Season | 2020 |
---|---|
Dates | 14 February 2020 – 9 November 2020 |
Champions | Shamrock Rovers (18th title) |
Relegated | Cork City, Shelbourne |
Champions League | Shamrock Rovers |
Europa Conference League | Bohemians Dundalk Sligo Rovers |
Matches played | 90 |
Goals scored | 190 (2.11 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Patrick Hoban (10 goals) |
Biggest home win | Shamrock Rovers 6–0 Cork City (21 February 2020) |
Biggest away win | Dundalk F.C 0-4 Shamrock Rovers (27 September 2020) |
Highest scoring | Shamrock Rovers 6–1 Waterford (21 September 2020) |
Longest winning run | Shamrock Rovers (7 games) |
Longest unbeaten run | Shamrock Rovers (7 games) |
Longest winless run | Finn Harps (7 games) |
Longest losing run | Finn Harps (5 games) |
Highest attendance | 7,522[1] |
Total attendance | 65,700[note 1] |
Average attendance | 2,986[2] |
← 2019 2021 →
All statistics correct as of 10 November 2020. |
The 2020 League of Ireland Premier Division, known as the SSE Airtricity League for sponsorship reasons, was the 36th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division.
The league began on 14 February 2020 and concluded on 9 November 2020. The fixtures were announced on 20 December 2019.[3] The season was halted in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland following the directive of the Irish government and the Football Association of Ireland.[4][5] 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.[6] It resumed on 31 July.[7] On 24 October, Finn Harps won 2–0 at Bohemians which meant Shamrock Rovers won the league and Cork City were relegated.[8][9]
Overview
[edit]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.[7]
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.[10]
Teams
[edit]Stadia and locations
[edit]Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
Bohemians | Dublin (Phibsborough) | Dalymount Park | 3,640 |
Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 7,845 |
Derry City | Derry | 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
[edit]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 | ![]() |
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Cork City | ![]() |
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Derry City | ![]() |
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Dundalk | ![]() |
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Finn Harps | ![]() |
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St Patrick's Athletic | ![]() |
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Shamrock Rovers | ![]() |
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Shelbourne | ![]() |
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Sligo Rovers | ![]() |
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Waterford | ![]() |
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Managerial changes
[edit]Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Waterford | ![]() |
Resigned | 16 June 2020[11] | 6th | ![]() |
8 July 2020 |
Dundalk | ![]() |
Sacked | 20 August 2020[13] | 3rd | ![]() |
25 August 2020 |
Waterford | ![]() |
Moved to Wigan Athletic | 11 September 2020[15] | 4th | ![]() |
24 September 2020 |
Cork City | ![]() |
Resigned | 8 October 2020[17] | 10th | ![]() |
9 October 2020 |
- ^ Healy was initially appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season. He was made permanent manager on 24 December 2020.
League table
[edit]Standings
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Shamrock Rovers (C) | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 7 | +37 | 48 | Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round |
2 | Bohemians | 18 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 37 | Qualification to Europa Conference League first qualifying round[a] |
3 | Dundalk | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 26 | |
4 | Sligo Rovers | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 25 | |
5 | Waterford | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 24 | |
6 | St Patrick's Athletic | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 17 | −3 | 21 | |
7 | Derry City | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 20 | |
8 | Finn Harps | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 24 | −9 | 20 | |
9 | Shelbourne (R) | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 22 | −9 | 19 | Qualification to Relegation play-offs |
10 | Cork City (R) | 18 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 30 | −20 | 11 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[19]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Since the winners of the 2020 FAI Cup (Dundalk) qualified for European competition based on their league position, the final spot awarded to the Cup winner passed to the next best-placed team i.e fourth-placed team.
Positions by round
[edit]The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterward.
= Leader and UEFA Champions League first qualifying round; = UEFA Conference League first qualifying round; = Qualification to the Relegation play-offs; = Relegation to the League of Ireland First Division
Results
[edit]Teams will play each other twice (once at home, once away).
Season statistics
[edit]Top scorers
[edit]Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Dundalk | 10 |
2 | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | 9 |
3 | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | 8 |
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Bohemians | ||
4 | ![]() |
Bohemians | 7 |
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Shamrock Rovers | ||
5 | ![]() |
Sligo Rovers | 6 |
Last updated: 6 November 2020.
