League of Ireland
| File:Loilogo09.JPG | |
| Founded | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Country | Republic of Ireland (one team from Northern Ireland) |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 19 |
| Domestic cup(s) | FAI Cup League of Ireland Cup |
| International cup(s) | Champions League Europa League |
| Current champions | Shamrock Rovers (2011) |
| Most championships | Shamrock Rovers (17) |
| Website | AirtricityLeague.com |
| Current: 2012 League of Ireland | |
The League of Ireland (Irish: Sraith na hÉireann) is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 19 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland First Division. The league was governed by its members, the clubs, from its foundation to 2006, when it entered into a five year merger with the Football Association of Ireland. In 2010, its members voted to renew the merger once the current agreement expires.[1] The league has suffered severe financial problems in recent years due to mismanagement and overspending by its clubs.[2] In 2007, it became the first major league in Europe to introduce a salary cap.[1]
The league includes one club from Northern Ireland, Derry City. Derry City formerly played in the Irish Football League, but voluntarily left the Northern Irish league following the 1972–73 season as a result of safety and security concerns. Derry City joined the League of Ireland at the second level in 1985, after a special dispensation from the Irish Football Association (IFA) and UEFA. They won promotion in 1987, and remained in the top division of the League of Ireland until 2009, when they were expelled for operating an illegal system of contracts.[3] They were subsequently liquidated, with a successor club placed in the First Division in 2010.[4]
The League of Ireland is currently ranked 31st of the 53 national leagues under UEFA jurisdiction. The league's most successful club is Shamrock Rovers, with 17 League of Ireland titles won. They are one of three clubs in Ireland, with Bohemians and Shelbourne, to sport a golden star above their badge in recognition of winning ten titles. Bohemians are the only club with a non-broken membership of the league since its inception. St. Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians are the only clubs that have never been relegated from the League of Ireland Premier Division. The League of Ireland is classed as a summer league as its seasons begin in March and finish in November. The league is currently sponsored by Airtricity and therefore officially known as the Airtricity League.[5]
History
The Football League of Ireland was established in 1921 (it would exist under the moniker of the 'Free State League' between 1922 and 1937) and initially consisted of eight teams from Dublin. St James's Gate were the inaugural winners of the league and the FAI Cup. The league expanded numerically and geographically during its first decade of existence but was dominated by Dublin's three main clubs, Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians and Shelbourne. Dundalk became the first club from outside of the capital to win the league, in 1932–33. The 1930s saw another championship victory for a provincial side, with Sligo Rovers claiming their first league title in 1936–37, while Shamrock Rovers won a further three during the decade. The League of Ireland was dominated by Cork United during the 1940s. The club won five league titles between 1941 and 1946, including three in succession, but resigned from the league in 1948. The following decade was marked by the emergence of St Patrick's Athletic and the reemergence of Shamrock Rovers. The former succeeded in winning the title at the first attempt, in 1951–52, and claimed a further two in the middle of the decade. The Coad's Colts earned Shamrock Rovers the league title for the first time in fifteen years, in 1953–54, and won two more during the latter half of the decade.
