Ahead of his first game in charge of Bohemians, Declan Devine has said that he wants to build a team that reflects its people.

The Derry man, 49, was announced as manager of the men’s first team this day last week, started in the role on Monday and, tonight, he will take his place in the home dugout at Dalymount Park for the first time when Ollie Horgan’s Finn Harps provide the opposition.

Devine said: “I am very privileged to be here as the footballing figurehead of such an amazing club with such history and tradition. This is something that I am extremely proud of, but, as I said already, it’s something that I do not have time to celebrate.

“There is a huge amount of work to do over the coming days and weeks to get a team ready for next season, but we also want to finish this season on a positive note.

“I’ve only been in the door for four days, but I have loved absolutely every angle that the club is coming from. People are stopping me on the street to wish me good luck. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind.

“I’m planning on being here as long as I possibly can. I’m going to surround myself with people who want success. I’m going to surround myself with good people – people who love the club – and I’m going to do everything I possibly can to fill this stadium on a regular basis.

“We have got to make this a really difficult place for everybody to come to and enjoy our success in terms of winning individual games and building towards winning trophies, producing our own players and entertaining our supporters.

“I want that rapport; all as one with the players, the fans, the backroom team, the board, everybody. And we drive this place on to get the success we need.

“I have met people who have the heart and soul of this club in their own hearts, and that is something that really appeals to me and that I can relate to.

“I want passion and the people behind the scenes here have so much passion. I want work ethic and the people behind the scenes here have so much work ethic.

“This is the People’s Club – we have to get a team that reflects that.

“We have to have a team that is ready to fight for every inch out here. We have to have a team that represents the people paying their hard-earned cash and the people doing all these hours behind the scenes. They are the lifeblood of this club.

“But the top of that pyramid is the first team and we have to improve all aspects of the footballing side. I’m here full pelt to work and help everybody make the club a complete success.”

Devine is driven to recapture that work ethic and determination – a hallmark of Bohs teams throughout his predecessor Keith Long’s tenure but that has fallen far short this season – with the ultimate goal of bringing success back to Dalymount.

He said: “We’ve got to strive to bring silverware to this club. We are in a position this year where it hasn’t been good enough; a position in the league that we should never be in.

“I’m here to build a squad over the next year or so that’s really going to compete at the top end of the table.

“You see the investment that some of the clubs at the top are investing in the game at the minute but, for me, it’s about good people; having good people around you, who want to represent this football club and leave everything on the pitch.”

Devine will use the final three games of the season, starting with Harps this evening, to assess this season’s squad ahead of a rebuild in the closed season.

He said: “Right now, all I’m interested in is the next three games. I want to see that we have people here willing to stay here and fight for the jersey, fight for the fans, fight for their careers and be here long term. And if we can do that we can certainly build towards winning silverware.

“There are good lads who have maybe been dragged down a little bit this year and have lost a bit of confidence and lost a lot of self-belief.

“There are very good players here that, yes, we want to keep and we will assess that over the coming weeks.

“But the games and results don’t lie. So I need to look at who wants to stay at this club first, why they want to stay, and also who I want to stay and build my team around.

“I want to play the most attractive style of football that we can but we have got to get the right players to do that. We have got to have good recruitment. We have got to make sure that the players fit into the way that I want to play. We want to entertain, but we have to get the right people in who fit the mold.

“It’s a new dawn in January when we go properly full time. We have got to improve, we have got to get better. We have got to make sure that everybody who is here, whether it be staff or players, buys in 100,000,000%.”

One of those who will give that in spades is prodigal son Keith Buckley, who Devine yesterday announced as his first signing for 2023 on a three-year contract.

Buckley, 30, previously amassed 318 appearances for the first team in all competitions and will come back home this winter after a year abroad in Australia and be reinstated as captain straight away.

Devine added: “I’ve spoken to Keith on numerous occasions over the last week. His appetite, his love and affection for this club is everything I want.

“He’s coming straight in as my captain from today even though he’s in a different country. He is going to be on the WhatsApp groups. He’s going to be talking to the players.

