Pat Fenlon can’t believe what has happened to Hibs

Pat’s disbelief at what happened to Hibees.

Pat Fenlon still can’t believe what has happened to Hibs.

Back home in Dublin five months ago, Fenlon watched the play-off games against Hamilton Accies. Terry Butcher was the manager. Fenlon was adamant that the club would not go down. He was wrong.

Fast forward and Butcher is no longer the boss. He has been replaced by Alan Stubbs. The form so far in the SPFL Championship has been too inconsistent to believe they will beat Hearts or Rangers to the title. But a place in the play-offs should not be beyond them.

Fenlon, now in charge of boyhood team Shamrock Rovers, keeps a close eye on results and events at Easter Road. During his two years in charge there he developed a deep affection for the club and its supporters. Indeed, he plans to take in a game at the stadium before the New Year once his season with Rovers ends.

It will stir many different emotions for him and during the course of the interview he mentioned several times that Hibs was his “dream job and he loved the club”.

So, why quit? Fenlon said: “It was the right thing to do. We were fifth in the League. The supporters weren’t happy and they wanted a change. I didn’t have a problem with that.

“I don’t think the frustration was all down to me it was, I believe, a combination of disappointments over the years. I got to know a fair few Hibs fans and I understood their feelings, frustrations and emotions.

“The hardest thing for me to do was walk away from Hibs. It was a privilege and a dream to manage such a big club. I felt I had taken the club as far as I could.

“I thought the squad was OK and we got ourselves into a decent position after a bad start. It wasn’t about money for me. It was about doing the right thing. People forget I had a 12-month rolling deal. I loved the club and the supporters. When you have a feeling like that then you have to be honest with everyone.”

Fenlon understood the choice of Butcher as his successor and didn’t envisage the former Inverness gaffer’s six months would be a complete disaster.

He said: “I think Terry was the right choice. Looking at records in Scotland it was going to be him or Stuart McCall. I was surprised it ended in relegation.”

Fenlon would love to see Hibs win promotion back to the top flight but does not believe staying put in the second tier for another 12 months would be a disaster.

He stressed: “It’s a hard league to get out of, it’s about stability, restructuring, and galvanising the club. Another year might not do them harm. It will be difficult because Hearts and Rangers are in it.

“But it’s important the club safeguards the future and makes sure that what happened last season doesn’t happen again once they are back in the top division.”