Bohemian Football Club Crest

On the evening of Saturday, 6th September 1890, in the Gate Lodge at the North Circular Road entrance to the Phoenix Park, a small group gathered. Mostly young, and mostly students, they were intent on forming a club in the "new" football code, soccer, the Bohemian Football Club.

 In 1893 Bohemians secured their first private ground on the site of what is now Croke Park in Jones's Road, which had been opened as the grandly titled City and Suburban Racecourse and General Amusement Grounds.

Bohemians won the Leinster Cup six times in a row from 1894 to firmly establish their reputation as the leading club in the province.In 1895 the club moved out to a new ground on the Finglas Road at White Hall, close to Glasnevin Cemetery.The nickname of “The Gypsies” was soon widely adopted.

In 1901 Bohemians fashioned Dalymount Park from what had previously been part vegetable patch and part vacant lot behind the Dalymount terrace of houses on the North Circular Road. Bohemians came of age in their 18th year when they won the Irish Cup in 1908. They defeated Glentoran, Linfield, Belfast Celtic, and finally Shelbourne, all after replays.

Dalymount Park hosted its first international in 1904, but came to be called "the home of Irish football" after a major rebuild in 1927, hosting practically all the major cup finals and Republic of Ireland home internationals from that point on until the 1970s.

When Irish football "split" in 1921, Bohs were prime movers in the founding of the FAI, especially as they owned the only ground of substance under the new Association. Bohs won their first League of Ireland title in 1924. In 1928 the League, FAI Cup, Shield, and Leinster Cup - a clean sweep of domestic honours - were won. The League was won again in 1930 and 1934, the FAI Cup in 1935, and the League again in 1936.

After the Second World War, however, the amateur ethos began to wane. Bohemians still attracted fine and loyal players but many would only play for a season or two before the semi-professional clubs tempted them away.

Dalymount continued to develop, and in May 1957 held a record crowd of 47,600 for a World Cup match with England. Floodlighting arrived in 1962, but sent the club heavily into the red. Seán Thomas - the club's first full-time manager - revived Bohemians on the field in the mid 1960s but couldn't stop amateurs leaving for the paid ranks at the end of each season. By the end of the decade the writing was on the wall as Bohemians finished bottom of the League.

In 1969 the club voted to allow payments to players and Tony O'Connell was signed as the first semi-professional. He scored the winner for Bohs in the FAI Cup final of 1970 to end a 34-year trophy drought. Under manager Billy Young there were League wins in 1975 and 1978, and the FAI Cup was won again in 1976. More high points, though not trophies, were enjoyed in the 1980s, particularly a 3-2 win against Rangers in a UEFA Cup match in September 1984.

Patience was rewarded in May 1992 when Bohemians won the FAI Cup at Lansdowne Road in front of 17,000. Under Turlough O'Connor Bohemians were League runners-up in 1996 and 1997 and reached four FAI Cup semi-finals. Season 1999/2000 saw the opening of the Jodi Stand, Bohs finishing third in the League and FAI Cup runners-up.

2000/2001 proved one of Bohemians' greatest seasons ever, happily coinciding with the decision to turn fully professional on the football side of things. Away wins in the UEFA Cup at Aberdeen and Kaiserslautern were the best results by an Irish club in Europe for many years, and the season finished with Bohs winning their first League and FAI Cup double in 73 years. A decent Champions League début in season 2001/2002 was followed by the celebration of 100 years of Dalymount Park in September 2001.

However, the 2001/2002 season ended on a disappointing note with defeat in the FAI Carlsberg Cup final. Bohs bounced back by winning the League in 2002/2003, and they made progress again in the following summer’s Champions League qualifiers with a win over BATE Borisov before bowing out to experienced European campaigners from Norway, Rosenborg. Bohemians went close to retaining their title in 2003, qualifying for the UEFA Cup when narrowly finishing runners-up.

Bohemians put in a strong showing during the 2007 season, finishing third to clinch a place in the last-ever UEFA Intertoto Cup. Pat Fenlon joined at the end of the year, putting together an excellent backroom team and setting new standards for fitness and professionalism.

The League was won in 2008 by a record 19-point margin and featured a 27-match unbeaten run. Bohs also secured the FAI Cup after the first-ever penalty shoot-out in a final, following a 2-2 draw with Derry City. In the 2009 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round came an exhilarating 1-1 draw away to Austria's RB Salzburg, but victory was snatched away in the return leg's when Bohs conceded a goal in the 86th minute after another performance to be proud of. Compensation came in securing the league for the first-ever back-to-back wins and victory in the EA Sports Cup final.