2017 League of Ireland First Division

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox football league season | season = 2017 | dates = {{nowrap|24 February – 7 October 2017}} | competition = [[League of Ireland First Division]] | winners = [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] | promoted = [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] | matches = 112 | total goals = 283 | league topscorer = [[Georgie Kelly]] (UCD) | biggest home win = [[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]] 7-1 [[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]] (19 August 2017)<ref name="ltfc.ie">{{Cite web|url=http://ltfc.ie/longfordtown7-athlone1/|title=Longford Town in Seventh Heaven defeating Athlone 7-1 – Longford Town FC • Official Website|access-date=17 September 2017|archive-date=17 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917081846/http://ltfc.ie/longfordtown7-athlone1/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | biggest away win = [[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]] 1-6 [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] (2 June 2017)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.waterfordfc.ie/fixture_and_result/athlone020617/ |title=Waterford FC Athlone Town 1 (Invernizzi 90') Waterford FC 6 (Martin 8', 18', 62' PEN, O'Sullivan 37', McDaid 49', Walsh 90+4') - Waterford FC |access-date=17 September 2017 |archive-date=17 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917080202/http://www.waterfordfc.ie/fixture_and_result/athlone020617/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | highest scoring = [[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]] 7-1 [[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]] (19 August 2017)<ref name="ltfc.ie"/> | attendance = 53,342 | average attendance = 476<ref>{{cite web |title=From the Archives - extratime.ie League of Ireland Attendance Report 2019 |url=https://www.extratime.com/articles/24005/extratimeie-league-of-ireland-attendance-report-2019/ |website=extratime |accessdate=30 August 2020}}</ref> | prevseason = [[2016 League of Ireland First Division|2016]] | nextseason = [[2018 League of Ireland First Division|2018]] | updated = 8 April 2017 }}

The '''2017 League of Ireland First Division''' season is the 33rd season of the [[League of Ireland First Division]]. The league began on 24 February 2017 and concludes on 7 October 2017. The 2017 season had no promotion/relegation play-off system like the previous years, only one team would be eligible for promotion whilst three teams would be relegated from the [[League of Ireland Premier Division]] in a revamp of the leagues by the FAI.

And returning to the [[League of Ireland Premier Division]] for the first time in 10 years was [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] who won promotion with two games to spare as their 3–0 win over south east rivals [[Wexford F.C.|Wexford]] coupled with nearest rivals [[Cobh Ramblers F.C.|Cobh Ramblers]] 3–0 defeat to [[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] secured the league title.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0916/905342-waterford-promoted-to-the-top-flight-as-champions/|title=Waterford promoted to the top flight as champions|date=16 September 2017|work=RTE Sport|accessdate=29 September 2017}}</ref>

==Overview== The First Division has 8 teams. Each team played each other four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 28 matches in the season.

On 22 December 2016, the [[Football Association of Ireland|FAI]] announced that the league would be restructured into two 10-team divisions from the 2018 season onwards, one of the recommendations made in the 2015 Conroy Report.<ref name=reform /> This meant the cancellation of the promotion/relegation playoff and relegation at the end of the 2017 season of 3 teams from the Premier Division, with only the champions of the First Division promoted in return.<ref name=reform>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/its-three-down-one-up-for-loi-season-436479.html |date=23 December 2016 |accessdate=6 January 2017 |title=It's three down, one up for LOI season |work=The Irish Examiner |first=Liam |last=Mackey}}</ref>