Drumcondra and Dundalk claimed two League of Ireland titles each during the 1960s but Waterford secured their status as the team of the decade with four league titles, including three in succession between 1967 and 1970. Six clubs won the League of Ireland title during the 1970s with Waterford, Bohemians and Dundalk winning two titles each. Athlone Town won their two league titles at the start of the 1980s but the decade was marked by the four successive league titles won by Shamrock Rovers' Four in a row side. That team broke up following the sale of Glenmalure Park in 1987 and Dundalk and Derry City stepped in to claim the remaining titles of the decade with Derry winning the Treble in 1989, four years after entering the League of Ireland. The 1990s saw the re-emergence of St Patrick's Athletic, as the club secured 4 league championships during the decade, following years of obscurity. The turn of the millennium was marked by the first of five titles in seven years for Shelbourne, a first title in 23 years for Bohemians and the league's switch to a Summer Soccer (March–November) schedule.[6] Cork City denied Shels' a third league title in a row when they claimed their 2nd championship in 2005, defeating fellow challengers Derry City in a last game decider at Turners Cross. The 2nd half of the decade saw the beginning of the 5 year merger with the FAI and the financial collapse of a number of league winning clubs, due to overspending and mismanagement. Shelbourne were demoted to the First Division after their title win in 2006,[7][8] while Drogheda went into examinership in 2008,[9] having won the League of Ireland the previous year.[10] Cork City also entered into examinership in the same year,[11] and went out of existence in 2010.[12] Derry City were thrown out of the League of Ireland at the end of the 2009 season for producing false documents regarding player contracts and thus breaking the League's participation agreement.[13] Bohemians entered a period of severe financial trouble in 2010 after a decade of accumulating massive debts in the payment of full-time players and staff.[14]
Champions
Format
The format of the league changed regularly during the first three decades of its existence. The number of teams competing in it varied from eight to twelve, although a double round robin system remained throughout. The 1950s marked the beginning of a period of consistency, as the league persisted with a 12 team format from 1951–52 to 1961–62. Qualification positions for European competitions were introduced during the period. The 12 teamed/2 rounded format was used for most of the 1960s, until 1969–70, when the league was expanded to 14 clubs. This format remained until 1977–78, when an additional 2 clubs were elected to the league. The format returned in 1982–83, following 5 years of the 16 team league, but the 1980s were marked by the introduction of a second tier to the league. The League of Ireland First Division was founded in 1985, containing 10 of the 22 clubs competing in the league. A system of promotion and relegation was introduced in the league, replacing the previous method of election.
A third round of fixtures was added to both divisions for the 1987–88 season, replacing the double round robin system. The points system of the league was changed in 1993–94, with 3 points awarded for a win. The previous method of 2 points for a win had existed since the league's inception, excluding two seasons of experimental points systems in the early 1980s. The format remained until 2002–03, when the season was deliberately shortened to ease the transition to "Summer Soccer". The Premier Division was cut to 10 teams while the First Division played only 2 rounds of fixtures. The first season of summer soccer saw the introduction of a fourth round of fixtures to the 10 team Premier Division, while the 12 teams in the First Division played each other on 3 occasions. This is the system currently in place, though these formats and numbers were reversed for 4 seasons, from 2005 to 2008. The system is unpopular amongst the majority of managers, players and club officials within the league, according to a League of Ireland review conducted in 2009.[15]
Promotion and relegation
Currently, the team that finishes bottom of the Premier Division is automatically relegated to the First Division. Likewise, the team that finishes top of the First Division is automatically promoted to the Premier Division. The teams placed 8th and 9th in the Premier Division face off, with the loser playing the winner of a similar encounter between the teams placed 2nd and 3rd in the First Division, in a two legged play-off. The winner of this match takes their place in the Premier Division the next year. The last placed team in the First Division can potentially play a promotion/relegation play-off against an A Championship side, depending on the final placings in that league.
European qualification
The top team in the Premier Division qualifies for the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. The second-placed and third placed-teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. They must go through three two-legged knockout ties respectively in order to enter the second round group phase of that competition. There is a UEFA Europa League second qualifying round slot reserved for the winners of the FAI Cup. If it were to happen that a cup winner has already qualified for the UEFA Europa League via the league, the cup-win qualification will take prominence and the league-place qualification will be transferred to the next team who finished below them in the league. However, if the case is that the cup-winner has already won the league, that team will take a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, by way of its league win, and the losing team in the FAI Cup final will take the UEFA Europa League spot on offer from that competition.
In 2011 Shamrock Rovers became the first team in Irish footballing history to reach the group stages of the Europa League.
1st leg Shamrock Rovers 1-1 FK Partizan
2nd leg FK Partizan 1-2 Shamrock Rovers
UEFA coefficient and ranking
The League of Ireland's UEFA coefficient accumulates to a total value of 8.708 as of 2011. Between 1998 and 2010, the league's place on the coefficent table rose 15 places, the biggest climb of any league in Europe. Its position of 29th in 2010 was also its highest since 1986.In 1985 its highest position in history was 24th.
