Gibraltar Football League

Last updated

Gibraltar Football League
Victoria Stadium (Gibraltar).jpg
Founded2019
CountryGibraltar
Confederation UEFA
Number of clubs12
Level on pyramid1
Domestic cup(s) Rock Cup
International cup(s) UEFA Champions League
UEFA Conference League
Current champions Lincoln Red Imps (5th title)
(2024–25)
Top goalscorer Juanfri (107 goals)
Broadcaster(s)Gibraltar FA TV
Website
Current: 2025–26 Gibraltar Football League season

The Gibraltar Football League is the only senior tier of association football in Gibraltar, founded in 2019 as the Gibraltar National League after a merger of the Gibraltar Premier Division, which served as the top division of football on the Rock since 1905, and the Gibraltar Second Division, which had existed since 1909. It was announced in August 2019 by the Gibraltar Football Association. [1] The league is supported by the Gibraltar Intermediate League for U23 sides.

Contents

Format

Rumours of the new league began in 2018, when the Gibraltar FA announced plans for a single tier format in its league constitution for the 2018–19 Gibraltar Premier Division. [2] On 1 August 2019, the GFA confirmed details of the restructure of domestic football in Gibraltar, and the format of the new 16 team league. [3] After 4 teams left the league, the remaining 12 teams are to follow the same league format. [4] For the first 4 editions of the competition, teams played one round of games as a single league, before splitting into two groups: the Championship Group contested by the top 6 sides, and the Challenge Group between the bottom 6 sides. The winners of the Challenge Group will receive the GFA Challenge Trophy and receive a bye to the second round of the next season's Rock Cup. Hound Dogs, who participated in the final season of the Gibraltar Second Division, were granted special dispensation to compete in the Gibraltar Intermediate League.

The first season of the Gibraltar National League had no champion, as the season was declared null and void by the Gibraltar FA as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, the Gibraltar FA announced that every game of the 2021–22 Gibraltar National League season would be streamed online through a broadcasting deal with Footters. [5]

In July 2022, the league rebranded as the Gibraltar Football League, with a new identity and logo. [6] The following year saw a change of format for the league. Instead of a single round-robin before the league split, the league instead returned to a double round robin format, with each team playing each other twice. At the end of the regular season, only the top 6 progressed to the next stage, entering the GFL Championship Group to decide the champion. [7]

Teams

Of the 17 teams that formed the initial league, three founder teams withdrew before the inaugural season started: Gibraltar Phoenix, Gibraltar United, and Leo. Additionally, Olympique 13 were expelled from the league after forfeiting the first two matches of the 2019-20 season. [8] Hound Dogs, while a founding member, opted not to join the National League, instead competing in the Gibraltar Intermediate League for financial reasons until joining the league in 2025. In December 2020, Boca Gibraltar were also expelled from the league. FCB Magpies merged with youth side Calpe City in 2025, forming a new club, Calpe City Magpies. As such, the following 12 teams currently contest the competition.

Current clubs
TeamFormedJoinedPrevious seasonPremier Division titlesGFL titlesGFA Challenge TrophiesHead coach
FCB Magpies 201320194th001 Flag of Gibraltar.svg Terence Jolley
College 1975 197520198th000 Flag of Spain.svg Óscar León
Europa 192520193rd700 Flag of Italy.svg Michele Di Piedi
Europa Point 2014201911th000 Flag of Spain.svg Brandon Mora
Glacis United 196520197th1700 Flag of England.svg Michael Bakare
Hound Dogs 20122025 [a] GIL, 9th000 Flag of Ireland.svg Ryan McCarthy
Lincoln Red Imps 197620191st2450 Flag of Spain.svg Juanjo Bezares
Lions Gibraltar 196620196th000 Flag of England.svg Wally Downes
Lynx 200720199th000 Flag of Spain.svg Yiyi Pérez
Manchester 62 196220194th701 Flag of Gibraltar.svg Luis McCoy
Mons Calpe 2013201910th001 Flag of Spain.svg Juan Marí Sánchez
St Joseph's 191220192nd100 Flag of Spain.svg Abraham Paz
Future clubs
TeamFormedJoined
Calpe City Magpies 20252026 [b]
Former clubs
TeamFormedJoinedPremier Division titlesGFL titlesGFA Challenge TrophiesFinal season
Gibraltar Phoenix 20112019000N/A [c]
Gibraltar United 194320191100N/A [c]
Leo 20042019000N/A [c]
Olympique 13 20132019000 2019–20 [d]
Boca Gibraltar 20122019000 2020–21 [d]
  1. ↑ Though a founding member of the GFL, Hound Dogs played in the Gibraltar Intermediate League from 2019 to 2025.
  2. ↑ Club will take the place of FCB Magpies after a merger.
  3. 1 2 3 Club folded before start of first season.
  4. 1 2 Club was expelled during the season.

List of winners

Table includes top three of the Championship Group (top half of table) and Challenge Group (bottom half of table)

SeasonChampionship GroupChallenge GroupGolden BootGolden Glove
ChampionsRunners UpThird PlaceFirst PlaceSecond PlaceThird PlacePlayerGoalsPlayerClean Sheets
2019–20 Europa [a] St Joseph's Lincoln Red Imps Challenge Group not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Flag of Spain.svg Juanfri 24 Flag of Gibraltar.svg Dayle Coleing
Flag of Gibraltar.svg Jamie Robba 		7
2020–21 Lincoln Red Imps Europa St Joseph's Bruno's Magpies Glacis United Manchester 62 Flag of the Philippines.svg Kike Gómez24 Flag of Gibraltar.svg Christian Lopez11
2021–22 Lincoln Red Imps Europa St Joseph's Manchester 62 College 1975 Lynx Flag of Spain.svg Juanfri 14 Flag of Scotland.svg Alan Martin 8
2022–23 Lincoln Red Imps Europa Bruno's Magpies Mons Calpe Manchester 62 Lions Gibraltar Flag of Spain.svg Juanfri 21 Flag of Gibraltar.svg Dayle Coleing
Flag of Gibraltar.svg Jaylan Hankins 		7
2023–24 Lincoln Red Imps St Joseph's FCB Magpies Discontinued [b] Flag of Spain.svg Juanfri 17 Flag of Gibraltar.svg Bradley Banda 13
2024–25 Lincoln Red Imps St Joseph's Europa Flag of Italy.svg Vittorio Vigolo15 Flag of Gibraltar.svg Bradley Banda 10
  1. ↑ The season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic but Europa was declared champions. [9]
  2. ↑ The GFA Challenge Trophy was discontinued after the 2022–23 season.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Restructuring of the Domestic Men's Senior League Archived 1 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine Gibraltar FA. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  2. ↑ "Senior League Rules" (PDF). GFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  3. ↑ Key changes to the domestic league revealed to clubs Gibraltar Chronicle. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  4. ↑ "FC Olympique expelled from all GFA competitions". Gibraltar Football Association. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  5. ↑ Gibraltar National League to launch with new historic partnerships Gibraltar FA. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Introducing a new identity for the Gibraltar Football League Gibraltar FA. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  7. ↑ Mens Domestic Football Season to Kick off on Friday 15th September with the traditional Pepe Reyes Memorial Cup Gibraltar FA. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "FC Olympique expelled from all GFA competitions". Gibraltar Football Association. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  9. ↑ "Gibraltar National League Season Declared Null and Void". Gibraltar Football Association. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
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