A horror start, an astonishing unbeaten run, record high attendance numbers, and yet another impressive playoff campaign. Bray Wanderers left a lasting impression across Irish football in 2025 with a squad of youngsters that many saw as doomed to finish as the First Division’s worst.
Coming off one of the best seasons in the club’s recent history, with the Seagulls reaching the promotion/relegation final after defeating Athlone Town on penalties in a thrilling game at Dalymount Park before falling 3-1 to then FAI Cup winners Drogheda United to remain in the First Division.
Paul Heffernan’s Bray would be dealt with seemingly deadly blows during the transfer window, losing many key senior players. Top goalscorer Christian Maguersan would move to the Romanian top flight. Cole Omorehiomwan, who scored a towering header in the final moments to equalise in the playoff final, would move to Athlone Town alongside backup striker Ben Feeney. Harry Groome, who provided a worldie in the loss to Drogheda, would also move to Dundalk FC.
Bray would start the season with a significantly young and inexperienced squad in 3 straight away games, one to Longford, where an own goal was enough to see an opening 3 points in an evenly contested game. A two-nil loss away to rivals Wexford followed by a 1-nil victory over Kerry FC. Bray would return to the Carlisle against title favourites Dundalk where the Seagulls would fall to a 3-1 defeat. Following a mixed start to the season, the club would experience one of the lowest points of the year after an embarrassing 5-nil defeat away to Finn Harps. A response was needed from Paul Heffernan’s young squad as expectations for the year began to fall dramatically.
A 7-game unbeaten run would follow, which would see the Seagulls not drop a single point in the month of April. With notable wins over Treaty United, UCD home and away, and a 4-nil win over Longford Town at the Carlisle Grounds. Fullback Max Murphy would be the top goal provider during this run, along with dazzling performances from youngster Billy O’Neill.
Despite the run ending at St Colman’s Park at the hands of Cobh Ramblers, Bray Wanderers would go on to equal the club record for consecutive wins at home games, following a 3-1 home win over Athlone Town which put the Seagulls in second position. Manager Paul Heffernan gave a stern address to the fans that the record run was not all that important.
“Them records don’t mean anything at the minute; we’re just looking forward to the next game.”
Bray, however, would fail to break the record after a 2-1 loss to Wexford. In their first meeting since the 5-nil drubbing in March. Bray would defeat Finn Harps 3-1 after goals from Billy O’Neill, Danu Kinsella-Bishop and Max Murphy from the penalty spot kept Bray in title contention for the time being. Following, however, were 3 straight losses in June before finally breaking their streak in a season away game record 4-nil victory over Athlone Town. The run and subsequent good form of Dundalk made 1st place increasingly unreachable.
In July, Bray Wanderers would make several key summer signings, including midfielder Sean Brennan on a free from UCD and Justin Ferizaj from Frosinone in Italy, whose brother Richard was already a member of the Bray squad. On 1 August, Ferizaj made his debut for Bray, coming off the bench against Treaty United. In the 94th minute of the game, with the score at 2–2, Ferizaj’s shot from outside the box was deflected in by his brother Richard to seal a 3–2 win for Bray.
Through July and August, The Carlisle Grounds would have nine consecutive home games with over 1000 spectators in attendance, marking the best attendance figures for the club since the 2014 season.
A cup run would be ruled out, however, as Bray would once again fall to defeat against Finn Harps in August. Despite opening the scoring through Cian Curtis in the first ten minutes Harps would quickly respond through Josh Cullen, scoring three times before halftime. Billy O’Neill would receive his second yellow card at the beginning of the second half, marking a demoralising 3-1 exit in the cup for the Seagulls.
With Dundalk’s impressive form leaving the title out of reach, Bray would travel to St Colman’s Park against second-place Cobh Ramblers with a chance to improve their playoff berth with a second-place finish. A Billy O’Neill goal was not enough as Bray lost 3-1. The final game of the season saw a season-record home win against Kerry FC, powering 5 goals past them at the Carlisle. The big news from the game, however, was the sending off of Billy O’Neill, which would see him ruled out of Bray’s next 3 possible games. A huge blow for the squad. O’Neill finished as the club’s top league goal scorer with 12 goals.
A 3rd-place finish for Bray Wanderers would see them make the shortest away trip in Irish football to UCD. A late winner from Cian Doyle at the UCD Bowl in the first leg for a 1-nil win would charge Bray onto a comfortable 2-nil home win to set up the playoff final in Athlone vs Treaty United. Despite a closely contested game with great chances on both sides, in the 90th minute summer signing Justin Ferizaj would pull out a moment of magic with an incredible bicycle kick to send Bray to Tolka Park and into the promotion/relegation final for the second year in a row.
It wasn’t meant to be at Tolka, however, as Bray would yet again fall short at the hands of Waterford FC in a thoroughly entertaining match. Cian Curtis would send Wanderers fans into raptures amongst green flares as Bray Wanderers took the lead in the opening minutes. Waterford’s quality would prove too much however despite a promising Billy O’Neill cameo from half time after his 3-game suspension. Bray would lose 2-1. 3,648 fans packed the iconic stadium with a nearly full Riverside stand behind the Wanderers.
When looking at the situation Heffernan was given, with a weakened squad and a lack of experience in his team. To reach yet another promotion/relegation final is a testament to the heart and determination of a Bray Wanderers squad who many wrote off in March after their embarrassing defeat to Finn Harps. Heffernan will look to keep his core squad together and continue to develop as Bray will once again seek promotion to the Premier Division.
Player of the Season: Billy O’Neill
Season Rating: 9/10