2009 League of Ireland Premier Division
The 2009 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 25th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The division was made up of 10 teams. Bohemians were champions while Shamrock Rovers finished as runners-up.
| Season | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Bohemians (11th title) |
| Relegated | Cork City Derry City |
| UEFA Champions League | Bohemians |
| UEFA Europa League | Shamrock Rovers Dundalk Sporting Fingal[note 1] |
| Top goalscorer | Gary Twigg: 24 (Shamrock Rovers) [1] |
← 2008 2010 → | |
Teams
Overview
The 2009 Premier Division featured 10 clubs. The regular season began on 6 March and concluded on 6 November. Each team played every other team four times, totalling 36 matches.[2] On the final day of the regular season Bohemians were crowned League of Ireland champions for the eleventh time in the club's history after drawing 1–1 with Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds.[3] After the season ended both Derry City and Cork City were expelled from the League of Ireland. Derry City were accused of making extra payments to players using unofficial secondary contracts. This was against league rules which placed limits on the amount clubs could spend on players' wages. Cork City had been in serious financial difficulties for several seasons and its holding company was eventually wound up by the High Court. However both clubs were effectively reformed and were subsequently allowed to join the 2010 First Division.[2][4][5][6][7]
Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bohemians (C) | 36 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 62 | 21 | +41 | 77 | Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Shamrock Rovers | 36 | 21 | 10 | 5 | 51 | 27 | +24 | 73 | Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Cork City[lower-alpha 1] (R) | 36 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 42 | 28 | +14 | 60 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
| 4 | Derry City[lower-alpha 2] (R) | 36 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 49 | 31 | +18 | 59 | |
| 5 | Dundalk | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 46 | 51 | −5 | 44 | Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round |
| 6 | Sligo Rovers | 36 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 51 | −10 | 43 | |
| 7 | St Patrick's Athletic | 36 | 13 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 46 | −17 | 43 | |
| 8 | Galway United | 36 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 36 | 57 | −21 | 42 | |
| 9 | Drogheda United (O) | 36 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 32 | 50 | −18 | 32 | Qualification to Relegation play-off |
| 10 | Bray Wanderers[lower-alpha 3] | 36 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 56 | −26 | 28 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Cork City were expelled from Premier Division after its holding company was wound up by the High Court.
- Derry City were expelled from Premier Division after accusations of making extra payments to players using unofficial secondary contracts.
- Despite losing play-off, Bray Wanderers retained their place in the Premier Division after Cork City and Derry City were relegated.
Results
Matches 1–18
Matches 19–36
Promotion/relegation play-offs
The ninth and tenth placed teams from the Premier Division, Drogheda United and Bray Wanderers, played off after the regular season was completed. The winner would retain a place in the 2010 Premier Division. The loser would play off against the winner of the 2009 First Division play off. The winner of this match would also gain a place in the 2010 Premier Division.
- Premier Division
| 10 November 2009 | Drogheda United | 2–0 | Bray Wanderers | United Park |
| 19:45 GMT | Chambers  60'King 82' |
Report | Mulroy  84' |
Referee: D. Hancock |
Drogheda United retain their place in the 2010 Premier Division
- Premier Division v First Division
| 13 November 2009 | Sporting Fingal | 2–0 | Bray Wanderers | Morton Stadium |
| 19:45 GMT | Paisley 51' Byrne 67' |
Report | Attendance: 740 Referee: D. Tomney |
| 16 November 2009 | Bray Wanderers | 2–2 | Sporting Fingal | Carlisle Grounds |
| 19:45 GMT | Flood 83' O'Connor 90+1' |
Report | Zayed 59' Bayly 90+2' |
Referee: D. Hanney |
Sporting Fingal won 4–2 on aggregate and were promoted to the Premier Division. The result of the play off would eventually prove null and void. Despite losing play-off, Bray Wanderers also retained their place in the Premier Division after Cork City and Derry City were relegated.[2]
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Scorer | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Gary Twigg |
Shamrock Rovers | 24 |
| 2 |  Jason Byrne |
Bohemians | 22 |
| 3 | Raffaele Cretaro |
Sligo Rovers | 15 |
| 4 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Chris Turner |
Dundalk | 12 |
| 5 | Mark Farren |
Derry City | 10 |
Last updated: 6 November 2009
Source: soccerway.com
Notes
- Sporting Fingal who played in the First Division qualified for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League after winning the 2009 FAI Cup Final.
References
- "Ireland - List of Topscorers". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- "Ireland 2009". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- "Bohemians make their 11th title official". irishtimes.com. 6 November 2009. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
- "Derry thrown out of League of Ireland". rte.ie. 7 November 2009. Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- "Derry City invited back to league". news.bbc.co.uk. 12 November 2009.
- "Despite heartache for fans and players, the harsh reality is that City got what they deserved". independent.ie. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- "Ireland 2010". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 August 2016.