Season | 2008 |
---|---|
Champions | Dundalk |
Top goalscorer |
Robbie Doyle: 16 ( Sporting Fingal) [1] |
←
2007
2009 → |
The 2008 League of Ireland First Division season was the 24th season of the League of Ireland First Division. The First Division was contested by 10 teams and Dundalk won the division.
Team | Base | Manager | Main sponsor | Kit supplier | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Athlone Town | Athlone | Brendan Place | Ganly's Hardware | O'Neills | Athlone Town Stadium | 2,000 |
Dundalk | Dundalk | John Gill | IJM | Umbro | Oriel Park | 6,000 |
Kildare County | Newbridge | Joe Somerville | Cill Dara Betting | O'Neills | Station Road | 2,500 |
Limerick 37 | Limerick | Michael Kerley | Limerick's Live 95FM | Jako | Jackman Park | 8,000 |
Longford Town | Longford | Alan Gough | Flancare | Umbro | Flancare Park | 4,500 |
Monaghan United | Monaghan | Mick Cooke | The Squeeling Pig | Nike | Century Homes Park | 3,000 |
Shelbourne | Drumcondra | Dermot Keely | Cab 2000 | Umbro | Tolka Park | 9,700 |
Sporting Fingal | Fingal | Liam Buckley | Keelings | O'Neills | Morton Stadium | 10,000 |
Waterford United | Waterford | Gareth Cronin | Hutchison 3G | Azzurri | Waterford RSC | 8,000 |
Wexford Youths | Crossabeg | Mick Wallace | Wallace Construction | O'Neills | Ferrycarraig Park | 5,000 |
The regular season began on 7 March and concluded on 15 November. Each team played the other teams four times, totaling 36 games. Only the champions, Dundalk, were automatically promoted and there was no promotion/relegation play-off between Premier Division and First Division teams. This was because the 2009 Premier Division would be reduced to 10 clubs. [2]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dundalk (C) | 36 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 69 | 30 | +39 | 71 | Premier Division |
2 | Shelbourne | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 55 | 25 | +30 | 70 | |
3 | Waterford United | 36 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 55 | 35 | +20 | 63 | |
4 | Sporting Fingal [a] | 36 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 53 | 32 | +21 | 62 | |
5 | Limerick 37 | 36 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 49 | 45 | +4 | 52 | |
6 | Monaghan United | 36 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 38 | 51 | −13 | 47 | |
7 | Wexford Youths | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 36 | 51 | −15 | 37 | |
8 | Longford Town | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 36 | 55 | −19 | 35 | |
9 | Athlone Town | 36 | 6 | 14 | 16 | 23 | 51 | −28 | 32 | |
10 | Kildare County [b] | 36 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 34 | 73 | −39 | 26 | Lost promotion/relegation play-off |
Kildare County and Mervue United, the highest ranked non- reserve team from the 2008 A Championship, played off to see who would play in the 2009 First Division.
18 November 2008 | Mervue United | 2 – 2 | Kildare County | Fahy's Field |
20:00 | Keogh 10' Goldbey 28' |
Report | Hughes 54' 76' | Referee: Pádraig Sutton (Clare) |
21 November 2008 | Kildare County | 0 – 3 | Mervue United | Station Road |
19:45 | Report | O'Brien 15' Goldbey 64' 81' |
Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford) |
Mervue United won 5–2 on aggregate and were promoted to the First Division. [2]
Goalscorers | Goals | Team |
---|---|---|
Robbie Doyle | 16 | Sporting Fingal [1] |
Anthony Flood | 15 | Shelbourne |
Darren McKenna | 13 | Longford Town |
Robbie Farrell | 11 | Dundalk |
Vinny Sullivan | 11 | Waterford United |