BOHEMIANS HAVE DOUBLED down on their commitment to community and integration work with the launch of a new strategy document, Bohs in the Community. 

And in a first for a League of Ireland side, the implementation of the strategy’s principles will be overseen by a full-time Football Social Responsibility Manager, James Flanagan. 

The five-year strategy document was launched at the Mansion House by Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, who praised Bohs’ integration work, saying it provides a necessary bulwark against far-right rhetoric. 

The strategy’s founding principle is a belief that football can be a force for good, and the document has five key pillars: health and wellbeing; rehabilitation; education; anti-discrimination; and climate justice and sustainability. 

“Obviously my job is to win football matches and affect results and performances, but when I came to Bohs and saw the work that was getting done, I was absolutely blown away”, said men’s first-team manager Declan Devine. 

“One of the things that’s really powerful from my point of view, yes I have a budget to work with, but the football club will never put itself in that position again. Success is not just winning a league title: it’s much bigger and more impactful in where the club is going.

“We are just a small cog in the machine. Football in Ireland has never really been self-sustainable, when you see the work that’s getting done here, the future is very bright for the football club.” 

“What Bohs do in the community is a credit to them and it’s a benchmark for every club”, said FAI president Gerry McAnaney. 

The strategy document can be read here.