2020 League of Ireland Premier Division
The 2020 League of Ireland Premier Division, known as the SSE Airtricity League for sponsorship reasons, is the 36th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The league began on 14 February 2020 and will conclude on 30 October 2020. The fixtures were announced on 20 December 2019.[1] The season was halted in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland as per directive of the Irish Government and the Football Association of Ireland.[2][3] The FAI subsequently announced a contingency plan with a view to completing the domestic season at a later date with a reduced number of games.[4] It resumed on 31 July.[5]
| Season | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 February 2020 – 30 October 2020 |
| Matches played | 39 |
| Goals scored | 85 (2.18 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Patrick Hoban(7 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Shamrock Rovers 6–0 Cork City (21 February 2020) |
| Biggest away win | Finn Harps 0–4 Dundalk (6 March 2020) |
| Highest scoring | Shamrock Rovers 6–0 Cork City (21 February 2020) |
| Longest winning run | 4 matches Bohemians |
| Longest unbeaten run | 7 matches Shamrock Rovers |
| Longest winless run | 7 matches Finn Harps |
| Longest losing run | 6 matches Finn Harps |
← 2019 2021 →
All statistics correct as of 16 August 2020. | |
Overview
The Premier Division consists of 10 teams. Ordinarily each team plays each other four times for a total of 36 matches in the season. Following a meeting of the Football Association of Ireland regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided that the season would be played on an 18-match basis with teams playing each other twice: once at home and once away.[6]
Shelbourne, the 2019 First Division champions, were promoted to the league for the first time since 2013, replacing fellow Dublin side UCD, who were relegated to the League of Ireland First Division after finishing bottom of the league in 2019.[7]
Teams
Stadia and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Dublin (Phibsborough) | Dalymount Park | 3,640 |
| Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 7,845 |
| Derry City | Derry (Northern Ireland) | Brandywell Stadium | 3,700 |
| Dundalk | Dundalk | Oriel Park | 4,500 |
| Finn Harps | Ballybofey | Finn Park | 6,000 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Dublin (Inchicore) | Richmond Park | 5,340 |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dublin (Tallaght) | Tallaght Stadium | 8,000 |
| Shelbourne | Dublin (Drumcondra) | Tolka Park | 3,700 |
| Sligo Rovers | Sligo | The Showgrounds | 5,500 |
| Waterford | Waterford | Regional Sports Centre | 5,500 |
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians |  |
|
|
|
| Cork City | |
|
 |
|
| Derry City |  |
|
|
|
| Dundalk | |
|
 |
|
| Finn Harps | |
|
 |
|
| St Patrick's Athletic | |
|
|
|
| Shamrock Rovers | |
|
|
|
| Shelbourne | |
|
|
|
| Sligo Rovers | |
|
|
|
| Waterford | |
|
|
|
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford | |
Resigned | 16 June 2020[8] | 6th | |
8 July 2020 |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shamrock Rovers | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 6 | +14 | 22 | Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Bohemians | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 18 | Qualification to Europa Conference League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Dundalk | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 9 | +7 | 14 | |
| 4 | St Patrick's Athletic | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 11 | |
| 5 | Waterford | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 11 | |
| 6 | Shelbourne | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 10 | |
| 7 | Derry City | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 8 | |
| 8 | Cork City | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 7 | |
| 9 | Sligo Rovers | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 6 | Qualification to Relegation play-offs |
| 10 | Finn Harps | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 4 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[10]
Results
Teams will play each other twice (once at home, once away).
Season statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Dundalk | 7 |
| 2 | |
Shamrock Rovers | 5 |
| 3 | |
Shamrock Rovers | 4 |
| 4 | |
Bohemians | 3 |
|
Dundalk | ||
| 5 | |||
|
Shamrock Rovers | 2 | |
|
Shamrock Rovers | ||
|
Finn Harps | ||
|
Shamrock Rovers | ||
|
Dundalk | ||
|
Sligo Rovers | ||
|
Bohemians | ||
|
Derry City | ||
|
St Patrick's Athletic | ||
|
Derry City | ||
|
Bohemians |
Last updated: 15 August 2020.
Source: https://www.extratime.ie/topscorers/2034/100/league-of-ireland-premier-division-2020/
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamrock Rovers | Cork City | 6–0 | 21 February 2020 | 5 |
See also
References
- "Fixtures announced for 2020 LOI season". RTÉ.ie. 20 December 2019.
- "FAI postpones all football activity with immediate effect". fai.ie. FAI. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- "Irish sports events cancelled". irishmirror.ie. 13 March 2020.
- "FAI announce contingency plan". 20 March 2020 – via www.leagueofireland.ie. Cite journal requires
|journal=(help) - https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/airtricity-league-confirm-that-season-will-restart-on-july-31st-1.4292548
- https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/airtricity-league-confirm-that-season-will-restart-on-july-31st-1.4292548
- "Shelbourne promoted to Premier Division". 12 September 2019 – via www.rte.ie. Cite journal requires
|journal=(help) - "Manager Alan Reynolds departs Waterford FC". RTÉ. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- "John Sheridan named as new Waterford FC boss". RTÉ Sport. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- "Premier Division 2020". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 January 2020.