League of Ireland Premier Division
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| Country | Republic of Ireland |
|---|---|
| Other club(s) from | Northern Ireland |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Levels on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | League of Ireland First Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | FAI Cup |
| League cup(s) | League of Ireland Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League |
| Current champions | Sligo Rovers (2011) |
| Most championships | Shelbourne (6) |
| TV partners | RTÉ 2 Setanta Sports |
| Website | AirtricityLeague.ie |
 2013 League of Ireland |
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The League of Ireland Premier Division (Irish: Príomhroinn Sraith na hÉireann) is the top tier of the Republic of Ireland's national football league, the League of Ireland. Contested by 12 clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the First Division. Seasons run from March to October, with teams playing 33 matches. Most games are played on Fridays, with a few games held on Saturdays and Sundays. It was known as the Eircom Premier League from 2000 to 2008. It is currently sponsored by Airtricity and therefore officially known as the Airtricity Premier League.
The division was formed as the League of Ireland Premier Division in 1985 as a result of the decision to split the League of Ireland into two divisions, which also created the League of Ireland First Division. The league is ranked 36th in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the last five years, ahead of Lithuania's A Lyga and behind Moldova's National Division. In 2009, the FAI rejected proposals from clubs to remove the first division and restore the League of Ireland to its original structure.[1]
Since 1921, a total of 19 clubs have been crowned champions of the Irish football league system. The current champions are Sligo Rovers, who won the title in the 2012 League of Ireland season.
Competition Format
Competition
There are 12 clubs in the Premier Division. During the course of a season (from March to October) each club plays the others three times, once or twice at their home stadium and once or twice at that of their opponents, for a total of 33 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The team that finishes last gets relegated to the First Division automatically and the second lowest placed teams participate in a 2-legged play-off against the second placed team of the First Division with the loser being relegated to the First Division and the winner being promoted to the Premier Division.
Trophy
The current League of Ireland trophy was unveiled on October 31, 2007 by the Football Association of Ireland. It stands at 91 cm (36 inches) tall with a circumference of 83 cm (33 inches). It is a Sterling Silver trophy consisting of silver and a mass of other metals including copper. The design of the trophy consists of a silver football at the top, which is encompassed by the cup itself. Drogheda United were the first team to receive the newly created trophy on November 2, 2007.
Sponsorship
The Premier Division has been sponsored the early 1990s. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. There have been three sponsors since the league's formation.
- 1990's: Bord Gáis (Bord Gáis League Premier Division)
- 2000-2008: Eircom (Eircom League Premier Division)
- 2010–present: Airtricity (Airtricity League Premier Division)
The league had no title sponsor in 2009, but had a number of secondary sponsors including Newstalk and Electronic Arts. League of Ireland's three year sponsorship deal with Airtricity will end in 2012. As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Premier Division has a number of official partners and suppliers. The official ball supplier for the league is Umbro. The official drink for the league is Lucozade. The official radio and newspaper partners are Newstalk and Irish Daily Star.
TV
In (2012) RTE increased its coverage of the league and FAI cup from 19 games (2011) to 24 games (2012) as well a having its weekly show every Monday (MNS) to show the highlights of the weeks games.This year (2013) RTE is showing a record 33 league and FAI cup games.
Also Setanta Sports show some league games during the Summer and towards the league climax and also have the Setanta Sports Cup Which starts in February and ends in May (final)
Clubs
The following 12 clubs are competing in the Premier Division during the 2013 season.
| Club |
Position in 2012 |
First season in top division |
Number of seasons in the Premier Division |
First season of current spell in top division |
Top division titles |
Last top division title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemiansa,b,c | 7th | 1921-22 | 28 | 1921-22 | 11 | 2009 |
| Bray Wanderers | 10th | 1986-87 | 17 | 2005 | 0 | N/A |
| Cork Citya | 6th | 1984–85 | 26 | 2012 | 2 | 2005 |
| Derry City | 5th | 1987-88 | 25 | 2011 | 2 | 1996-97 |
| Dundalka | 11th | 1926-27 | 19 | 2009 | 9 | 1994-95 |
| Drogheda United | 2nd | 1963-64 | 18 | 2002-03 | 1 | 2007 |
| Limericka | 1st in the First Division | 1937-38 | 8 | 2013 | 2 | 1979-80 |
| Shamrock Roversa | 4th | 1922-23 | 27 | 2007 | 17 | 2011 |
| Shelbournea,c | 8th | 1921-22 | 22 | 2012 | 13 | 2006 |
| Sligo Rovers | 1st | 1934-35 | 18 | 2006 | 3 | 2012 |
| St Patrick's Athletica,b | 3rd | 1951-52 | 28 | 1951-52 | 7 | 1998-99 |
| UCDa | 9th | 1979-80 | 18 | 2010 | 0 | N/A |
- No team was relegated to the First Division for the 2013 Season as a result of the withdrawal of Monaghan United. One team was promoted: Limerick. Derry City is the only club in the League of Ireland Premier Division not based in the Republic of Ireland, being based instead in Northern Ireland.