Source: Extratime.com
Hat-tricks
[edit]Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Shamrock Rovers | Cork City | 6–0 | 21 February 2020 | 5 |
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Bohemians | Shelbourne | 1–3 | 3 October 2020 | 3 |
Play-offs
[edit]First Division play-off Semi-finals
[edit]31 October 2020 | Bray Wanderers | 0–1 | Galway United | Carlisle Grounds |
15:00 | Wilson Waweru ![]() |
Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors) |
31 October 2020 | UCD | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Longford Town | UCD Bowl |
15:00 | Colm Whelan ![]() Yousef Mahdy ![]() |
Joe Gorman ![]() Joe Gorman ![]() Dean Byrne ![]() |
Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors) |
First Division play-off Final
[edit]6 November 2020 | Galway United | 1–2 | Longford Town | UCD Bowl |
19:45 | Vinny Faherty ![]() |
Report | Karl Chambers ![]() Aodh Dervin ![]() |
Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors) Referee: Mark Moynihan |
Promotion/relegation play-off
[edit]15 November 2020 | Shelbourne | 0–1 | Longford Town | Richmond Park |
14:30 | Report | Rob Manley ![]() |
Attendance: 0 Referee: Neil Doyle |
Source:[20]
Awards
[edit]Monthly awards
[edit]Month | Player of the Month | References | |
---|---|---|---|
Player | Club | ||
February | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | |
August | ![]() |
Bohemians | |
September | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | |
October | ![]() |
Dundalk | |
November | ![]() |
Dundalk |
Annual awards
[edit]Award | Winner | Club |
---|---|---|
PFAI Player of the Year | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers |
PFAI Young Player of the Year | ![]() |
Bohemians |
PFAI Premier Division Manager of the Year | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers |
PFAI Team of the Year | ||||||||||||
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Goalkeeper | ![]() | |||||||||||
Defenders | ![]() |
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Midfielders | ![]() |
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Forwards | ![]() |
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See also
[edit]- 2020 League of Ireland First Division
- 2020 FAI Cup
- 2020 League of Ireland Cup
- 2020 Bohemian F.C. season
- 2020 Dundalk F.C. season
- 2020 Shelbourne F.C. season
- 2020 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season
Notes
[edit]- ^ Total attendance and average attendance figures only account for the first four weeks of the season after which no spectators were allowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
References
[edit]- ^ "League Report: Shamrock Rovers 3 - 2 Dundalk". extra time. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "2020 SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION". extra time. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "2020 Premier Division season begins with Dublin derby". RTÉ Sport. 20 December 2019.
- ^ "FAI postpones all football activity with immediate effect". Football Association of Ireland. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ Quinn, Gavin (12 March 2020). "Which Irish sports events have been cancelled due to coronavirus? FAI, GAA and IRFU suspend all activity until March 29". Irish Daily Mirror. Dublin: Reach plc.
- ^ "League to resume on June 19th & finish in December with EA Sports Cup deferred". League of Ireland. 20 March 2020. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Airtricity League confirm that season will restart on July 31st". The Irish Times. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ Buttner, Paul (25 October 2020). "Shamrock Rovers are league champions as Harps down Bohs". RTÉ Sport.
- ^ Donnelly, Dave (24 October 2020). "Shamrock Rovers crowned champions and Cork City relegated after Finn Harps win over Bohs". The42. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ "Shelbourne promoted to Premier Division". RTÉ Sport. 12 September 2019.
- ^ "Manager Alan Reynolds departs Waterford FC". RTÉ Sport. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- ^ "John Sheridan named as new Waterford FC boss". RTÉ Sport. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ Malone, Emmet (20 August 2020). "Vinny Perth sacked by Dundalk following Champions League exit". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "'A lot of people are sceptical but I am not afraid' – Dundalk confirm arrival of little-known Italian Giovagnoli". The42. TheJournal.ie. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ O'Hehir, Paul (11 September 2020). "John Sheridan leaves Waterford for Wigan insisting he didn't disrespect League of Ireland". Irish Daily Mirror. Dublin: Reach plc. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Niall (24 September 2020). "Waterford appoint Rockett to take over from John Sheridan as first-team manager". The42. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ McDonnell, Daniel (8 October 2020). "Neale Fenn 'devastated' after Cork City departure as Preston owner eyes up takeover deal". Irish Independent. Dublin: Independent News & Media. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Cork City appoint Colin Healy as head coach". The Irish Times. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- ^ "Premier Division 2020". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
- ^ "2020 Season SSE Airtricity League Fixtures" (PDF). SSE Airtricity League. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.