“But look, that’s the type of DNA I want. This club has to mean more than just picking up a wage. It has to be ingrained that it’s about winning.

“Keith Buckley brings that in abundance. To say I’m delighted that he’s going to be here is an understatement. He’s everything that I want in my team.

“I’m absolutely over the moon to have him as my first signing and I think it’s a statement of intent of where we want to go.

“I’ve said we want people who will fight for the club, and there is no better man.”

Please note that while the Jodi Stand is sold out for tonight’s game, tickets for the Des Kelly Stand remain on sale at tickets.bohemians.ie.

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are without the injured Jon McCraken, James Talbot, Ryan Burke, Laurenz Dehl, Tyreke Wilson, John O’Sullivan, Johnny Afolabi and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe, while Chris Lotefa is a doubt.

Declan McDaid and Josh Kerr return from injury, while Jordan Flores is available again following his one-game suspension.

Bohemian FC is delighted to announce a new partnership with Innumeris Education. This partnership will provide leaving cert tuition for academy players wishing to pursue university opportunities during their time as League of Ireland footballers.

As well as that, additional tailored support will be provided for those athletes wishing to pursue university opportunities in the USA once they finish secondary school.

Bohemian FC Chief Operating Officer Daniel Lambert said: ”We are delighted to offer our Academy players the academic support required to ensure that they strive to develop themselves in their second level studies. As a club, we want to provide the platform for our players to meet their full potential and this will be a huge support for them to assist their studies.”

Bohemian FC Head of Academy Craig Sexton said: “We are delighted to further strengthen the host of educational opportunities that we can offer players at Bohemian FC. Football can offer so much to enrich people’s lives but all players have short careers at whatever level their potential brings them. Developing an education alongside their football development gives them lifelong opportunities and we are looking forward to working with Innumeris for many years to come.”

Innumeris’ mission is to provide quality support for student-athletes looking to pursue third-level education both at home & abroad. When it comes to supporting student-athletes, we are passionate about proving that strong academic and athletic performance can go hand-in-hand.

The Innumeris team includes academic advisors from top universities such as Trinity College Dublin, Harvard University, UCD, Princeton University and Oxford University who have proven that this is possible. The programme patrons and ambassadors are also living proof of this academic and athletic balance.

Daniel Olaniyi, founder and Chairperson, Innumeris Education, said: “Bohemians believe that their academy players need to be taken care of both on and off the pitch. League of Ireland teams are beginning to recognise the need to provide a holistic service to their players and this includes providing quality academic support for elite academy players who are considering pursuing university opportunities alongside their elite careers. Innumeris are delighted to be part of this innovative model.

”We will be supporting their academy players academically as they look to pursue third-level education in Ireland as well as avail of opportunities in the US. This year, through our tailored programmes, we have helped a number of student-athletes to date secure both sporting and academic scholarships to top universities in the States and this partnership enables us to support these talented Bohemians players in their pursuit of their aspirations.”

Derek Pender has set Bohemians the target of winning their five remaining games of the season.

Bohs host Drogheda United this evening having bounced back from crashing out of the FAI Cup against Shelbourne with wins over the division’s bottom two sides, Finn Harps and UCD.

Now Pender wants the team to continue to give the Dalymount Park faithful something to cheer about after what has been a stop-start season.

Pender said: “The crowds keep coming to Dalymount despite it being a disappointing season.

“The fans have shown us great support and it is up to us now to try and entertain them, get them up off their seats, and finish the season on a high and as high up the table as we can.”

Bohs currently lie in fifth, ten points behind St Patrick Athletic, who they face next week at Richmond Park.

Pender said: “It’s a big gap but we want to put a bit of pressure on St Pat’s above us by winning tonight as well.

“We only have five games left and we want to win every game that is ahead of us between now and the end of the season.”

Pender is once again planning for this fixture with an injury-ravaged squad, but he praised the efforts of

He added: “We have been missing a lot of players over the last couple of games – we’ve been ravaged – but the lads we have out playing are giving it absolutely everything.

