Iraq Central FA Premier League

The Iraq Central FA Premier League, also known as the Iraq Central FA First Division and previously named the Iraq FA Baghdad First Division (Arabic: دوري الاتحاد العراقي لمنطقة بغداد), was the top-level division of football in Baghdad and its neighbouring cities between 1948 and 1973.[1]

Iraq Central FA Premier League
Iraq Central FA First Division
Founded1948
Folded1973
CountryIraq
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toIraq Central FA Second Division
Domestic cup(s)Iraq FA Cup
Iraq Central FA Perseverance Cup
International cup(s)Asian Champion Club Tournament
Last championsAl-Quwa Al-Jawiya
(4th title)
Most championshipsAl-Haras Al-Malaki
(7 titles)

It was controlled by the Iraq Central Football Association and was played under a variety of different formats including a double-elimination format, a round-robin format and a double round-robin format. It was one of several regional league championships played in Iraq at the time, with others including the Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul leagues.[2] The last champions of the competition were Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, who won the title in the 1972–73 season.[3]

The regional leagues folded in 1973 and were replaced by the Iraqi National First Division, before the Iraqi National Clubs League was established in 1974. The competition has since often been referred to as the League of the Institutes (Arabic: دوري المؤسسات, romanizedDawri Al-Muassasat) due to containing a number of teams representing different Iraqi institutions.

List of champions

edit
 
Al-Athori players with the trophy in the 1959–60 season.
Season Champion
1948–49 Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya
1949–50 Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1950–51 Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1951–52 Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1952–53 Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1953–54 Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1954–55 Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1955–56 Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1956–57 Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
1957–58 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Malakiya[a]
1958–59 Amanat Al-Asima
1959–60 Al-Athori
1960–61 Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
Season Champion
1961–62 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
1962–63 Al-Shorta Select XI
1963–64 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
1964–65 Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
1965–66 Al-Firqa Al-Thalitha
1966–67 N/A (season cancelled due to war)
1967–68 Aliyat Al-Shorta
1968–69 Aliyat Al-Shorta
1969–70 Aliyat Al-Shorta
1970–71 Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
1971–72 Aliyat Al-Shorta
1972–73 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
  1. ^ Renamed to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in 1958.

Most successful teams

edit
# Club Titles Winning seasons
1 Al-Haras Al-Malaki 7 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56
2 Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab 4 1956–57, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1970–71
Aliyat Al-Shorta 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1957–58, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1972–73
5 Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya 1 1948–49
Amanat Al-Asima 1958–59
Al-Athori 1959–60
Al-Shorta Select XI 1962–63
Al-Firqa Al-Thalitha 1965–66

Winning managers

edit
 
Mohammed Najeeb Kaban receives the trophy in the 1969–70 season.
Season Nationality Winning manager[4] Team
1948–49   Iraq Hamid Qadir Al-Samarrai Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malakiya
1949–50   Iraq Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1950–51   Iraq Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1951–52   Iraq Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1952–53   Iraq Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1953–54   Iraq Ahmed Abdul-Razzaq Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1954–55   Palestine Dennis Nasrawi Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1955–56   Palestine Dennis Nasrawi Al-Haras Al-Malaki
1956–57   Iraq Ismail Mohammed Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
1957–58   Iraq Aziz Jassim Al-Hajia Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Malakiya
1958–59   Iraq Nassir Yousef Amanat Al-Asima
1959–60   Iraq Ammo Baba Al-Athori
1960–61   Iraq Salman Jassim Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
1961–62   Iraq Salih Faraj Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
1962–63   Iraq Fahmi Al-Qaimaqchi Al-Shorta Select XI
1963–64   Iraq Shawqi Aboud Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
1964–65   Iraq Ismail Mohammed Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
1965–66   Iraq Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan Al-Firqa Al-Thalitha
1967–68   Iraq Mohammed Najeeb Kaban Aliyat Al-Shorta
1968–69   Iraq Mohammed Najeeb Kaban Aliyat Al-Shorta
1969–70   Iraq Mohammed Najeeb Kaban Aliyat Al-Shorta
1970–71   Iraq Mohammed Thamir Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab
1971–72   Iraq Mohammed Najeeb Kaban Aliyat Al-Shorta
1972–73   Iraq Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Baghdad Football League games start on Friday". The Iraq Times. 2 November 1948.
  2. ^ "Football leagues set up in Iraq's main centres". The Iraq Times. 16 October 1948.
  3. ^ League of the Institutes Top 3 Finishes
  4. ^ Iraq - League Winning Coaches
edit