2024 Season, Arrivals and Departures

[joey B]

Alan Reynolds to be the new Bohs boss.

[Another Bohemia]

Alan Reynolds to be the new Bohs boss.

Good appointment if it comes to fruition. Has worked with Fenlon previously so knows what to expect and did well with Waterford in his time there. Not to mention having worked with the u21 team would be aware of what Bohs and other teams in the league have coming through which could be valuable. Surprised he's willing to give up the u21 job though as I had heard it is something he really loves doing.

[oriel]

Managerial career
2004 Waterford United
2008 Derry City (Assistant manager)
2014–2015 St Patrick's Athletic (Assistant manager)
2016 Cork City (Assistant manager)
2017–2020 Waterford
2020 Dundalk (Assistant manager)
2020– Republic of Ireland U21 (Assistant manager)
2021 Shelbourne (Assistant manager)
2022–2023 Derry City (Assistant manager)
2023– Waterford (Assistant manager)

He has a decent CV, thought he was a great appointment as coach to DFC in 2020, left due to the basket case of P6 part 2 and he was right.

[Jack B]

Some disappointed reactions from Bohs fans but think that's a perfectly good appointment myself. Granted not heap of experience as the main man but he's done well as one, as well as having a great reputation as an assistant and from most people that have worked with him. Could certainly do a lot worse from the limited options you have in this league.

[Burnsie]

so that's nine different LOI clubs who will have hired Reynolds as player or staff.. presumably a record?

He's almost completed the PD table from 2020

[2 Year Contract]

Some disappointed reactions from Bohs fans

Please spare a thought for the Bohs fan who bricked Reynolds' car 20 years ago at this difficult time for him :)

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30156454.html

[pineapple stu]

so that's nine different LOI clubs who will have hired Reynolds as player or staff.. presumably a record?

Below copied from wiki - 12 clubs, one twice. Should be straightforward who it is, but will leave it as a little teaser!

Managerial career
1983 UCD
1986–1988 Shamrock Rovers
1989–1992 Sligo Rovers
1992–1993 Longford Town
1993–1996 Dundalk
1996 Finn Harps
1996 Athlone Town
1996–1998 Home Farm Everton
1998–2002 Shelbourne
2000 League of Ireland XI
2002–2003 Kildare County
2003–2003 Derry City
2005–2006 Dublin City
2007–2010 Shelbourne

[pineapple stu]

Yup..

[Another Bohemia]

Yup..

Feck didn't mean to delete that I had said Dermot Keely. Also would you not consider Home Farm Everton and Dublin City the same club? Were Dublin City not essentially a rebrand of Home Farm?

[pineapple stu]

Feck didn't mean to delete that I had said Dermot Keely. Also would you not consider Home Farm Everton and Dublin City the same club? Were Dublin City not essentially a rebrand of Home Farm?
I wasn't sure about that - but wiki says (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Farm_F.C.) Home Farm Everton sold their licence to Ronan Seery, who became Home Farm Fingal for one year before becoming Dublin City. So I think they are separate clubs.

[nigel-harps1954]

so that's nine different LOI clubs who will have hired Reynolds as player or staff.. presumably a record?

He's almost completed the PD table from 2020

Roddy Collins has been involved with nearly every club in the league as either player or manager at some point. Thankfully never at Harps though..

[ger121]

Some disappointed reactions from Bohs fans but think that's a perfectly good appointment myself. Granted not heap of experience as the main man but he's done well as one, as well as having a great reputation as an assistant and from most people that have worked with him. Could certainly do a lot worse from the limited options you have in this league.

Happy enough with that one myself.

[Burnsie]

yes by my count Roddy's on 10 current* clubs, plus three** ware no longer in the league

*not distinguishing between Waterford Utd/WFC)
**having listened to his book, I'm not sure he ever actually played for St Francis in a proper match

[Another Bohemia]

I wasn't sure about that - but wiki says (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Farm_F.C.) Home Farm Everton sold their licence to Ronan Seery, who became Home Farm Fingal for one year before becoming Dublin City. So I think they are separate clubs.

Yeah fair enough it's an odd one to be sure

[Shinkicker]

Yeah fair enough it's an odd one to be sure
I'll always back the Bohs manager who ever he is and whether I agree with his appointment or not. My jury has to remain out with this one as he has never held a leading role, so it's up to him to prove to me and the others who may be unsure that he is the right man. I truly and honestly wish him well in his new appointnent and hope he offers some new dimensions to our game.
If we get anything at tallaghfornia next week he'll be a hero to many for a few weeks at least.
Good luck Alan

[RealJohn91]

My jury has to remain out with this one as he has never held a leading role
He had two spells as Waterford manager

[Another Bohemia]

He had two spells as Waterford manager

Don't let facts get in the way of a good rant. Otherwise you may as well shut down the whole site.

