Pat Fenlon

Playing career

Fenlon was born in Dublin and played as a schoolboy with four local clubs before a stint as a young trainee with London club Chelsea. He returned to Ireland and signed for Brian Kerr's St Patrick's Athletic in 1987, making his League of Ireland debut on 13 September 1987 against Shelbourne at Harold's Cross Stadium. He won the League of Ireland championship with St Pats in 1989–90 and scored against Dinamo Bucharest in the European Cup in September 1990.

After four seasons at St Pats, he signed for Bohemians in the summer of 1991, scoring 29 goals in 88 appearances and winning the FAI Cup in 1992 as well as the PFAI Player of the Year award. In February 1992 he scored for the Republic of Ireland in a 'B' international against Denmark. Fenlon signed for Linfield in January 1994, becoming the first Dublin Catholic to do so, and later said he had been abused by fellow Irish Catholics for his decision.

He won two Irish Cups and one Irish Premier League championship with Linfield, scoring the title-sealing goal against Glentoran on the final day of the 1993–94 season and the second goal in the 2–0 Irish Cup Final win over Bangor a week later. He moved to Shamrock Rovers in June 1996, then transferred to Shelbourne after one season. While playing for Shelbourne he suffered a triple fracture of the shin in a match against Rovers at Tolka Park on 12 February 1999, but recovered to help the club win the league and cup double the following season, earning a second PFAI Player of the Year award. He scored the winning goal in the 1999/00 FAI Cup final replay as Shelbourne beat Bohemians 1–0.

Management career

Fenlon began his management career as player/manager of Shelbourne in 2002, guiding the club to second place in his first season. He retired from playing by the start of the 2003 season to focus solely on management, and immediately led Shelbourne to their first ever back-to-back league titles in 2003 and 2004. In 2004 he took the squad past Icelandic champions KR Reykjavík and Croatian side Hajduk Split into the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, where they were eventually overturned by Deportivo la Coruña.

The 2005 season saw Shelbourne finish third, and Linfield beat them in the first Setanta Cup final. In 2006, despite continuous rumours of a move from Tolka Park, Fenlon guided Shelbourne to their third league title in four years on 17 November 2006 with a 2–1 victory over rivals Bohemians, claiming the title on goal difference. Reports then linked him to the vacant position at Derry City left by Stephen Kenny, who had departed for Dunfermline Athletic.

Fenlon resigned from Shelbourne on 5 December 2006, and Derry concluded an agreement with him. In January 2007 he was awarded the eircom/SWAI 'Personality of the Year' award for his 2006 success. However, results at Derry did not favour Fenlon and he resigned after just five months. He also managed the Republic of Ireland under-23 national team for a series of games.

Did You Know?

• He won the PFAI Player of the Year award twice, once with Bohemians in 1992 and again with Shelbourne in 1999/00.
• Fenlon's debut game as Hibernian manager, away to Motherwell, was abandoned at half time when one of the Fir Park floodlights caught fire.