Thursday brought the latest addition to the Bohs jersey catalogue, as the Phibsborough club released their third kit for the 2025 League of Ireland season. It is their second design released in collaboration with Fontaines D.C.
The Dublin band have gone stratospheric in recent years, with this year's album Romance garnering widespread acclaim. For their latest offering, Bohs and O'Neills have enlisted the help of Fontaines guitarist Carlos O'Connell, who was involved in the design process for the jersey. The colour scheme takes inspiration from the album cover of Romance.
Safe to say, it's an absolute banger.
A closer look 🔎
Our 2025 third (alternative) kit in partnership with @fontainesdublin now ON SALE. ❤️🖤
Shirt sales will also raise significant funds for@MedicalAidPal, who were also a beneficiary of our match earlier this year against the Palestinian National team, to… pic.twitter.com/9FjogbLjn1— Bohemian Football Club (@bfcdublin) December 5, 2024
The design also works in some intriguing design elements. The two 'L's in the O'Neills logo take on the guise of the iconic Poolbeg Towers, while it is also adorned with a Palestinian flag and the phrase 'Saoirse don Phailistín.'
Even more impressive is that 30% of proceeds from jersey sales will go to Medical Aid for Palestinians, a charity who were also supported by May's friendly game between the Bohs and Palestine women's teams in Dalymount Park.
It is the latest community-driven initiative taken by the 11-times champions of Ireland.
Bohemians' COO Daniel Lambert spoke to Balls.ie after the release of the new Fontaines D.C. kit on Thursday, and said that he was proud that the club have managed to carve out an identity with their unique kit releases in recent years.
Lambert took on the COO role at the club in 2020 and, in the intervening years, Bohs have made several bold calls with their away kits.
The first of those kits was the 'Refugees Welcome' effort from 2020, while the 2021 kit was also a Fontaines-inspired design, with the band's name on the front of the jersey. On that occasion, 15% of proceeds went to Focus Ireland.
Since then, they have had kits inspired by Bob Marley, Dublin Bus seats, Thin Lizzy, trade unions, and now Fontaines' award-winning fourth album. Their 2023 away kit was an explicitly pro-Palestine jersey, with black, green and red triangles dotted on a poignant white design.
As a 100% fan-owned club, Lambert explains that Bohs have to be "innovative" in how they develop funds. The bold kit designs have become their go-to.
Lambert tells us that the proceeds from jersey sales are now into seven-figures, while they have seen a rise in engagement from overseas. He says that the club now has 100s of overseas members, with regular jersey sales from outside of Ireland.
At the centre of all of this is the club's ethos as a community-driven, fan-owned club, Lambert tells us.
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Daniel Lambert says club ethos crucial to Bohs' bold jersey designs
Daniel Lambert reveals that Bohemians' membership figures are at an all-time high, something he attributes to the work that the club does outside of football.
The innovative jersey designs are but one aspect of Bohs' community engagement. They hold regular food drives, campaign for refugees' rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion, support local homeless charities, and have amputee and Down Syndrome teams in their grassroots programme.
Lambert believes that these programmes, as well as their vocal support of Palestinian liberation, have brought supporters to the club.
"We have a men's team and a women's team, then we have an academy, and a grassroots programme, with an amputees team and a Down Syndrome team," Lambert explains. "If it was just a team, I don't think we'd have as many members.
"There are a decent amount of people who feel an element of football has been lost. They identify with and maybe even appreciate Bohs for their authenticity."
Music fanatic Lambert is also the manager of Kneecap, and he jokes that Bohs' affiliation with the likes of Thin Lizzy and Fontaines D.C. might have brought them a few fans from the music community too.
Though their engagement with Irish bands has earned them support on these shores, it was their collaboration with the estate of Bob Marley that made the biggest splash abroad.
Bohs' 2019 away kit was originally adorned with the face of the iconic Jamaican reggae master, whose last outdoor gig took place at Dalymount Park in 1980. However, the design was changed, with Marley's face removed, after issues with licensing the late singer's image.
After engaging with Marley's family, Bohs received permission to rekindle the design for the 2022 season. Lambert suggests to us that Bohs' community-driven, fan-owned identity was crucial to the decision of the Marley family to agree to the design.
"I don't think they would have agreed to that with a private owner," Lambert says.
Unlike some of their League of Ireland rivals, Bohemians cannot rely on regular outside investment. As a full-time, 100% fan-owned club, Bohs rely on their supporter base. With Dalymount's capacity limited, season ticket sales cannot climb, meaning that the likes of jersey sales are essential for Bohs.
For Daniel Lambert and the club, however, they would not have it any other way.
As Lambert says, "We can't guarantee success, but we can guarantee being a driving force in the community."
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