2008 League of Ireland First Division

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.

League of Ireland First Division
Season2008
ChampionsDundalk
Top goalscorerRobbie Doyle: 16
(Sporting Fingal)[1]
← 2007
2009 →

Club information
Team Base Manager Main sponsor Kit supplier Stadium Capacity
Athlone TownAthlone Brendan PlaceGanly's HardwareO'NeillsAthlone Town Stadium2,000
DundalkDundalk John GillIJMUmbroOriel Park6,000
Kildare CountyNewbridge Joe SomervilleCill Dara BettingO'NeillsStation Road2,500
Limerick 37Limerick Michael KerleyLimerick's Live 95FMJakoJackman Park8,000
Longford TownLongford Alan GoughFlancareUmbroFlancare Park4,500
Monaghan UnitedMonaghan Mick CookeThe Squeeling PigNikeCentury Homes Park3,000
ShelbourneDrumcondra Dermot KeelyCab 2000UmbroTolka Park9,700
Sporting FingalFingal Liam BuckleyKeelingsO'NeillsMorton Stadium10,000
Waterford UnitedWaterford Gareth CroninHutchison 3GAzzurriWaterford RSC8,000
Wexford YouthsCrossabeg Mick WallaceWallace ConstructionO'NeillsFerrycarraig Park5,000

Overview

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]

Final table
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[lower-alpha 1] 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[lower-alpha 2] 36 6 8 22 34 73 −39 26 Lost promotion/relegation play-off
Source: [2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion.
Notes:
  1. Sporting Fingal replaced Kilkenny City who withdrew from the league before the season started.
  2. Kildare County were initially relegated to the A Championship after losing a promotion/relegation play-off. However they subsequently gained a reprieve after Cobh Ramblers were refused a First Division licence and were relegated directly from the Premier Division to the A Championship .

Results

Matches 1 to 18
Home \ Away ATH DUN KIL L37 LON MON SHE SFI WAT WEX
Athlone Town 0–3 1–1 2–2 1–0 0–0 0–1 0–3 0–0 3–1
Dundalk 1–0 6–0 0–2 0–0 3–0 1–3 3–2 1–0 2–1
Kildare County 1–1 1–2 1–2 0–1 4–0 1–3 0–2 1–2 2–0
Limerick 37 0–0 1–2 4–0 2–1 2–2 0–3 1–3 0–3 2–0
Longford Town 3–0 1–2 0–0 1–2 3–0 2–0 5–1 0–2 0–1
Monaghan United 1–2 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 0–0 0–2
Shelbourne 2–0 0–0 5–0 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–0
Sporting Fingal 2–0 1–1 2–2 1–0 1–1 4–0 0–0 3–1 2–0
Waterford United 1–1 1–0 3–2 3–1 1–1 5–0 1–1 2–0 1–0
Wexford Youths 2–0 0–5 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–2 2–2 0–1 1–2
Source: www.rsssf.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Rounds 19 and 36
Home \ Away ATH DUN KIL L37 LON MON SHE SFI WAT WEX
Athlone Town 2–2 3–0 0–3 0–0 1–0 0–1 0–1 1–1 1–0
Dundalk 7–0 4–1 0–1 1–2 3–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–0
Kildare County 1–0 1–6 0–2 0–2 1–2 1–2 1–1 1–2 1–2
Limerick 37 0–0 2–0 1–2 1–3 2–1 1–2 1–1 5–1 1–1
Longford Town 1–1 0–3 0–1 1–2 1–3 1–2 0–3 0–3 2–4
Monaghan United 3–0 2–2 3–3 0–2 5–1 2–0 0–2 2–0 1–2
Shelbourne 3–3 0–0 3–1 1–1 5–0 1–0 0–0 0–0 1–0
Sporting Fingal 1–0 0–0 2–0 2–0 0–0 0–1 2–1 3–1 2–3
Waterford United 3–0 0–1 3–1 3–1 4–0 1–1 0–1 2–1 1–0
Wexford Youths 0–0 3–1 0–1 3–0 0–2 1–3 0–3 2–2 1–1
Source: www.rsssf.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Promotion/Relegation play-offs

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]

Top scorers
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
  • The clubs competing in the 2008 FAI eircom League of Ireland

See also

References
  1. "Ireland - List of Topscorers". www.rsssf.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  2. "Ireland 2008". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
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