Fenlon hoping Bohs can lift the gloom

AFTER a close season of discontent, the start of the new League of Ireland campaign is just over a week away, with Bohemians the team to beat.

But even the reigning champions and cup holders have not been immune to the harsh economic climate, the delay in their planned sale of Dalymount Park a further contributory factor to a new era of wage cuts, trimmed squads and tightened budgets.

Manager Pat Fenlon has seen it all before and worse, not least at Tolka Park where Shelbourne’s dramatic fall from grace was, it transpires, a portent of things to come for other clubs.

“Unfortunately the more successful you are, it seems to be detrimental to the club,” Fenlon observes, as he prepares his charges for the new campaign. “There’s been a lot of talk about what’s gone on off the pitch during the close season but we’re champing at the bit to get back to playing.”

For Fenlon, the pitch can be seen as a sanctuary in recessionary times.

“I think players, managers and staff will always be affected but once they get on the training pitch or into a game, that’s the place you want to be because you don’t have to think about anything else. Once you’re on the pitch the phone stays in the room and that’s the end of the bad news for a while. You get an hour and a half of freedom and what you enjoy.”

Does he fear that cutbacks will impact on the quality of the game?

“This season maybe not because there are still a lot of quality players around but if things keep going from bad to worse then it could be a major problem over a period of time. Over the last four or five years a lot of good players have come into the league, a lot of young players have progressed and the league has changed completely. So this year it won’t be a major problem. But if it continues, it could become a major problem.”

He also hopes that recent progress in Europe can be maintained.

“I’d be happy enough going into European competition with the squad I have,” he says. “The same for the others, I’d imagine. We’re all in the same boat — lacking numbers rather than quality. So keeping people fit will be an issue. Obviously we’ve made big progress in Europe and this year I hope we can keep chipping away at that.”

That full-time football has been good for the league on the pitch – if not necessarily off it – is self-evident to Fenlon. And one of his new signings, Joseph Ndo, agrees. Says the former Cameroon international: “When I came to Ireland first, I didn’t see much football – it was the high ball all the time. The last few years, technically it has improved a lot. I saw that in Shels – in two years the way we were playing was just amazing. So I hope this season will be the best team Bohs ever had.”

Ndo, one of the league’s great entertainers, also stresses the importance of bums on seats.

“It’s important to bring more people into the stadium to watch something nice,” he says. “And it’s important that we have confidence going into Europe, that we don’t just go there to see some cities. It’s up to us to help Pat to take on that challenge. It will be an exciting season, I’m pretty sure about that.”

Along with Ndo, Bohs yesterday unveiled new signings Paul Keegan, Brian Shelley and goalkeeper Matt Gregg.