“They have been working really hard. The attitude has been really, really good and that needs to continue.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are without Jon McCraken, James Talbot, Ryan Burke, Laurenz Dehl, Tyreke Wilson, John O’Sullivan, Johnny Afolabi, and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe.

Bohemians got back to winning ways in the league against Finn Harps last weekend following their FAI Cup capitulation against Shelbourne – now Rory Feely says Bohs are determined to build on that and finish the year in form.

With little left to play for other than pride, six games remain for what has been a disappointing season.

Tonight Bohs, with a lengthy absentee list of nine players, face UCD with the Students scrapping for survival, one point off the bottom of the table.

Jodi Stand tickets are sold out, but Des Kelly Stand tickets remain and can be purchased online from tickets.bohemians.ie or supporters can pay at the turnstiles.

Goals from Declan McDaid and a wonder strike from Jordan Doherty gave the Gypsies a 2-0 in Ballybofey on Saturday and Feely said: “We got back winning ways.

“Our main goal coming off the week previously against Shelbourne was that we needed performance and hard work, and with that hopefully the result would follow. It did in the end.

“It was a rough first half but much better in the second. We got to play some good football and scored a really good goal.”

That FAI Cup quarter-final against Shelbourne was seen as a golden opportunity for Bohs to salvage something from their season, so the manner of the 3-0 defeat against a team that had failed to beat them in four previous attempts this year was all the more galling.

Fans made their feelings known at the full-time whistle, while many others left the ground long before the game finished.

Feely believes that reaction was justified, and that it is up to the team to try win back support with performances on the field.

He said: “The reaction from supporters was deserved. The performance against Shels was by no means good enough.

“There was nothing we could look back at from that game that was positive. Nothing went right. The work-rate wasn’t there which is something we pride ourselves on.

“The fans’ reaction was justified. We had to react to that going up to Finn Harps. That was the only thing in our minds.

“We wanted to try and redeem ourselves, to ourselves as well. Coming off that pitch embarrassed, we had to change our mindset.”

The remaining six games will determine whether they have succeeded to do that.

Feely added: “All we can do now is try to keep the pressure on the teams above us and try to move up the table that way.

“UCD is a must-win game that we are expected to win. We have six games left to prove to ourselves our own ability. We know each other well enough now, we should be clicking.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are without Jon McCraken, James Talbot, Ryan Burke, Laurenz Dehl, Tyreke Wilson, James Clarke, Liam Burt, Johnny Afolabi and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe.

Derek Pender is urging Bohemians to seize the day when they face Shelbourne in this afternoon’s Extra.ie FAI Cup quarter-final at Tolka Park.

Bohs’ league form has disappointed this year but they have a huge opportunity to salvage their season today.

Pender said: “Our morale is good despite the upheaval there has been in recent weeks. The players are excited about the games ahead.

“They are all determined to look forward instead of looking back.

“We know it is a massive game but the lads have trained well and are really looking forward to it.

“Shels are a good side. They are aggressive and they are a team that is together and that works hard for each other.

“This will be a difficult game as we know from our last game against them that they never give up. We will have to be at our max.”

Following the departure of Keith Long as manager, Bohs rallied and beat rivals and league leaders Shamrock Rovers 1-0 at Dalymount.

But they could not find a way past Derry City nine days ago despite a positive second half display following an unusual first half where both sides struggled to get a hold of the game, which was disrupted by a long stoppage due to an injury to Candystripes defender Ciarán Coll.

Pender added: “The first half against Derry was strange with the long stoppage.

“Neither team really got going – that bit of magic from Michael Duffy was the only bit of play anyone will remember from that half.

“But our second half performance was pleasing. We had chances to get something out of it. Ethon Varian forced a great save and Rory Feely went extremely close.

“The team worked extremely hard for one another, and they need to continue doing that.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are without James Talbot (shoulder), Laurenz Dehl (knee), Johnny Afolabi (quad) and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe (knee). Jordan Flores (hamstring) is available for selection once more.

