2020 League Of Ireland Premier Division
The 2020 League of Ireland Premier Division, known as the SSE Airtricity League for sponsorship reasons, was the 36th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division.
| Season | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 February 2020 – 9 November 2020 |
| Champions | Shamrock Rovers (18th title) |
| Relegated | Cork City, Shelbourne |
| Champions League | Shamrock Rovers |
| Europa Conference League | Bohemians Dundalk Sligo Rovers |
| Matches played | 90 |
| Goals scored | 190 (2.11 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Patrick Hoban (10 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Shamrock Rovers 6–0 Cork City (21 February 2020) |
| Biggest away win | Dundalk F.C 0-4 Shamrock Rovers (27 September 2020) |
| Highest scoring | Shamrock Rovers 6–1 Waterford (21 September 2020) |
| Longest winning run | Shamrock Rovers (7 games) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Shamrock Rovers (7 games) |
| Longest winless run | Finn Harps (7 games) |
| Longest losing run | Finn Harps (5 games) |
| Highest attendance | 7,522 |
| Total attendance | 65,700 |
| Average attendance | 2,986 |
← 2019 2021 → All statistics correct as of 10 November 2020. | |
The league began on 14 February 2020 and concluded on 9 November 2020. The fixtures were announced on 20 December 2019. The season was halted in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland following the directive of the Irish government and the Football Association of Ireland. The FAI subsequently announced a contingency plan with a view to completing the domestic season at a later date with a reduced number of games. It resumed on 31 July. On 24 October, Finn Harps won 2–0 at Bohemians which meant Shamrock Rovers won the league and Cork City were relegated.
Overview
The Premier Division consists of 10 teams. Ordinarily each team plays each other four times for a total of 36 matches in the season. Following a meeting of the Football Association of Ireland regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided that the season would be played on an 18-match basis with teams playing each other twice: once at home and once away.
Shelbourne, the 2019 First Division champions, were promoted to the league for the first time since 2013, replacing fellow Dublin side UCD, who were relegated to the League of Ireland First Division after finishing bottom of the league in 2019.
Teams
Stadia and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Dublin (Phibsborough) | Dalymount Park | 3,640 |
| Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 7,845 |
| Derry City | Derry | Brandywell Stadium | 3,700 |
| Dundalk | Dundalk | Oriel Park | 4,500 |
| Finn Harps | Ballybofey | Finn Park | 6,000 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Dublin (Inchicore) | Richmond Park | 5,340 |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dublin (Tallaght) | Tallaght Stadium | 8,000 |
| Shelbourne | Dublin (Drumcondra) | Tolka Park | 3,700 |
| Sligo Rovers | Sligo | The Showgrounds | 5,500 |
| Waterford | Waterford | Regional Sports Centre | 5,500 |
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 |  Keith Long | Keith Buckley | O'Neills | Des Kelly Interiors |
| Cork City | Colin Healy | Gearoid Morrissey |  Adidas | University College Cork |
| Derry City |  Declan Devine | Conor McCormack | Adidas | Diamond Corrugated |
| Dundalk |  Filippo Giovagnoli | Brian Gartland |  Umbro | Fyffes |
| Finn Harps | Ollie Horgan | Gareth Harkin |  Joma | KN Group |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Stephen O'Donnell | Ian Bermingham | Umbro | MIG Insurance Brokers |
| Shamrock Rovers | Stephen Bradley | Ronan Finn | Umbro | JD Sports |
| Shelbourne | Ian Morris | Lorcan Fitzgerald | Umbro | FLYEfit |
| Sligo Rovers | Liam Buckley | Kyle Callan-McFadden | Joma | Avantcard |
| Waterford | Fran Rockett | Brian Murphy | Umbro | 24/7 Cardiac Care |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford | Alan Reynolds | Resigned | 16 June 2020 | 6th | John Sheridan | 8 July 2020 |
| Dundalk | Vinny Perth | Sacked | 20 August 2020 | 3rd | Filippo Giovagnoli | 25 August 2020 |
| Waterford | John Sheridan | Moved to Wigan Athletic | 11 September 2020 | 4th | Fran Rockett | 24 September 2020 |
| Cork City | Neale Fenn | Resigned | 8 October 2020 | 10th | Colin Healy | 9 October 2020 |
League table
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shamrock Rovers (C) | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 7 | +37 | 48 | Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Bohemians | 18 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 37 | Qualification to Europa Conference League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Dundalk | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 26 | |
| 4 | Sligo Rovers | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 25 | |
| 5 | Waterford | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 17 | 22 | −5 | 24 | |
| 6 | St Patrick's Athletic | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 17 | −3 | 21 | |
| 7 | Derry City | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 20 | |
| 8 | Finn Harps | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 24 | −9 | 20 | |
| 9 | Shelbourne (R) | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 22 | −9 | 19 | Qualification to Relegation play-offs |
| 10 | Cork City (R) | 18 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 30 | −20 | 11 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
