Bohemians have confirmed the appointment of Alan Reynolds as manager of the men’s first team.
The Waterford man, 49, will take training for the first time tomorrow morning, will hold his first press conference as manager tomorrow afternoon, and will take charge of the team for the first time at Friday’s SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division game away to Shamrock Rovers.
Reynolds comes to Dalymount Park with a wealth of coaching and managerial experience in the League of Ireland, most recently as assistant manager at Waterford from whom he joins, and at international level where he has also been assistant manager to Jim Crawford with the Ireland U21s for the past four years.
Alan Reynolds said: “This is a massive club with a passionate fan base. It’s a massive challenge but it is the right one for me and at the right time, and I can’t wait to get cracking.
“Straight away when contact was made, I was very interested. Over the past few years, I’ve had different opportunities to get back into management but this is the one that feels right.
“There is huge potential here. When Bohs teams give the fans something to cheer about, this club’s supporters are electric, and make it a real hostile atmosphere for opponents both home and away.
“I went to the Aviva Stadium when Bohs were on the European run in 2021. There were 8,000 Bohs fans at the game because if Covid, but it felt like there was 30,000. That has always stuck with me. The fans were unbelievable, and the team responded. That’s what we want to achieve here again.
“Over the years I have been involved in the league, it has been the same in Dalymount. When you are out on the pitch preparing for a game, you can feel the energy of the place and that is something that any player should thrive off.”
Reynolds will take training tomorrow for the first time, and is looking forward to helping the squad fulfil its potential.
He said: “There is a good mixture of youth and experience in the squad, and I am really looking forward to getting the very best out of everyone. There are obviously injuries to a couple of key players at the moment in Keith Buckley and Rob Cornwall but there is a lot to be excited about in this squad, and I feel that I can help make them better.
“To work with some of the talented young players at the club - the likes of James McManus and James Clarke - is a really exciting prospect for any manager. They are exciting players - they excite fans and they excite managers - so it is up to me to get in there and improve them further.
“I have worked with a number of the players at the club previously too - Jordan Flores at Dundalk, Dayle Rooney at Shelbourne, James Akintunde at Derry City and Danny Grant with the Ireland U21s.
“So I’m looking forward to getting cracking - assessing the squad, assessing the staff, and seeing where we can improve. Derek Pender and Trevor Croly leading the team for the last game against Derry City got an important win against a good side, so we know there are players here who are capable. They were really well organised, and we want to build on that.
“It is very early days, but I am looking forward to getting in and working with the team now. And they will work, that is for sure. We cannot leave any stone unturned to get this club to where we want it to be, so that means upping the ante in everything we do. Our players will be fully committed. It will be 24/7, it will be full-on.”
And it doesn’t get any more full-on for a first game in charge than a Dublin derby against Shamrock Rovers, but it is a challenge Reynolds is relishing.
He added: “When you talk about football, Dublin derbies are what you call a ‘real game’. In this league, they are the games you want to be involved in, so I am really looking forward to it. There will be a massive crowd but we will have a big crowd behind us too. We will need them to stick with us as I have no doubt they will.”
Welcoming Alan Reynolds to Dalymount Park, Bohemian FC Director of Football Pat Fenlon said: “We are delighted to bring Alan to the club. He is highly respected throughout the league for his ability as a coach and manager.
“Throughout his career as a manager and as a coach, Alan has shown a consistent ability to get the very best out of players and to help teams fulfil their potential, so we are delighted to have him on board. It's the right time for Alan and it is the right time for the club.
“I have worked with Alan in the past. He played under me when I was manager at Shelbourne, and we worked very well together as manager and Director of Football at Waterford as well, so I know the qualities and drives he brings to teams, and we are really looking forward to him getting started here.”
Bohemian FC president Matt Devaney said: “On behalf of the board, I am delighted to welcome Alan Reynolds to the club.
“The club has invested heavily in recent years to allow us to continue to compete in what has become an extremely competitive league, securing first-class training facilities in DCU in 2021, building our off-field structures and moving the men's first team to full-time football last season.
“We believe that with the considerable experience and drive that Alan will bring to the role, that he is the right person to help us push forward and build on those strong foundations.”
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