Derek Pender has challenged Bohemians to prove last week’s win over the league leaders was not a flash in the pan.

Having struggled for consistency all season, Bohs face another tough task this evening when they travel to the Ryan McBride Stadium to take on second-placed Derry City.

They do so buoyed following an impressive 1-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers, courtesy of Liam Burt’s second-half strike, as Pender and Trevor Croly took charge of the team together for the first time following the departure of manager Keith Long.

Now Pender wants to see more of the same on Foyleside.

He said: “Last Friday was a great performance. There was a togetherness in our play that we felt had been missing. That was great to see and it was what we wanted from the players.

”Obviously it is one of those fixtures that it is easy for everyone to get themselves motivated for – the challenge now is to bring that into the next game.

”We need to see that. Each week for us between now and the end of the season is going to be another test of this group to see where they are at.

”We need to see performances like last Friday on a consistent basis. We need to keep going, and to keep trying to improve every week.”

Bohs went in at the break last Friday with the game scoreless. There was perhaps a fear in the stands that Rovers would go up a gear when the sides reemerged. Instead, it was Bohs who grabbed a hold of the game.

Pender said: ”There were signs in the first half that although we were playing well, that the players were playing with a little bit of a lack of belief because they were low in confidence after a difficult few weeks.

”We told them at half-time to go out in the second half and believe in themselves. Thankfully they did that, and thankfully we got that little bit of magic from Liam Burt to win the game.”

Bohs travel to the Brandywell with that much-needed confidence boost but know that they face another difficult challenge against Rúaidhrí Higgins’ side.

Pender added: ”We are under no illusions about this game. Derry have good players and are flying high in the league and aiming to win the league.

”We have been frustrated against Derry on occasions already this season where we’ve dropped points late in games where we felt we deserved more, so we know how difficult it will be.

”But this has been a much better week for us in terms of training and preparation.

”Obviously last week was difficult for everyone but Friday has given people a lift, and there has been great energy in the group in training all week. We want to build on that.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are without James Talbot (shoulder), Laurenz Dehl (knee), Jordan Flores (hamstring) and Johnny Afolabi (quad), while Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe (knee) and Jordan Doherty (hamstring) will be assessed ahead of the game.

We ask all supporters to read below ahead of this evening’s Dublin Derby.

Nobody at the club wants to sanitise this fixture. But because of incidents that have occurred in previous years, we remain under scrutiny regarding legitimate security and health and safety concerns from our key match stakeholders.

The vast majority of those in attendance in the Jodi Stand tonight are members of the club or season ticket holders, and there is a collective responsibility on us all to ensure the safety of one another and that our actions do not invite further scrutiny or sanctions.

Bohemian FC Board of Management

Sanctions on away supporters: As communicated after our last home game against Shamrock Rovers, the Board of Bohemian FC conducted a review of matchday operations for this fixture following the completely unacceptable actions of some away supporters that night.

As discussed with our members at our recent AGM, in light of the actions of significant minority of Shamrock Rovers supporters, the board felt that our club had no option but to cut their club’s allocation for the Des Kelly Stand for tonight’s fixture to the bare minimum 10% of overall stadium capacity (ie 358 tickets) as required by league rules. This will be kept under review.

For many years, all clubs coming to Dalymount Park have been afforded the full capacity of the Des Kelly Stand. However, the levels of damage caused to our stadium and playing surface, and dangers posed to the safety of our players and staff, were unprecedented; facts backed up by the match delegate’s report.

Having taken such a step, it is doubly important that our own supporters maintain a high standard of behaviour as was the case when the sides last met at Dalymount Park.

Home supporters, please note the following matchday information:

Block A: Our academy youth teams have been allocated the majority of this area and will be there from early in the evening. Please respect this.

Hanging flags on Tramway End: Due to access restrictions, only designated volunteers are permitted to hang flags on the Tramway End. If you wish to have your flag displayed, please drop it into the club office at Dalymount Park (beside Members’ Bar) by 6.45pm.