[Shinkicker]

He had two spells as Waterford manager
Sorry I stand corrected, I didn't realise he held the top job at waterford.

[Martinho II]

Roddy Collins has been involved with nearly every club in the league as either player or manager at some point. Thankfully never at Harps though..

Same as with us but if his consortium had taken charge of us in 08 he would have come to us as mgr!

[sulywaterfordfc]

Sorry I stand corrected, I didn't realise he held the top job at waterford.

He managed the Blues to the first division title in 2017 I think and followed that up with a fourth place finish the following season. As a player manager with Waterford back in 04, managed the club to the FAI cup final and unfortunately lost due to some incompetence by the match officials.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

He managed the Blues to the first division title in 2017 I think and followed that up with a fourth place finish the following season. As a player manager with Waterford back in 04, managed the club to the FAI cup final and unfortunately lost due to some incompetence by the match officials.

At least he won’t have to deal with that in the premier division these days

[Another Bohemia]

At least he won’t have to deal with that in the premier division these days

Losing a cup final to referee incompetence rather than tactical incompetence would be a step forward for Bohs...

[Shinkicker]

Alan Reynolds officially announced as the new Bohs manager. I really hope this works for him and the club. Good luck in your new role Alan.

[ger121]

What a first game for Rennie. Free hit really.

[Jack B]

Seems to he a good bit of chat that SOD will be sacked today.

[Nesta99]

Statement from the club later today. Whether thats sacking O'Donnell its all presumption yet as its the usual course and most likely but ye just never know.

[sbgawa]

SOD gone .
Had to happen i suppose

[2 Year Contract]

Always sad to see a man lose his job, particularly in the LOI where there aren’t anywhere near as many opportunities as across the water for managers…










Apart from in this case though, hilarious stuff! Only sad thing is that Pats didn't get the opportunity to put the final nail in the coffin on Friday

[D24Saint]

SOD gone .
Had to happen i suppose

They will find it hard to get someone decent in. I wonder is Perth in the frame.

[culloty82]

Always likely to happen, but seems very much to be papering over the cracks at Oriel Park in terms of Ainscough's approach to the administration and funding of the club, so while I feel plenty of sympathy for the fans, I'll be surprised if there's a significant upturn between now and the end of the season.

[pineapple stu]

Always likely to happen, but seems very much to be papering over the cracks at Oriel Park in terms of Ainscough's approach to the administration and funding of the club
You'll be more familiar with Ainscough than me, but it seems a bit harsh to blame him for Dundalk's issues? They've been heading this way since the Euro money ran out I think - an LoI tale as old as time.

Agree it's papering over the cracks though, and Dundalk fans would want to hope they can find someone as good to replace him, which mayn't be a gimme (as D24 suggests).

Are Pat's still taking him to the High Court btw?

[Nesta99]

Ok now the knives can come out! Hope chief scout or those responsible for recruitment/recommending players go too. O'Donnell's main error could be in trusting the judgement of others too much. Club as a whole needs to take stock as O'Donnell as manager is a bit of a scapegoat imo for much wider issues, you cant build when you cant retain players season to season. There were a lot of raised eyebrows at signings, the hope was others knew something fans didnt but there couldnt have been seriously in depth scouting and concern has been duly warranted. Change in ownership is disruptive but there was also continuity of staff in key positions during this phase and if you can pay a transfer fee to bring in a player the you can afford to keep a proven players (unless there is a manipulated exit). BA is moving toward clearing the decks, off the pitch its merited too to stop a decline which has been pretty obvious for a number of seasons. There were/are too many self righteous agendas at Dundalk FC, info leaked to media and counter leaks, local ownership v yanks - all just too messy to not accumulate and drive a club backwards. I hate these rallying cliches of calling people to pull together after managerial change but the one thing that would do most to save things is to focus on being a football club, burying self importance, using the club a political or personal football etc etc.

Where too next....

[Nesta99]

You'll be more familiar with Ainscough than me, but it seems a bit harsh to blame him for Dundalk's issues? They've been heading this way since the Euro money ran out I think - an LoI tale as old as time.

Agree it's papering over the cracks though, and Dundalk fans would want to hope they can find someone as good to replace him, which mayn't be a gimme (as D24 suggests).