a: Founding member of the Premier Division
b: Never been relegated from Premier Division
c: One of the original 8 League of Ireland teams
Stadia
For the 2013 season, Premier Division football is played in 12 stadia. Since the formation of the Premier Division, football grounds in Ireland have seen some improvements to capacity and facilities, with some clubs moving to new-build stadia such as Shamrock Rovers, who in 2009 moved into Tallaght Stadium. The stadia for the 2013 season show disparity in capacity: Thomond Park, the home of Limerick has a capacity of 26,500, with Hunky Dorys Park, the home of Drogheda United, having a capacity of 2,500. The combined total capacity of the Premier Division in the 2013 season is 96,705 with an average capacity of 8,059.
Stadium attendances have been low over the past few years, but some clubs such as Shamrock Rovers have experienced a rise in attendances due to their performance in European competitions. For the 2012 season, average attendances across the league clubs were 1,683 for Premier Division matches. This represents an increase from the average attendance recorded in the last few years.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Dublin | Dalymount Park | 10,000 |
| Bray Wanderers | Bray | Carlisle Grounds | 7,000 |
| Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 7,485 |
| Derry City | Derry | Brandywell | 7,700 |
| Drogheda United | Drogheda | Hunky Dorys Park | 2,000 |
| Dundalk | Dundalk | Oriel Park | 4,500 |
| Limerick | Limerick | Thomand Park | 26,500 |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dublin | Tallaght Stadium | 8,000 |
| Shelbourne | Dublin | Tolka Park | 9,680 |
| Sligo Rovers | Sligo | The Showgrounds | 5,500 |
| St. Patrick's Athletic | Dublin | Richmond Park | 5,340 |
| UCD | Dublin | UCD Bowl | 3,000 |
Managers
The longest reigning manager was Paul Cook, who has remained in his position at Sligo Rovers, since April 2007. Stephen Kenny,winner of 1 League of Ireland medal, is the manager of Shamrock Rovers. The most recent appointment was Mick Cooke of Drogheda United. 11 Irish managers have won the Premier Division, with the most recent being Pat Fenlon of Bohemians in 2010. 4 managers from outside the Republic of Ireland have won the Premier Division including 3 Northern Irish managers, Jim McLaughlin (Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Shelbourne, 3 wins), Felix Healy (Derry City, 1 win), Michael O'Neill (Shamrock Rovers, 2 wins) and 2 English managers, Pat Dolan (St. Patrick's Athletic, 1 win) ((Ian Baraclough)) (Sligo Rovers, 1 win)). No manager from outside the Ireland & Britain has won the Premier Division. Currently 6 of the managers are from Republic of Ireland, 2 are from Northern Ireland and 2 are from England.
The current managers in the Premier Division are:
| Name | Club | Appointed | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Pat Devlin | Bray Wanderers | N/A |
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Ian Baraclough | Sligo Rovers | 27 February 2012 |
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Declan Devine | Derry City | 6 January 2012 |
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Trevor Croly | Shamrock Rovers | 7 November 2012 |
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Martin Russell | UCD | 18 January 2009 |
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Tommy Dunne | Cork City | 24 February 2010 |
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John McDonnell | Shelbourne | 12 July 2010 |
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Mick Cooke | Drogheda United | 27 February 2011 |
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Liam Buckley | St Patrick's Athletic |
2 December 2011 |
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Sean McCaffrey | Dundalk |
23 December 2011 |
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Aaron Callaghan | Bohemians |
31 December 2011 |
