Dear supporter,
I am writing to inform you that I took the decision to resign from the board at our meeting on Tuesday night.
It was my intention to stand down at the next AGM but I have decided to go early as the board is about to commence a strategic review and I felt I should not be involved in that if I was not going to be there to see it through.
It has been very much a rollercoaster ride since I joined the board as finance director in 2009 to stepping down as president for the second time in 2021.
We went from terminating players’ contracts, tough negotiations with creditors, bankers, PFAI and FAI to clearing all our debts and doing so while remaining in the Premier Division the whole time.
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All of this was achieved by members and fans working together towards a common goal of saving the club and putting it on a sustainable footing.
In that time there has been great growth in so many areas of the club thanks to all involved. On the pitch, we have had success under Keith Long in qualifying for Europe for two successive seasons. But we are no longer just a first team – we are a proper club that is once again truly embedded in our community.
Great credit must be given to everyone involved but particularly the various boards during this period and, of course, Matt Devaney who did a great job as president between 2013 and 2017.
We only borrow the club for a short period of time and all we can do is try and pass it on in a better position than when we got it. I hope I played my part in achieving this over the last number of years.
I know some people will say we lost Dalymount during this period. But while we lost ownership, we secured it as our home ground for generations.
This is something many previously thought unthinkable and this represents a far better future for our club than moving away from Phibsborough.
Working closely with Dublin City Council, Shelbourne and local stakeholders, we have a rebuilt modern stadium and shared space to look forward to that will cement Dalymount Park’s place in the heart of our community.
I mentioned at previous AGMs that getting training facilities was a priority of mine and I am delighted that the club managed to get agreement with DCU before I stood down.
As well as providing first class training facilities for our players, this exciting partnership of shared values will leave lasting connections in football, social inclusion, social outreach and academic programme collaboration.
Before I go, I would like to thank everyone who supported me throughout the years as nothing would have been done without that support.
This has always been a team effort and we achieved everything by working together. This was evident right from those darkest of days right through to the present day. It has been particularly remarkable and appreciated since the onset of the pandemic, which could have proved to be a chaotic time for the club if it wasn’t for the loyalty of our members, supporters and sponsors.
This was never a vanity project and I had always decided to go when I thought others could do a better job than me. As a pensioner, I am beginning to feel my age and some new blood and fresh ideas will be good for the club.
I think that as we have grown over the last few years, things have started to move more quickly than we could have anticipated and now is the time for a new, energetic and more vibrant president who can lead us into what I believe can be a very bright future.
I know I rejoined the board before having resigned before, but I will not be doing that again. The first time I joined the board, we made the biggest loss in the club’s history and in my second time on the board, we have agonisingly gone a full year of games behind closed doors, so I don’t want to bring any more bad luck!
I will, however, continue my work with the Bohemian Foundation, so I will still be around and, obviously, if the board feel I can help with any particular issue, then I am more than happy to get involved.
Finally, I would like to thank you for allowing me to be your president. It has been a huge honour and privilege. I hope you feel I have made a positive contribution.
Thank you
Chris Brien