Dalymount is a place of inclusion: Everyone has the right to attend games without feeling intimidated, insulted, or lesser. Any abuse or chanting that is deemed misogynistic or sexist simply cannot be tolerated, and that also applies to abuse that is racist, sectarian, xenophobic, homophobic or transphobic.

CCTV: We remind supporters that additional CCTV cameras were installed in the Jodi Stand for the protection of supporters. These are monitored throughout all games.

Pitch invasions and missile throwing: Anyone caught encroaching onto the playing surface or throwing missiles will be banned and could face prosecution.

Use of pyrotechnics: The FAI forbids the use of flares, smoke bombs, fireworks and any other pyrotechnics. They are considered a health and safety danger and the club is liable for hefty league fines and sanctions when used. Anyone caught in possession of such items faces being removed from the stadium. Furthermore, the growing trend of flares being thrown onto the playing surface must stop. It is extremely dangerous, has led to considerable fines already this season, as well as additional costs in repairing damaged surfaces.

Standing in stairwells/aisles: Crowding on the stairwells poses serious health and safety risks, particularly if there is a surge. Please do not occupy the aisles/stairwells; please remain in seated areas where you can remain standing if you so wish. We request that people in F & E leave space free for those who do want to stand.

Overcrowding in walkways: Areas such as those surrounding the food vendors, sweet shop and merchandise store are walkways and are not areas where supporters are permitted to congregate to watch the game.

Make space for one another: More often than not when it appears the stand is full, there are many individual unoccupied seats across the stand. Move up! And when it is close to kick-off and it looks like the place is filling up, please assist fellow supporters in finding a vacant seat.

Counterfeit and duplicated tickets: All membership cards, season tickets and match tickets have a unique barcode that will only scan once. If your ticket barcode shows up on our scanners as having already been scanned, we cannot allow you into the game. It is as simple as that.

Bars: The Members Bar and Phoenix Bar are open as normal, and are open on match-night from 5.30pm on production of membership card/season ticket/match ticket. However, there is limited capacity that clearly cannot cater for all in attendance in the Jodi Stand. Once either bar is full, we simply cannot allow more people to enter for the safety of all. The Jameson Bar is closed this evening.

Fire/Emergency evacuation: In the event of a fire or other incident in the Jodi Stand all supporters should please move down the aisles and on to the pitch and follow the instructions of stewards and Gardaí.

Arrive early to avoid congestion: Bars open from 5.30pm while all turnstiles open 6.30pm. Please arrive early to avoid congestion and to make kick-off in good time. We advise arriving at Dalymount not later than 7.20pm.

Clearing the Jodi Stand area at full-time whistle: For both security reasons and so that post-match requirements such as media obligations can be met, it is necessary that the stand area is cleared in a speedy and orderly manner. Please vacate the stand area and head to the bars or leave the stadium entirely when instructed to do so by stewards.

It has been a very difficult few weeks for all at the club.

Let’s get behind the team from the start.

Enjoy the game.

Derek Pender believes Bohemians need to regroup quickly to bounce back after what has been a difficult few weeks for all at the club.

Trevor Croly and Pender have been put in temporary charge of the first team on an interim basis after the club parted ways with manager Keith Long on Tuesday.

Pender, signed by Aaron Callaghan in 2012, was an ever-present during Long’s near eight years at the club, serving as his captain until retiring from playing at the end of 2019, managing the U17s to a league title in 2020, and serving as his first-team coach this season and last.

He owes much of his career to Long, and spoke honestly about the reaction of staff and players following his mentor’s departure.

Pender said: “It’s been a very difficult week. It’s not nice to see someone lose their job.

“It’s been tough for the staff, the players and everyone involved at the club. Really hard.

“We all have so much respect for Keith for everything he did for the club, and for the players and staff over the last seven or eight years.

“It’s a bit of a shock to the system. On Tuesday evening, Keith came in and told the players and staff what was going on.

“The players are obviously down after what happened because Keith is a great man and everyone has a huge amount of respect for him.

