2008–09 IFA Premiership

The 2008–09 IFA Premiership (known as the JJB Sports Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the first season after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland, and the 108th season of Irish league football overall. It was scheduled to begin on 9 August 2008. However, the start of the league was delayed by a week due to a referees' strike.[3][4] The season eventually began on 16 August 2008, and concluded on 2 May 2009. Linfield were the defending champions, but narrowly fell short of retaining the title as rivals Glentoran pipped them by a single point to win their 23rd league title overall.

IFA Premiership
Season2008–09
ChampionsGlentoran
23rd Irish title
RelegatedBangor[1]
UEFA Champions LeagueGlentoran
UEFA Europa LeagueLinfield
Crusaders
Lisburn Distillery
Matches played228
Goals scored619 (2.71 per match)
Biggest home winLinfield 7–0 Institute
Biggest away winBangor 0–5 Crusaders
Bangor 0–5 Linfield
Crusaders 0–5 Linfield
Highest scoringDungannon Swifts 3–6 Crusaders
Highest attendance9,500[2]
Linfield 3–0 Glentoran
(26 December 2008)
Lowest attendance76[2]
Bangor 1–3 Dungannon Swifts
(25 April 2009)
Average attendance858[2]

Team changes from 2007–08

The league was reduced from sixteen to twelve teams as a result of the league system in Northern Ireland being restructured by the IFA.

Five of last season's sixteen Premier League teams failed to gain a place in the new twelve-team Premiership, and one new team - Bangor - gained entry from the IFA Intermediate League.

Of the five teams who missed out, three - Armagh City, Larne and Limavady United failed to obtain the necessary domestic licence. Portadown obtained a licence, but was controversially excluded because a club official missed a deadline for submitting an application form by several minutes. Finally, Donegal Celtic obtained a licence, but was ranked thirteenth in the entry list, and thus missed out by one place.

Team overview
Location of teams in the 2008-09 IFA Premiership
Location of the Belfast-based teams in the IFA Premiership 2008-09
Club Stadium Town/city Capacity
Ballymena UnitedThe ShowgroundsBallymena8,000 (4000 seats)
BangorClandeboye ParkBangor4,000
CliftonvilleSolitudeBelfast8,000 (2099 seats)
ColeraineThe ShowgroundsColeraine6,500 (1500 seats)
CrusadersSeaviewBelfast6,500
Dungannon SwiftsStangmore ParkDungannon3,000 (300 seats)
GlenavonMourneview ParkLurgan5,500 (4000 seats)
GlentoranThe OvalBelfast15,250 (5000 seats)
InstituteYMCA GroundsDrumahoe4,000 (600 seats)
LinfieldWindsor ParkBelfast20,400 (14,400 seats)
Lisburn DistilleryNew Grosvenor StadiumLisburn8,000 (2000 seats)
Newry CityThe ShowgroundsNewry6,500 (800 seats)

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Glentoran (C) 38 24 9 5 63 36 +27 81 Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2 Linfield 38 24 8 6 69 28 +41 80 Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round
3 Crusaders 38 16 14 8 63 45 +18 62 Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
4 Lisburn Distillery 38 15 11 12 53 41 +12 56 Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
5 Coleraine 38 15 6 17 46 51 −5 51
6 Cliftonville 38 12 14 12 52 48 +4 50
7 Institute 38 13 9 16 47 55 −8 48
8 Newry City 38 11 11 16 47 57 −10 44
9 Glenavon 38 11 8 19 49 63 −14 41
10 Ballymena United 38 11 8 19 39 57 −18 41
11 Bangor (R) 38 9 9 20 42 67 −25 36 Relegation to IFA Championship 1[lower-alpha 2]
12 Dungannon Swifts (O) 38 8 11 19 49 71 −22 35 Qualification to Promotion/relegation play-off
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Crusaders won the 2008–09 Irish Cup and qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Therefore the fourth placed team, Lisburn Distillery, also earned a spot in the Europa League.
  2. On 2 February 2009, Bangor announced that they would not be able to renew their domestic licence due to financial difficulties, and therefore would not compete in the 2009–10 IFA Premiership.[1] Therefore, they were automatically relegated and the play-off place was passed down to the 12th-placed team, Dungannon Swifts.

Results

Matches 34–38

During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once (either at home or away).

Promotion/relegation play-off

The relegation/promotion system was slightly modified because Bangor, who withdrew from the next IFA Premiership season, eventually finished 11th. It meant that last placed Dungannon Swifts played a two-legged match against Donegal Celtic, runners-up of the 2008–09 IFA Championship, for one spot in the 2009–10 IFA Premiership. The score was 2–2 on aggregate, but Dungannon Swifts secured their spot in the following IFA Premiership season by winning on away goals.

Donegal Celtic2 – 1Dungannon Swifts
Lyons  8'
McDonald  87'		 Report Adamson  50'
Dungannon Swifts1 – 0Donegal Celtic
Adamson  29' Report

2–2 on aggregate. Dungannon Swifts won on away goals rule and remained in the IFA Premiership.

References
  1. Official statement from Bangor Football Club
  2. "Irish League Supporters Forum - Attendances". Irish League Supporters Forum. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  3. All matches off as referees strike Belfast Telegraph
  4. IFA reach agreement with referees BBC Sport
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