2016 League of Ireland Premier Division
Football league season
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The 2016 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 32nd season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The league began on 4 March 2016[6] and concluded on 28 October 2016; the relegation play-offs followed on 31 October and 4 November 2016. The prize fund for the SSE Airtricity League Premier and First Divisions was €475,500 for the 2016 season.[7]
| Season | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Dundalk (12th title) |
| Relegated | Longford Town Wexford Youths |
| Champions League | Dundalk |
| Europa League | Cork City Derry City Shamrock Rovers |
| Matches | 198 |
| Goals | 511 (2.58 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Sean Maguire (18 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Cork City 6–0 Longford Town (14 March 2016)[1] |
| Biggest away win | Finn Harps 0–7 Dundalk (13 May 2016)[2] |
| Highest scoring | Wexford Youths 5–4 Galway United (14 October 2016)[3] |
| Highest attendance | 5,453[4] Cork City 1–0 Dundalk |
| Total attendance | 291,258 |
| Average attendance | 1,471[5] |
← 2015 2017 → | |
Dundalk successfully defended its title for the third consecutive season on 23 October after a 2–1 win against Bohemians.[8][9][10]
Overview
The Premier Division consisted of 12 teams. Each team played each other three times, a total of 33 matches in the season.
Wexford Youths, the 2015 First Division champion, entered the top level for the first time in their history. Finn Harps were promoted after winning the promotion/relegation playoffs.
The 12 clubs competed for €371,500 in prize money ranging from €110,000 for the winners to €17,000 for the team finishing bottom of the table.[11]
Teams
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.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Hummel | Mr Green | ||
| Bray Wanderers | Nike | Sonas Bathrooms | ||
| Cork City | Nike | Clonakilty Sausages | ||
| Derry City | Hummel | Diamond Corrugated | ||
| Dundalk | CX+ Sport | Fyffes | ||
| Finn Harps | Legea | McGettigan Group | ||
| Galway United | Uhlsport | Comer Property Management | ||
| Longford Town | Macron | City Calling | ||
| Shamrock Rovers | New Balance | Pepper | ||
| Sligo Rovers | Joma | Volkswagen | ||
| St Patrick's Athletic | Umbro | Clune Construction Company L.P. | ||
| Wexford Youths | Bodibro | SBOBET |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundalk (C) | 33 | 25 | 2 | 6 | 73 | 28 | +45 | 77 | Qualification for Champions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Cork City | 33 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 65 | 23 | +42 | 70 | Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round[a] |
| 3 | Derry City | 33 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 48 | 29 | +19 | 62 | |
| 4 | Shamrock Rovers | 33 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 55 | |
| 5 | Sligo Rovers | 33 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 35 | +7 | 49 | |
| 6 | Bray Wanderers | 33 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 39 | 40 | −1 | 46 | |
| 7 | St Patrick's Athletic | 33 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 45 | 41 | +4 | 45 | |
| 8 | Bohemians | 33 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 30 | 37 | −7 | 41 | |
| 9 | Galway United | 33 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 38 | |
| 10 | Finn Harps | 33 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 23 | 49 | −26 | 32 | |
| 11 | Wexford Youths (R) | 33 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 31 | 70 | −39 | 23 | Qualification for relegation play-offs |
| 12 | Longford Town (R) | 33 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 25 | 71 | −46 | 14 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[12]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Cork City qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2016 FAI Cup. However, since they already qualified for European competition based on their league position, the spot awarded to the cup winners was passed down the league.
Results
Matches 1–22
Teams played each other twice (once at home, once away).
Matches 23–33
Teams played each other once.
Promotion/relegation playoffs
Wexford Youths, the eleventh-placed team from the Premier Division took part in a two-legged play-off against Drogheda United, the winners of the 2016 First Division play-off, to decide who will play in the 2017 Premier Division.
First leg
| 31 October 2016 | Wexford Youths | 2–0 | Drogheda United | Crossabeg |
| 19:45 GMT |
|
Report | Stadium: Ferrycarrig Park Attendance: 616 Referee: Raymond Matthews |
Second leg
| 4 November 2016 | Drogheda United | 3–0 (3–2 agg.) | Wexford Youths | Drogheda |
| 19:45 GMT | Report | Stadium: United Park Referee: Graham Kelly |
Drogheda United are promoted to the 2017 Premier Division; Wexford Youths are relegated to the 2017 First Division.
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[13] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cork City | 18 | |
| 2 | Derry City | 17 | |
| 3 | Dundalk | 16 | |
| 4 | Galway United | 12 | |
| 5 | St Patrick's Athletic | 11 | |
| 6 | Sligo Rovers | 10 | |
| Bohemians | 10 | ||
| St Patrick's Athletic | 10 | ||
| Shamrock Rovers | 10 | ||
| 10 | Dundalk | 9 | |