2023 Season Review: Bohemian F.C.

Danny Grant celebrates his goal for Bohemians against UCD on Thursday night

Danny Grant celebrates his goal for Bohemians against UCD on Thursday night Credit: Eddie Lennon (ETPhotos)

Team: Bohemian F.C.

Head Coach: Declan Devine

Top Scorer: Jonathan Afolabi (20 goals in all competitions)

Stadium:  Dalymount Park

Highest Attendance: 4,227 (Bohemians vs St. Pats, October)

Lowest Attendance: 4,017 (Bohemians vs UCD, March)

Star Player: Jonathan Afolabi

Arriving at Bohemians back in August 2022, no one could’ve predicted the sheer amount of goals that Jonathan Afolabi was bringing with him to the League of Ireland last season.

After loan spells in Scotland in recent seasons with Dunfermline Athletic, Dundee, Ayr United and Airdrieonians, the Tallaght native arrived in Dalymount Park from Celtic following his 3-year stint in Scotland.

Recognised for his physical strength and adroit offensive prowess up front, the Bohemian striker caught the attention of punters throughout the season, racking up a grand total of 15 league goals, sharing the esteemed golden boot award with Shelbourne’s Jack Moylan.



Appearing in 34 out of 36 league games this season, the former Ireland U21 star played a key role in the Bohs 2023 campaign as one of the leading lights for the Dublin 7 outfit.

Despite missing out on European football by 2 points in the league this season, Afolabi shined throughout Bohs FAI Cup campaign, notably opening the scoring in the FAI Cup final, netting a penalty against St. Pats in front of a 43,881 Aviva Stadium Crowd. Bohemians ultimately succumbed to a formidable Inchicore side 3-1.

Unfortunately for Gypsy fans, Afolabi departs to Belgium next season where he will join KV Kortrijik.

Best Young Player: James McManus

At just 18 years of age, work horse James McManus played a critical role as midfielder for the Gypsies last season.

Distinguished as one of the youngest players in the league, McManus appeared in 24 games for Bohs this season and bagged himself two goals from centre midfield, one against Dundalk and another against Cork City.



Having started his footballing career at St. Kevin’s Boys, McManus signed for the Gypsies in 2022 in a long-term deal extending until 2025.

He is sure to be a crucial player in the heart of the midfield for Bohemian’s in 2024. 

Best New Signing: Danny Grant

Following a stint at the club between 2018 and 2020 where he racked up 60 appearances and 14 goals, the Dubliner returned to Dalymount Park last season to the Bohemian supporters’ delight.

Playing overseas, Grant signed a long-term deal with Championship side Huddersfield in December 2020. Grant also had a spell on loan to EFL League Two side Harrogate.

Failing to make enough of an impression to make a first team appearance in West Yorkshire, he was released by the club and swiftly swept up by Bohemians in May 2023.

Since returning to Phibsborough, Grant made 12 appearances, scoring twice. Grant is one to watch as we approach the 2024 season.

What we expected they would do:

In January of last season there was air of optimism growing that Bohs could begin to overachieve once more under Declan Devine.

Devine took charge before the end of the 2022 season and presided over some disappointing results to conclude their wretched campaign at the time.

But to Gypsy fan’s delight, he was given an opportunity to revamp his squad and bring in several players that he saw as part of his vision at the club for 2023.

With high expectations from fans and club members, should those signings work out as he had planned, Extratime.com predicted a European place was achievable alongside a possible FAI Cup run.

What they actually did:

Off the back of what can only be described as a drab 2022 campaign, Bohemians FC were gunning for a stellar start to the 2023 season.

Victories against Cork, and Dundalk saw Bohs get off to a flyer. Come April, there was a feel-good factor present in the club as the Dublin 7 outfit lead by six points at the top of the table. 

Heading into the Summer, Bohs form collapsed with just one win in 11 games with a couple of draws thrown in the mix.

The vision they had at the start of the season of securing the 2023 league title began to fade, their focus turned to securing a ticket to European football in the top four.

Defeats to St. Pats, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk in the latter end of the season saw them miss out on Europe by 2 points. Their focus shifted to the FAI Cup.

The Gypsies beat Shelbourne 1-0 and Rockmount 6-0 in Dalymount Park in their cup openers. 

They then visited Drogheda United in a triumphant quarter final and strutted past Wexford Town in the semi-final to confidently solidify a spot in the FAI Cup final, where they faced St. Patricks Athletic.

Knowing well that it was their last opportunity at silverware in the 2023 season, it would also serve as a backdoor entrance into the European conference league for the north side club if they were successful.

Bohemians’ ultimate 3-1 defeat to St Pats in the FAI Cup final that day served as an appropriate allegory for the disappointing 2023 season the club had.

What they need to improve on for next year:

Off the back of a poor season in 2023, one of the first things to look at for Bohemians is their home record.

With an impressive ten league victories encounters in Dalymount this season, the Gypsies need to turn their four draws at home into 12 extra points and their four defeats at home into at least four extra points in the coming season.

With 53 goals last season, it’s clear that Declan Devine’s side doesn’t shy away from scoring goals.

But defending must be questioned when your goalkeeper is picking the ball out of the net 43 times. 

Despite having another year in his contract, with the recent departure of star striker Jonathan Afolabi to Belgium, there are big boots to fill for Dylan Connolly, James Akintunde and Dean Willaims in the Bohemians forward line who shared just four goals between them last year.

In a club that appears to have lost touch with major trophy winning days, Bohs appear destined for mid-table obscurity for the seasons to come. Devine entering his third season in charge will certainly be eyeing up a top four spot having marginally missed out on Europe by two points.

They will re-attempt to bridge a 15-year-gap since their last FAI Cup title success, coming so close to ending the dry spell last season, falling just short to Jon Daly’s saints in the Aviva stadium in November. 

About Rory Merriman

Rory Merriman is a St. Patrick’s Athletic fan who studied journalism in TU Dublin and has written for numerous publications both online and print. He joined the extratime.com team in 2023. View Full Profile