BOARD
To mark the club’s 122nd birthday in September, club directors held a board meeting at the Phoenix Park Gate Lodge (NCR), where the club was founded in 1890. Holding an 1892 photo of a Bohemian team that includes several of the founding members; current directors shown are: former Chris Brien far right) with (left to right) Stephen Burke, Donal Byrne, Stephen Lambert, Anthony Donnelly, Thomas Hynes, John Twomey, Matt Devaney, Daniel Lambert.
Bohemian FC Board of Directors
Matt Devaney (President)
Matt started supporting in the early 1980s when he was brought to Dalymount by his father.
One of his earliest memories is the cup final defeat against Sligo Rovers in 1983 at a rain-soaked Dalymount. Matt’s best memory with Bohs is the 5-0 win in Kilkenny in 2001 which, coupled with Cork City’s win against Shelbourne that day secured, our first title for 23 years.
It’s therefore no surprise that his favourite Bohs player of all time, Glen Crowe, also comes from that era.
Matt was co-opted on to the board in 2009 as Events Director and is now the club’s Commercial Director, having been elected in 2011. Matt can be contacted at president@bohemians.ie.
Stephen Burke (Membership)
Stephen got the Gypsies’ bug in 1967, having been initially brought to League of Ireland matches at Tolka Park and Dalymount Park by his father Charlie. His first game outside the Pale was at Sligo’s Showgrounds in April 1969 when the all-amateur Bohs lost 2-0.
He vividly remembers hopping on to the pitch after a Bohs-Shels match at Dalyer to get autographs but only managing to get that of the nearest player, Shelbourne veteran Paddy Roberts, before having to take evasive action from the infamous ‘Jacko’. He still has the occasional nightmare about that narrow escape. His favourite Bohs players are “all of them”. But if you put a gun to his head, he’d probably single out Turlough O’Connor. The nine-man Bohs 2-0 win over a Waterford side that included a certain Bobby Charlton in February 1976 is one of his highlights as a fan, as is managing to hold on to his Bohs scarf after a match at Milltown against some other Dublin club earlier that season.
A member since 1980 – joining the same day as his father – Stephen’s first involvement as a volunteer was with the Programme Committee circa 1987 when he also helped out on the joint Bohs-Rovers ‘Super Draw’, providing computerised address labels for Hon. Treasurer Gerry Devlin!
He has been editor of the matchday programme since the mid-1990s. Elected to the management committee in 1990, he currently serves on the board as Membership Secretary. He can be seen on most match-nights as his alter ego, a pitchside photographer (allegedly) and can be contacted at membership@bohemians.ie.
Donal Byrne (Events)
His fondest memory is the Europa League away game to Red Bull Salzburg where Brian Murphy saved a penalty to give Bohs a great European result.
He is passionate about Bohs’ involvement in the local community and encourages more members to get involved in the running of the club. Donal can be contacted at events@bohemians.ie
Thomas Hynes (Public Relations)
Thomas is originally from Cabra West, so was born a Bohs man and started going to Dalymount in 1960, aged seven.He supported Bohs for the next 20 years before moving to Los Angeles. When Thomas returned in 2000, he headed straight back to Dalyer even though he now lives on the southside.
Thomas became a member in 2004. His career was in media, so two years ago he volunteered as media liason to assist then club PRO Brian Trench.
With Brian busy with his own media, career Thomas put his name forward for the position of PR director and got the job, which he describes as an ‘honour’.
His main role is on match-nights – meeting guests of honour, directors of visiting clubs, scouts from England etc.
He also assists Bohs’ involvement in prison service games and coaching both in Mountjoy Prison and St Patrick’s Institution. A big part of his role is to organise players to visit schools, junior clubs and community events.
His favourite player from his early years as a supporter is Fran Swan and in more recent times, Glen Crowe. Thomas can be contacted at thomas@bohemians.ie or at 0879558495.