Athlone Town has made a significant appointment with the news that Dermot Lennon will be the club’s new director of football with the club.
Lennon served the club both as player and manager with his involvement stretching back to the underage ranks. The role entails ensuring that each Athlone team has the best possible opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Lennon’s role will incorporate all club teams from the men’s and women’s senior playing squads to the underage cohort, all of whom are competing on the national stage. It is a huge task to undertake but one that the Athlone native is sure to relish.
Originally from St Comans Park, Lennon was a bright prospect at underage level. His first step in the senior game took him to Home Farm in the mid-1980s and further moves saw him serve Galway and Longford.
The obvious progression into management followed when his playing career eventually ended and the chance to manage his home town club came in 2007 when he was initially appointed as caretaker manager with the position then becoming permanent. Lennon’s most recent involvement with the club had been as assistant to Paul Doolin in his role as first team manager last season. A previous involvement had seen him manage the Town’s under 19 team.
Much personal pride came when Lennon guided Athlone to success at under 15 level with his son a prominent part of the team. Adam quickly made the step up to the senior ranks thereafter and played a big part in the team reaching the semi-finals of the FAI Cup in 2020. Having secured a scholarship, the young Lennon soon tasted further success as UCD gained promotion to the premier division after beating Waterford in last season’s play offs.
Dylan Gavin was also part of that underage team and has since gone on to secure a professional contract with Charlton Athletic in England. In that inaugural 2017 final, Lennon was fouled for the penalty kick award against St Patricks Athletic which Gavin slotted home. The famous win in front of a large home following was then secured with a second goal from Gavin in the last action of the game. Jack Reynolds was also one of the stars on that team that has broken through to the senior ranks.
On the field, the pre-season schedule of friendly games in preparation for the First Division campaign has also been revealed with all the games against top flight opposition.
Athlone’s first action is at the end of the month when Sligo Rovers visit with a further home game to follow against Drogheda United three days later. The following weekend sees last season’s First Division champions Shelbourne come to town. The schedule is set to finish in the Showgrounds with another game against Liam Buckley’s ‘Bit of Red’.
Training is underway and the competitive action starts with a home game against relegated Waterford United. With the title and four play-off slots up for grabs, the competition among the nine clubs will be intense.
