Pat Fenlon

Pat Fenlon

File:PatFenlon.JPG
Personal information
Full name	Patrick Fenlon
Position(s)	Manager
Team information
Current team	Derry City F.C.

Patrick "Pat" Fenlon (b. March 15 1969, Dublin, Republic of Ireland) is the manager of eircom League side, Derry City F.C. He was appointed on December 8 2006 to a three-year contract and will replace former manager, Stephen Kenny.

Management Career

Shelbourne FC

Before becoming manager of the Derry club, Fenlon managed Shelbourne of Dublin. He is a former player of the same club, having joined Shelbourne in 1997 from Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers where he had scored 5 goals in 38 appearances. Fenlon took over the reigns at Tolka Park in a player/manager capacity from Dermot Keely in 2002 and guided the club to second place in his inaugural season in charge.

By the start of the 2003 season, Fenlon had hung up his boots to focus solely on the management of the club. During the off-season, he had decided to retire from the playing side of the game, and direct his efforts toward the management of Shelbourne. The rewards were immeditate, and Fenlon took the club to their first ever back-to-back league titles, in 2003 and 2004. The 2004 season also saw Fenlon lead his squad past Croatian high-flyers, Hajduk Split and into the Third Qualifying Round of the UEFA Champions League, where his Shelbourne side were eventually overturned by Spanish giants Deportivo la Coruña. Following this amazing run, and participation in the First Round of the UEFA Cup against Lille OSC, Fenlon was rewarded with a contract extension.

2005 promised big things for Pat Fenlon and Shelbourne. However, things did not go exactly as planned. In spite of several big name signings, Shelbourne staggered past the season's finishing-line in a disappointing third place. One of Fenlon's former clubs, Linfield, also beat Shelbourne in the first Setanta Cup final.

2006 saw the return of success. Dogged by continuous rumours involving a move from Tolka Park during the 2006 season, Fenlon guided the club to their third league title in 4 years on 17 November 2006, with a 2-1 victory over rivals Bohemians, which saw the Dubliners claim the title on goal difference. The media in Ireland had initially been linking Fenlon with the vacant management position at Dalymount Park, however this long-standing rumour was put to rest when Bohemians appointed Sean Connor as their new manager on November 17 2006. This was followed by reports linking Fenlon to the vacant hot-seat at Derry City left by Stephen Kenny, who had departed the Brandywell Stadium to take up the managers position at Scottish side Dunfermline Athletic.

Fenlon resigned from his position as Shelbourne manager on December 5 2006 and the reports proved true when Derry City F.C. concluded an agreement with him within four days.

Derry City FC

Fenlon took the managerial spot at the club that, with Shelbourne FC, he beat to first position in the 2006 eircom League Premier Division on 08 December, 2006. With regard to the new installation, Derry City's chief executive, Jim Roddy, stated, "Pat has a wealth of eircom League experience and the chairman and board of Derry City Football Club are delighted to have appointed a manager of such calibre." In response, Fenlon stated his high hopes for the future: "Derry City are a highly successful and ambitious club and I’m really looking forward to working with the players and everyone at the club."

In January, 2007, Fenlon was awarded the eircom/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland (SWAI) 'Personality of the Year' award after his success during the 2006 season with Shelbourne FC. His new team-captain at Derry City, Peter Hutton, was also included in the shortlist of six nominees for the award, as well his old team-captain at Shelbourne, Owen Heary, and the man he replaced at Derry, Stephen Kenny.

Honours

As a manager

• League of Ireland Championship: 3
  • Shelbourne - 2003, 2004, 2006

As a player

• League of Ireland Championship: 3
  • St. Patrick's Athletic - 1989/90
  • Shelbourne - 1999/00, 2001/02

• FAI Cup: 2
  • Bohemian FC - 1992
  • Shelbourne - 2000

• Irish Premier League Championship: 1
  • Linfield - 1993/94

• IFA Cup: 2
  • Linfield - 1993/94, 1994/95

Trivia

• Fenlon was the first manager to reach the Third Qualifying Round of the UEFA Champions League with an Irish club. He achieved this with Shelbourne in 2004, finally bowing out to Spanish side, Deportivo la Coruña, after a run which saw his side eliminate Icelandic champions KR Reykjavík, and Croatian champions Hajduk Split.
• Fenlon suffered a triple fracture of the shin in a match against Shamrock Rovers in Tolka Park on February 12, 1999. He recovered from this to help fire Shelbourne to the league and cup double the following season, and was voted the PFAI Player of the Year for his contribution.
• Fenlon scored the winning goal for Shelbourne in the 1999/00 FAI Cup final replay, as Shelbourne beat Bohemians 1-0.