Are Pat's still taking him to the High Court btw?

Who knows but John Daly has just been seen walking in to Oriel Park!

[pineapple stu]

Bold! :p

[joey B]

Is there an obvious replacement for O’Donnell? I’m struggling to think of a standout candidate……
I think Dave Rogers lives in Dundalk though :p

[D24Saint]

Is there an obvious replacement for O’Donnell? I’m struggling to think of a standout candidate……
I think Dave Rogers lives in Dundalk though :p

There aren’t too many great candidates either established or upcoming in the league at the moment. Even when things were going poor for us recently there wasn’t that many calling for a change due to the last of viable alternatives out there.

[2 Year Contract]

Is there an obvious replacement for O’Donnell? I’m struggling to think of a standout candidate……
I think Dave Rogers lives in Dundalk though :p

It's Mister Roderick Collins' time to shine

[Another Bohemia]

Is there an obvious replacement for O’Donnell? I’m struggling to think of a standout candidate……
I think Dave Rogers lives in Dundalk though :p

Stephen Kenny would be the dream candidate for them but that may be a longshot. After that there isn't any Sam Allardyce characters in the LOI who usually go in and do a decent job steadying ship and that's the type of manager you would imagine they are looking for. I can't see much point in going the unproved route for them unless Ainscough wants to start a Kerry Dundalk rivalry

[D24Saint]

They could try and get someone in like Gary Cronin who recently left Bohs or Doyle from Drogheda. They might not like the situation but might take the opportunity to manage a high profile club.

[RealJohn91]

If Kenny turned Bohs down there's no chance he'll go near Dundalk in the state they're in at the moment.

[D24Saint]

If Kenny turned Bohs down there's no chance he'll go near Dundalk in the state they're in at the moment.

The Kenny talk is a red herring it reminds me of the Kerr taking the Pats job talk over the years. I don’t think there is a chance that Kenny will return to the LOI anytime soon. I’d say he will take his time before taking some obscure international job.

[ger121]

Vinny Perth come on down

[Nesta99]

Kenny's, like Kerr's, professional pride wont let him jump back to LoI any time soon though Id love to be wrong and for BA to throw a kitchen sink at turning his head. The ability of Dundalk fans to polarise never ceases to surprise, Gartland being included as an interim sestup is being called as calculated and targeted with him undemining O'Donnell to get the main job. Not beyond possible but how quickly itk people have emerged with a bunch of stories could be some sort of record even by our standards. Recruitment has been questionable but hardly the conspiracy thats is doing the rounds, maybe its just simply poor recruitment. Rules out swapping in Higgins if he doesnt last if there is substance to rumours. So much for pulling together...

Candidates, as ever its a complete stab in the dark. I doubt BA hant considered possibilities, even sounded some out. I hope he has a quality candidate in mind from his own contacts tbh, rather than tired and tested or up and coming young coach, internal appointment. Its about surviving the drop (maybe the club) and unless O'Donnell was doing something very wrong that others on the coaching team could see and can sort well why drop the axe-actually maybe a power struggle between coaches isnt the worst possibility if now it focuses the squad and they graft for whomever.

[SkStu]

Welcome to Oriel, Maxi.

[placid casual]

Am I mistaken or is brian gartland in charge of recruitment for dundalk? If so,he should be out the door,no?
Have always had a soft spot for SOD since his days at Rovers and wish him well,but this appears to be a real setback in his fledgling managerial career.
Please please give the job to *vinny-from-the-block,just for pure entertainment sake.

He used to have a little,now he has f**k all.

[nigel-harps1954]

Is there an obvious replacement for O’Donnell? I’m struggling to think of a standout candidate……
I think Dave Rogers lives in Dundalk though :p

Great craic if they give it to Rogers. He'll no doubt have his name in the hat anyway. Lives across the border in Monaghan.

[joey B]

Great craic if they give it to Rogers. He'll no doubt have his name in the hat anyway. Lives across the border in Monaghan.

I’d say there’s more chance of you getting Nigel tbh :D

[kksaints]

Vinny Perth come on down
If Gartland is still there I'd be surprised he went for Perth. Gartland was scathing enough of Perth in his autobiography I think.

No sympathy for O'Donnell at all. He'll be back soon enough in any case when the next vacancy in the league crops up.

[nigel-harps1954]

I’d say there’s more chance of you getting Nigel tbh :D

Submitting my application as we speak.

[Jd2793]

perth has no backbone so id imagine he will be begging for another go in dundalk