“We all know we have let him down, and we all know the club did not want to have to make that decision to let Keith go.

“He means a lot to me as a person as well as a manager. Everyone at the club loves him.”

Long’s final game in charge saw Bohs fall to a 3-1 defeat at home to St Patrick’s Athletic on Monday night.

Pender said: “It was disappointing, we didn’t play well, and unfortunately the consequences of that were Keith was gone on Tuesday.

“The first half was unacceptable. It was unacceptable from all of us, not just the players.

“As staff, we set up the way we set up and it didn’t work. We all have to look at ourselves and we all have to take responsibility.

“In the second half, and I know people will say it is easy to start playing when you are 2-0 down, there was a reaction from the players. We need to see more of that.

“They went after the game, and played more aggressively. They played with hunger and fire in their bellies. That’s the Bohs way and that is what we will be looking for.“

The difficult task now is for Bohs to dust themselves down, but with a Dublin derby at Dalymount Park against Shamrock Rovers tonight in store, they should need no extra motivation.

Pender said: “It is going to be difficult but we know we have to all get on with our jobs.

“The club has asked me and Trevor to look after the players until the club makes a decision about what they want to do.

“Me and Trevor have been part of the club for a long time, and we will do what we are asked to do to the best that we can.

“We have to regroup quickly. We have a massive, massive game now.

“In spite of everything, the players will be looking forward to it and they will be giving it everything they can for the club. That is the least we expect from them.

“Rovers are flying at the moment, everything is going well for them. They are a top side, you can see that – they are top of the league and they have qualified for the group stages of the Europa Conference League.

“Their squad is very strong. It will be a tough game but it is a Dublin derby, they are different to any other league game.

“Anything can happen, and it’s not a hard game for players to motivate themselves for.”

In a difficult week, one positive was a first start for 17-year-old James McManus on Monday.

Arguably Bohs’ best player on the night, Pender believes McManus has what it takes to push on and become a key man for the club.

He added: “James has been brilliant. He is a great lad and has a great future at the club.

“He’s signed a three-year contract with the club, which is brilliant for him and for the club.

“He has the potential and the mindset to go as far as he can in the game.

“He was brilliant on Monday. He played with no fear and went after the game, which was great to see.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are without James Talbot (shoulder), Laurenz Dehl (knee), Conor Levingston (knee), Jordan Flores (hamstring) and Johnny Afolabi (quad), while John O’Sullivan (quad) and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe (knee) are doubts.

Bohemian FC is recruiting for the position of men’s first team manager.

Interested parties can apply to club Honorary Secretary Stephen Lambert by emailing applications@bohemians.ie.

Keith Long knows qualifying for Europe through the league will be an uphill task this season but says Bohemians will be doing everything in their power to defy the odds.

Nine points separate Bohs in sixth and tonight’s opponents St Patrick’s Athletic in fourth, and Long knows his side are running out of time to try and close that gap.

Long said: ”There’s lots of games and twists and turns, you can’t give up.

“There’s a big gap, we’ve not given up but we have made life difficult for ourselves.”

Bohs stopped a run of two defeats and a draw with Friday’s 2-0 win over Lucan United in the FAI Cup.

The challenge now is to build on that and improve their form in the league.

Long added: “There are lots of improvements to be made in terms of performance, but I was pleased with the effort and endeavour of the players.

”We need to continue to try and improve – we have to as it’s a big week with tonight’s game against St Pat’s and Friday against Shamrock Rovers.

”We will fight hard to win every game we can. It won’t be easy. It’s Pat’s, a Dublin derby here.

”St Pat’s are in reasonably good form coming in off the back of European competition. We have to play each other in another round of games.

“We’re not looking for perfection but we are looking for progression. We are working extremely hard. I believe we have the bones of a good side.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians are without James Talbot (shoulder), Laurenz Dehl (knee), Conor Levingston (knee), Jordan Doherty (hamstring), Jordan Flores (hamstring) and Johnny Afolabi (quad).