BOHEMIANS ESTIMATE THAT they will save in the region of €400,000 by delaying their Dalymount Park departure.

The club confirmed on Friday that they will remain in Phibsborough until the mid-season break of the 2027 Premier Division season.

Bohs had been due to leave at the end of this campaign with the redevelopment commencing around the beginning of next season before returning to kick off the 2029 term.

Daniel Lambert, the club’s chief operating officer, explained the reasons for pushing back the departure date until the end of May, explaining that the FAI are supportive of the decision.

“The plan was for the builders to come in here in March. On the call they were saying it would be April. I was looking at it saying ‘when in April?’ [It’s] late April. So we said if that was late May would that make a big difference?

“Four weeks would make a huge difference to us financially. They said no, it’s time built in. We asked for it, we asked to stay. We did a calculation and it’s a big number, in terms of keeping the bar and not being somewhere else and paying rent. It’s as simple as that.

When asked how much the club will save, Lambert said: “350-400k. We can’t risk that amount of money for something for what, the sake of four or five weeks? It’s a mad decision.

“I think it was the right decision. We could have left it and we wouldn’t be having this chat. Financially our biggest risk when we’re out of here is that the club starts to forecast and the costs go up.

“It was a no-brainer. We knew there would be a bit of ‘ah for f** sake’ but when you stacked up the money against it, it was the right decision.

“It’s not a complicated build. It’s a precast structure. We’ve seen what happened up in Derry, we’ve seen [Shamrock] Rovers, it’s two Jodi Stands and two terraces. When people see the drawings, it can look like the Aviva [Stadium] or Croke Park, but it’s a small stadium. Look, it is Ireland. They have looked at it and they are happy. There was time built in any way.”

The FAI “want to work” with Bohs on a solution and “are aware of the finances.” Early kick-offs on Saturday or Sunday afternoons for the first three months of the season will have to be coordinated in tandem with fixtures for the Bohs women’s team who play their games over weekends.

Lambert said Bohs’ plan during the redevelopment will see the men’s team split between two venues (potentially Richmond Park, home of St Patrick’s Athletic, and the new RDS) while qualification for Europe which was secured on Friday means they could require a third venue.

“We have a plan and we’ll announce it in due course. It’s not ideal. When we’re away we’ll have to manage the women’s team playing somewhere and we said it would be more than one ground for the men, which it will.

“Two grounds for the men and a women’s ground so that’s a big ask for the staff here at the club and we have to dig in for a season and a half to get through it.”

Meanwhile, Bohs winger Markuss Strods has spoken of his pride at earning a call-up to the senior Latvia squad for their upcoming Nations League games.

The Dublin-born winger had been due to feature in the Baltic Cup back in June but was ruled out with injury.

While he admits he’s currently going through a “difficult” period out of the Bohs starting XI, the 19-year-old is determined to make the most of the opportunity in games with Armenia away and a double header with Cyprus either side of a home game with Montenegro.

Strods celebrates his 20th birthday on the day of the away game in Cyprus.

“Unbelievable. I think there’s talks going where my parents might fly over and watch me there. But I have obviously family over there, so I think they’re all going to the games, no matter if I come on or not. But if I come on, it’ll be a special moment.”

Another Dublin-born player, defender Denis Cirkin, is also in the Latvia squad.