champions League with an Irish club. He achieved this with Shelbourne in 2004, finally bowing out to Spanish side, Deportivo la Coruña, after a run which saw his side eliminate Icelandic champions KR Reykjavík, and Croatian champions Hajduk Split.
• Fenlon suffered a triple fracture of the shin in a match against Shamrock Rovers in Tolka Park on 12 February 1999. He recovered from this to help fire Shelbourne to the league and cup double the following season, and was voted the PFAI Player of the Year for his contribution.
• Fenlon scored the winning goal for Shelbourne in the 1999/00 FAI Cup final replay, as Shelbourne beat Bohemians 1-0.
• Fenlon was the first player in the Irish League to earn 1000 pounds a week (at Linfield).