- 29
Bosnia-Herzegovina - 30
Finland - 31
Ireland - 32
Hungary - 33
Moldova
The 2000s
The League of Ireland's coefficient has vastly improved since the late 1990s, but at a cost.[16] The introduction of full-time professional football by a number of clubs and the league's move to Summer Soccer at the beginning of the 2003 season, have aided progress in European competition. Increased fitness levels have resulted from both, while full-time professionalism has retained Irish players within the league, attracted foreign players to the league and generally improved the standard of football. At least one League of Ireland club has progressed to the next round of a European competition in every season for the last 10 years except 2002. Shelbourne and Bohemians signalled the start of the rapid upturn in 2000–01, with wins in the Champions League and UEFA Cup respectively. The 2004–05 UEFA Champions League saw Shelbourne progress past KR Reykjavík and Hajduk Split to reach the 3rd qualifying round of the competition. Victories over Swedish clubs became the main focal points of the progress for a few seasons after that: Cork City defeated Djurgården in 2005, having beaten Malmö 4–1 on aggregate in 2004, while Derry City beat former UEFA Cup winners IFK Göteborg 2–0 on aggregate in 2006. In 2008–09, Drogheda concluded 3 successive seasons of victories in the 1st qualifying round of European competitions with a narrow defeat to Dynamo Kyiv.
However, the costs associated with professional football have proven to be unsustainable for the vast majority of clubs involved.[17] Shelbourne accumulated millions of Euro worth of debt and were relegated in 2007, while Drogheda entered into examinership in 2008 with a deficit of more than €732,000. Derry City were thrown out of the league in 2009 for producing false documents regarding contracts, in an effort to hide their financial position,[13] while Cork City went out of business as their holding company Cork City Investments Fc Ltd was wound up in 2010 after an extended period of financial trouble[18] though fans group FORAS rallied together to save the club
League of Ireland clubs
Premier Division
| Team | Base | Manager | Stadium | Capacity | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Dublin |  Aaron Callaghan |
Dalymount Park | 7,000 | 1890 |
| Bray Wanderers | Bray | Pat Devlin |
Carlisle Grounds | 6,250 | 1942 |
| Cork City | Cork | Tommy Dunne |
Turners Cross | 7,600 | 1984 |
| Derry City | Derry | Declan Devine |
Brandywell | 7,500 | 1928 |
| Dundalk | Dundalk | Seán McCaffrey |
Oriel Park | 5,500 | 1903 |
| Drogheda United | Drogheda | Mick Cooke |
Hunky Dorys Park | 2,000 | 1975 |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dublin | Stephen Kenny |
Tallaght Stadium | 8,600[19] | 1901 |
| Shelbourne | Dublin | Alan Mathews |
Tolka Park | 10,000 | 1895 |
| Sligo Rovers | Sligo |  Ian Baraclough |
The Showgrounds | 5,500 | 1928 |
| St. Patrick's Athletic | Dublin | Liam Buckley |
Richmond Park | 5,340 | 1929 |
| University College Dublin | Dublin | Martin Russell |
UCD Bowl | 3,000 | 1895 |
First Division
| Team | Base | Manager | Stadium | Capacity | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town | Athlone | Mike Kerley |
Lissywoolen Stadium | 5,000 | 1887 |
| Finn Harps | Ballybofey |  Peter Hutton |
Finn Park | 7,500 | 1954 |
| Limerick | Limerick | Pat Scully |
Jackman Park | 3,000 | 2007 |
| Longford Town | Longford | Tony Cousins |
Flancare Park | 6,850 | 1924 |
| Mervue United | Galway | Johnny Glynn |
Fahy's Field | 2,000 | 1960 |
| Salthill Devon | Galway | Tony Mannion |
Eamon Deacy Park | 2,000 | 1977 |
| Waterford United | Waterford | Paul O'Brien |
RSC | 5,500 | 1930 |
| Wexford Youths | Crossabeg | Shane Keegan |
Ferrycarrig Park | 2,500 | 2007 |
Under 19 Elite League of Ireland
It was announced on the 21st of April 2011, by the Football Association of Ireland that there would be the formation of a new Under 19 Elite League. The idea behind this development was to create a clear pathway for young players in Ireland to ultimately progress into the first teams of League of Ireland clubs.[20]
Television rights
The television rights for the League of Ireland are negotiated by the FAI with the individual broadcasters RTÉ and Setanta Sports. RTÉ, who also produce a weekly radio show covering the League of Ireland,[21] hold the rights to broadcast a weekly highlights programme, Monday Night Soccer, as well as the rights to live games in the League and FAI Cup, towards the conclusion of the season.[22] The deal, which is part of the broadcaster's wider contract with the FAI for the coverage of Irish football, runs until 2013.[23] Setanta Sports broadcast live games from the League of Ireland and Setanta Sports Cup, in addition to the final of the League of Ireland Cup. From 2001 to 2007, TV3 held the rights to broadcast a weekly highlights programme. In 1998, a League of Ireland game was broadcast live on television for the first time. This year it was announced that the premier league and fai cup games would go up from 17 to 24 live games per season.
