2008 A Championship
| Season | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Template:Fb team University College Dublin A |
| Promoted | Template:Fb team Mervue United |
2009 → | |
The 2008 A Championship was the inaugural season of the A Championship. The league featured 16 teams. Template:Fb team University College Dublin A were the inaugural champions, Template:Fb team Cork City A won the Shield competition and Template:Fb team Mervue United were promoted to the First Division after a play off.
A Championship Shield
Between March and June the twelve League of Ireland Premier Division reserve teams competed in the A Championship Shield. Template:Fb team Mervue United, Template:Fb team Salthill Devon and Template:Fb team Tullamore Town did not play in the Shield as they were still playing in their previous junior/intermediate leagues which operated as winter leagues. This resulted in an overlap with the A Championship which operated as a summer league. The twelve teams were divided into four regionalised groups with the group winners then qualifying for the semi-finals. [1][2]
- Group Stage
- Semi-finals
| ? May 2008 | Template:Fb team Finn Harps A | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | Template:Fb team Bohemians A [2] |
| May 25 2008 | Template:Fb team Cork City A | 3–2 | Template:Fb team Bray Wanderers A | Bishopstown Stadium[2] |
- Final
| 2 June 2008 | Template:Fb team Cork City A | 2–0 | Template:Fb team Bohemians A | Buckley Park [3][4][2] |
Tierney  Meyler (pen) |
Regular season
The regular season saw the twelve League of Ireland Premier Division reserve teams joined by Template:Fb team Limerick 37 A plus the first teams of Template:Fb team Mervue United, Template:Fb team Salthill Devon and Template:Fb team Tullamore Town. The format saw the sixteen teams split into two groups of eight, divided roughly into southern and northern groups. The two groups used a traditional round-robin format. The two group winners, Template:Fb team University College Dublin A and Template:Fb team Bohemians A, then played off in a final. UCD won the inaugural title. As the highest placed non-reserve team, Mervue United qualified for a promotion/relegation play-off and after defeating Kildare County, they were promoted to the League of Ireland First Division. [5][6][7]
Group 1
Teams
Results
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Group 2
Teams
Results
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Notes
- ^ The match was awarded 3-0 to Template:Fb team Cork City A after Template:Fb team Cobh Ramblers A forfeited the game.
- ^ The match was awarded 3-0 to Template:Fb team University College Dublin A after Template:Fb team Cobh Ramblers A forfeited the game.
- ^ The match was awarded 3-0 to Template:Fb team Galway United A after Template:Fb team Bray Wanderers A forfeited the game.
Final Tables
Template:2008 A Championship tables
Play-Offs
A Championship Final
Template:Fb team Bohemians A and Template:Fb team University College Dublin A competed in a playoff to decide the overall A Championship title. Template:Fb team University College Dublin A won 2–1.
| 11 November 2008 | Template:Fb team University College Dublin A | 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Template:Fb team Bohemians A | UCD Bowl |
| 19.45 GMT | D. McMillan 85' E. McMillan 107' |
Madden 37' Ryan  Ennis |
Promotion/Relegation
Kildare County and Mervue United, the highest ranked non-reserve team from the A Championship, played off to see who would play in the 2009 First Division.
| 18 November 2008 | Mervue United | 2 – 2 | Kildare County | Fahy's Field |
| 20:00 | Keogh 10' Goldbey 28' |
Hughes 54' 76' |
Referee: Pádraig Sutton (Clare) |
| 21 November 2008 | Kildare County | 0 – 3 | Mervue United | Station Road |
| 19:45 | O'Brien 15' Goldbey 64' 81' |
Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford) |
Mervue United won 5–2 on aggregate and were promoted to the First Division. [5][7]
See also
- 2008 League of Ireland Premier Division
- 2008 League of Ireland First Division
- 2008 League of Ireland Cup
References
- ^ "A Championship Shield 2008 pg1". foot.ie. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d "A Championship Shield 2008 pg2". foot.ie. 18 April 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "Cork City Football Club Honours List". www.corkcityfc.ie. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- ^ "Results". www.irishexaminer.com. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- ^ a b c "Ireland 2008". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ a b "UCD claim A Championship title". www.ucd.ie. 12 November 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- ^ a b "Kildare County 0-3 Mervue United (Mervue win 5-2)". www.rte.ie. 21 November 2008. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ "UCD v Bohemians - A Championship Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2016.