2014 League of Ireland First Division

Last updated

League of Ireland First Division
Season2014
Champions Longford Town
Promoted Galway
Top goalscorerDavid O'Sullivan: 19
(Longford Town) [1]
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The 2014 League of Ireland First Division season was the 30th season of the League of Ireland First Division. The First Division was contested by eight teams and Longford Town won the title. Galway were also promoted.

Contents

Teams

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Locations of the First Division teams

Stadia and locations

TeamLocationStadium
Cobh Ramblers Cobh St. Colman's Park
Finn Harps Ballybofey Finn Park
Galway Galway Eamonn Deacy Park
Longford Town Longford City Calling Stadium
Shamrock Rovers B Tallaght Tallaght Stadium
Shelbourne Drumcondra Tolka Park
Waterford United Waterford Waterford RSC
Wexford Youths Crossabeg Ferrycarrig Park

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.

TeamManagerKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
Cobh Ramblers Flag of Ireland.svg Martin Cambridge Nike Eirgrid
Finn Harps Flag of Ireland.svg Ollie Horgan Macron McGettigan Group
Galway Flag of Ireland.svg Tommy Dunne Macron Comer Property Management
Longford Town Flag of Ireland.svg Tony Cousins Macron City Calling
Shamrock Rovers B Flag of Ireland.svg Colin Hawkins Warrior Pepper
Shelbourne Flag of Ireland.svg Johnny McDonnell Macron Volkswagen
Waterford United Flag of Ireland.svg Tommy Griffin Macron SportsWorld / DVF Print
Wexford Youths Flag of Ireland.svg Shane Keegan O'Neills Galenisy's

Overview

The 2014 First Division featured eight teams. Aside from Shelbourne, who were relegated from the Premier Division, replacing the 2013 First Division champions, Athlone Town, there were two other team changes from the previous season. [2] In 2012 an FAI commissioned report recommended that Galway city and County Galway should be represented in the League of Ireland by a single club or team based at Eamonn Deacy Park. The O'Connor Report also recommended that the Galway United Supporters Trust, Salthill Devon, Mervue United and the Galway Football Association, should work together to form such a club. [3] Following the conclusion of the 2013 First Division season, both Mervue United and Salthill Devon withdrew from the League of Ireland to make way for a new team known as Galway F.C. [4] This still left another vacancy and in December 2013 Shamrock Rovers F.C. received permission from the FAI to enter their reserve team in the First Division for the 2014 season. [5] [6] [7]

Each team played each other four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 28 matches during the season. [2] Longford Town clinched the title following a resounding 5–0 victory at home to Shamrock Rovers B on 3 October 2014. Longford Town ended a seven-season stint in the First Division as they were promoted to the 2015 Premier Division. [8] Galway also secured promotion after defeating UCD in a play off. [2] Shamrock Rovers B withdrew from the First Division after just one season. Rovers decided it was not financially viable to continue fielding two teams in the League of Ireland. [9]

Final table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Longford Town (C, P)2818645619+3760Promotion to League of Ireland Premier Division
2 Shelbourne 28141044630+1652Qualification for Promotion play-offs
3 Galway (O, P)28131054723+2449
4 Wexford Youths 2813784535+1046
5 Finn Harps 28711102628−232
6 Shamrock Rovers B 2875162550−2526Withdrew from league
7 Waterford United 2867152543−1825
8 Cobh Ramblers 2828182466−4214
Source: [2] [9] [10]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted

Promotion/relegation playoffs

The second and third placed First Division teams, Shelbourne and Galway, played off to decide who would play UCD, the eleventh placed team from the Premier Division. The winner of this play off would play in the 2015 Premier Division. [2]

First Division
18 October 2014 Galway 2 – 0 Shelbourne Eamonn Deacy Park
19:45 Ryan Connolly Soccerball shade.svg19'
Gary Shanahan Soccerball shade.svg84'		 Report Nathan Murphy Yellow card.svg 19'Attendance: 1,764
Referee: Ray Matthews
24 October 2014 Shelbourne 1 – 2 Galway Tolka Park
19:45Conor Murphy Soccerball shade.svg34' Report Ryan Connolly Soccerball shade.svg59'
Jake Keegan Soccerball shade.svg82'		Attendance: 1,202
Referee: Robert Harvey (Kerry)

Galway won 4 – 1 on aggregate

First Division v Premier Division
28 October 2014 UCD 1 – 2 Galway UCD Bowl
19:45Timmy Molloy Soccerball shade.svg18'
Colm Crowe Yellow card.svg 27'
Gareth Matthews Yellow card.svg 39'		 Report Jason Molloy Yellow card.svg 23'
Paddy Barrett Soccerball shade.svg89'
Ryan Manning Soccerball shade.svg90'		Attendance: 643
Referee: James McKell
1 November 2014 Galway 3 – 0 UCD Eamonn Deacy Park
20:45Alex Byrne Yellow card.svg 20'
Gary Shanahan Soccerball shade.svg45'
Ryan Manning Soccerball shade.svg71'
Alex Byrne Soccerball shade.svg80'		 Report Attendance: 2,890
Referee: Dave McKeon

Galway won 5–1 on aggregate and were promoted to 2015 Premier Division. UCD are relegated to 2015 First Division.

Awards

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1David O'Sullivan Longford Town 19 (1 pen.)
2Danny Furlong Wexford Youths 16 (5 pen.)
3Dylan Connolly Shelbourne 12 (1 pen.)
4Jake Keegan Galway 11
5Gary Shaw Longford Town 10

Source: [11] [1]

Player of the Year

WinnerClub
David O'Sullivan Longford Town

Team of the Year

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsClub
11 GK Graham Doyle Wexford Youths
22 DF Colm Horgan Galway
32 DF Paddy Barrett Galway
42 DF Patrick Sullivan Longford Town
52 DF Lee Desmond Shelbourne
63 MF Dylan Connolly Shelbourne
73 MF Stephen Rice Longford Town
83 MF Ryan Connolly Galway
94 FW Danny Furlong Wexford Youths
104 FW David O'Sullivan Longford Town
114 FW Gary Shaw Longford Town

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Ireland - List of Topscorers". RSSSF . Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ireland 2014". RSSSF . Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "One club or nothing warns FAI on impasse". connachttribune.ie. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Football's comin' home — compromise reached as Galway FC applies to league". www.advertiser.ie. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "FAI allow Shamrock Rovers to field second team in First Division". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  6. ↑ "The Hoops will field a second team in the Airtricity First Division following the withdrawal of Mervue United and Salthill Devon". Goal.com. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Shamrock Rovers to field team in First Division". RTÉ.ie. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Longford Town claim First Division crown and promotion". www.rte.ie. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  9. 1 2 "A Brief History of Shamrock Rovers". www.shamrockrovers.ie. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "First Division". ie.soccerway.com. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "First Division". ie.soccerway.com. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
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