League of Ireland clubs are obliged to accept and cooperate with the television rights, negotiated by the FAI, under the terms of the League's participation agreement. This leaves the dates and times of certain fixtures in the hands of the television companies, which can impact on match attendances. The 10 clubs competing in the Premier Division received an equal share payment of €20,000 during the 2009 season, while an additional €35,000 was set aside to compensate clubs with six or more fixtures selected for live television broadcast, or four or more live television fixtures held on nights other than Friday.[24] In Australia, the League of Ireland is broadcast by Setanta Sports.
Sponsorship
The League of Ireland was sponsored by Irish telecommunications company, Eircom from 2000 to 2008, when the company withdrew funding. The League of Ireland had been sponsored by Bord Gáis during the early 1990s. The league had no title sponsor in 2009, but had a number of secondary sponsors including Newstalk and Electronic Arts. In 2010, Airtricity signed a three year deal to become the title sponsor of the League of Ireland.[5]
First Division
Winners
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Rivalries
See also
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References
- ^ a b Ahern, Neil (2010-06-01). "All clubs back FAI's league role". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
- ^ Emmet Malone (2009-12-17). "Worst of crises over for clubs, says Delaney". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
- ^ Malone, Emmet (2009-11-10). "No return for Derry with same officials, says Delaney". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
- ^ "Licences revealed, Cork saga goes on". extratime.ie. 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
- ^ a b "Airtricity generates buzz for League with three-year deal". extratime.ie. 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ^ Shane Murray (2007-06-26). "Eircom League Focus". RTÉ. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Shels €10m in debt – report". eleven-a-side.com. 2007-01-30. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Gary Brown (2007-02-25). "Delighted Shels are back from the brink". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Drogheda United seek examinership". breakingnews.ie. 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Emmet Malone (2008-12-03). "Drogheda United officials hold public meeting tonight in effort to save club". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ James McAllister (2009-06-08). "FAI must learn lessons from Cork debacle". eleven-a-side.com. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Daniel McDonnell (2010-02-24). "Despite heartache for fans and players, the harsh reality is that City got what they deserved". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2010-02-25.
- ^ a b "Derry thrown out of League of Ireland". RTÉ. 2009-11-07. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^ "Bohemians lose court case over Dalymount – €60m deal now in doubt". Herald.ie. 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2011-03-28.
- ^ Daniel McDonnell (2009-12-03). "FAI reject change to league format". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
- ^ Daniel McDonnell (2009-06-22). "Poisoned chalice or holy grail?". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Mahon slams rivals on Euro gambles". Irish Independent. 2010-07-23. Retrieved 2010-07-23.
- ^ Noel O'Reilly (2010-02-23). "Cork City put out of business". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ "Rovers get go ahead to play Europa games at Tallaght". Irish Times. 2011-09-09. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ Airtricity (2011-04-21). "U19 Seminar a big success". League of Ireland. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ "The League of Ireland Football Show". RTÉ. 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
- ^ "RTÉ to screen even more domestic soccer". RTÉ. 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- ^ Emmet Malone (2008-11-25). "'Monday Night Soccer' may be moved from prime-time slot". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ "Increased prize money for League of Ireland". The Irish Times. 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2009-10-29.