League of Ireland

The League of Ireland is the name of the two highest football league in the Republic of Ireland. The higher class game called League of Ireland Premier Division (short: Premier Division), the lower League of Ireland First Division (in short: First Division ). It includes 19 clubs from the Republic of Ireland with Derry City takes a team from the belonging to the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland on game operation part. In addition to the league championship since 1973 and the League of Ireland lines up a League Cup, for which all clubs in the two divisions are eligible. The winner of the League Cup and the Champion and the runner-up will qualify with the winner of the Irish Cup for the Setanta Sports Cup, which has been held since 2005 single all-Ireland football cup competition.

Game operation

The hunting season varies since mid-2003 as in Scandinavia and contrary to the customs of the major European associations according to the calendar year, which means that to compete in European competitions always the winner of the previous year. The Master is in pure League mode between the currently identified twelve teams in the Premier Division, the eight teams in the First Division play at the same time the rise in the highest class. The Last of the upper division rises directly from the first of the lower division directly. Between the second in the First Division and the second-bottom of the Premier Division is a qualification game to the whereabouts or promotion to the Premier Division, instead. A real relegation from the First Division there is not, however, the worst team of the season must apply for membership again, what is the benefit of new clubs partly rejected. In the Premier Division, each team plays three times four times each against each other, in the First Division.

History

Creation of the League

The League of Ireland was founded in 1921 after the independence of Southern Ireland from the United Kingdom. In the first season 1921/22, eight teams took part in a league on league play. First champion was St. James 's Gate FC; single founding team, which has since continuously remained in the league, are the Bohemians of Dublin. However, in the second season, the Shamrock Rovers came into the league, they won in the first year the championship.

Boom in the 60s

Until the 60 years in question, the number of participating teams between eight and twelve. In the heyday of the League in the 60s and 70s, when up to 40,000 spectators wanted to see the games of the big Dublin clubs live, the number of clubs increased then on and on. In 1969 there were already 14, 1977 16, and finally in 1985 the current number of 22 teams. The associated organizational and other pressures led to the splitting of the hitherto unified league into two divisions, as they still exist today.

Special points system in 1981

In the season 1981/82 the League of Ireland tried by a special points system offensive play of away teams to reward, to the three - point rule was introduced with the special feature for a year that the away teams, as far as they reached at least a draw, a extra points were given. In the overview results were evaluated as follows: Defeat no points; Home Draw a point; Draw Away two points; Home win three points and finally one win away four points.

Financial difficulties and their adoption by the FAI

2003, the Bohemians and Shelbourne were consecutively champion within a few months, as the League operation was changed from the usual operation from autumn to spring on a parallel course with the calendar year. In 2005, the Premier Division in favor of the First Division of ten was increased to twelve teams, as the First Division was simultaneously reduced to two teams, the number of 22 associations remained constant.

Because of ongoing financial difficulties of the league so to Dublin City moved during the current season 2006 back from the operation, it came at the turn of the merger of the previously independent League of Ireland with the Irish Football Association FAI. All clubs had to "apply" and a panel ruled then by awarding points, who came into the Premier Division or First Division. Were decisive factors in the results of the last five years and other criteria, such as infrastructure, management, finance, youth development, marketing, etc.

With the acquisition by the FAI player contracts will now also first introduced, which should make the conditions for the players and the overview for the clubs easier. Many clubs miscalculate regularly with player salaries and spend more than they earn actually. The salaries of the players were negotiated in net, which then has an impact on the accounting devastating if the taxes are to be paid then. This should now be prevented with the new uniform player contract.

For Dublin City, which had retired in the summer of 2006 from the game mode, and for the Limerick FC to which a license for the 2007 season for both Divisions of the League of Ireland were denied, the league took two teams newly founded on: the Wexford Youths and Limerick was 37, named after the year in the first professional football played in Limerick. In addition, the reigning champion and cup winner Shelbourne FC was the license for the Premier Division denied, so the Shels can not defend her title. The Shels could only through negotiations a few days before the start of the season on 9 March 2007 to fulfill the license terms for the First Division, so that instead of being excluded from the league was only arranged the demotion.

Participating teams in the 2013 season

In the 2013 season the following teams play in both leagues:

Master of the Premier Division

Record champions

All time standings

In the eternal table record champions Shamrock Rovers just prior Bohemians Dublin, who took part in the only team in all seasons. The calculation is the 3- point rule applied ( three points for a win, one point per draw). Colored background clubs play in the 2013 season in the League of Ireland.

League Cup Winners

2004 Longford Town
2005 Derry City
2006 Derry City
2007 Derry City
2008 Derry City
2009 Bohemians Dublin
2010 Sligo Rovers
2011 Derry City
2012 Drogheda United

UEFA five year ranking

Position in the UEFA five year ranking (in brackets the previous year placement). The abbreviation CL and EL countries behind the coefficients indicate the number of representatives in the 2014/15 season of the Champions League and the Europa League.

34 (32 ) Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina (league, cup ) - coefficient: 7.833 - CL: 1, EL: 3
35 (36 ) Moldova Moldova (league, cup ) - coefficient: 7,666 - CL: 1, EL: 3
36 (33 ) Ireland Ireland (league, cup ) - coefficient: 7.375 - CL: 1, EL: 3
37 (35 ) Lithuania Lithuania (league, cup ) - coefficient: 6.500 - CL: 1, EL: 3
38 (40 ) Kazakhstan (league, cup ) - coefficient: 5.958 - CL: 1, EL: 3

As of the end of the European campaign of 2012/13

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