==Teams== {{Location map+ |Ireland |alt=Map of the Republic of Ireland with the eight League of Ireland First Division teams |caption=Locations of the First Division teams |float=right |width=280 |places= {{Location map~ |Ireland |label=[[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]] |background= |position=left|lat_deg=53.43 |lon_deg=-7.95}} {{Location map~ |Ireland |label=[[Cobh Ramblers F.C.|Cobh Ramblers]] |position=left|background= |lat_deg=51.851 |lon_deg=-8.29}} {{Location map~ |Ireland |label=[[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]] |background= |position=right |lat_deg=53.727 |lon_deg=-7.799}} {{Location map~ |Ireland |label=[[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] |background= |position=left |lat_dir=N|lat_deg=52 |lat_min=15 |lat_sec=24 |lon_dir=W |lon_deg=7 |lon_min=7 |lon_sec=45}} {{Location map~ |Ireland |label=[[Wexford F.C.|Wexford]] |background= |position=right |lat_deg=52.365564 |lon_deg=-6.515549}} {{Location map~ |Ireland |marksize=12|lat_dir=N|lat_deg=53|lat_min=20|lat_sec=52|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=6|lon_min=15|lon_sec=35|position=left|background=|label='''Dublin''' }}  {{Location map~ |Ireland |mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png |marksize=1 |lat_dir=N|lat_deg=55|lat_min=24|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=10|lon_min=57|position=right|background=|label='''Dublin teams''' [[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] [[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]] [[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]]}} }} {{Location map+ |Dublin|alt=Map of Dublin with the three League of Ireland First Division Dublin teams |caption=Locations of Dublin First Division teams |float=right |width=280 |places= {{Location map~ |Dublin|lat_deg=53|lat_min=22|lat_sec=3|lat_dir=N|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=6|lon_min=15|lon_sec=7|position=top|background=|label=[[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]]}} {{Location map~ |Dublin|lat_deg=53|lat_min=18|lat_sec=37|lat_dir=N|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=6|lon_min=13|lon_sec=41|position=left|background=|label=[[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]]}} {{Location map~ |Dublin|lat_deg=53.289051|lat_dir=N|lon_dir=W|lon_deg=6.161216|position=right|background=|label=[[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] }} }}

===Stadia and locations=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Team ! Location ! Stadium |- | [[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]] || [[Athlone]] ||[[Athlone Town Stadium]] |- | [[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] || [[Cabinteely]] ||[[Blackrock College RFC|Stradbrook Road]] |- | [[Cobh Ramblers F.C.|Cobh Ramblers]] || [[Cobh]] || [[St. Colman's Park]] |- | [[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]] || [[Longford]] || [[City Calling Stadium]] |- | [[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]] || [[Drumcondra, Dublin|Drumcondra]] || [[Tolka Park]] |- | [[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]] || [[Belfield, Dublin|Belfield]] || [[UCD Bowl]] |- | [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] || [[Waterford]] || [[Waterford Regional Sports Centre|Waterford RSC]] |- | [[Wexford F.C.|Wexford]] || [[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. {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left;" ! Team ! Manager ! Captain ! Kit manufacturer ! Shirt sponsor |- |[[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Roddy Collins]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} Niall Scullion |[[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] |Nitro Sports |- |[[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Pat Devlin (footballer)|Pat Devlin]] |[[Daire Doyle]] |[[Umbro]] |Dublin School of Grinds |- |[[Cobh Ramblers F.C.|Cobh Ramblers]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Stephen Henderson (footballer, born 1966)|Stephen Henderson]] |Paul Hunt |Legea |Tony & William O'Shea Fuels Rushbrooke |- |[[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Neale Fenn]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Kevin O'Connor (footballer, born 1985)|Kevin O'Connor]] |Legea |City Calling |- |[[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Owen Heary]] |{{Flagicon|Ireland}} [[Dean Delaney]] |[[Macron (sportswear)|Macron]] |abbeyseals.ie |- |[[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} Collie O'Neill |{{flagicon|IRL}} Gary O'Neill |[[O'Neills]] |[[O'Neills]] |- |[[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Alan Reynolds (footballer)|Alan Reynolds]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} Kenny Browne |[[Umbro]] | 21 Bet |- |[[Wexford F.C.|Wexford]] |{{flagicon|IRL}} Damian Locke |{{flagicon|IRL}} Craig McCabe |Bodibro |Premier Tickets |}

==League table== <onlyinclude>{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL |source=[http://www.sseairtricityleague.ie/competition/first-division/id-01UNBSJKMC000000VUM100GLVSCQPIVT-G#table SSE Airtricity League], [https://int.soccerway.com/national/ireland-republic/first-division/2017/regular-season/r39232 Soccerway], [http://www.extratime.ie/leagues/2022/101/first-division/ extratime.ie]

|result1=PRO

|status_WAT=CP

|show_limit=5 |class_rules = 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoresway.com/?sport=soccer&page=competition&id=77&view=rules|title=First Division 2017 - Season rules|publisher=Scoresway|accessdate=9 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424203405/http://www.scoresway.com/?sport=soccer&page=competition&id=77&view=rules|archive-date=24 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

|res_col_header=P |col_PRO=green1 |text_PRO=Promotion to [[2018 League of Ireland Premier Division|League of Ireland Premier Division]]

}}</onlyinclude>

==Results== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}

===Matches 1–14=== Teams play each other twice (once at home, once away). {{#invoke:sports results|main | source = [http://www.sseairtricityleague.ie/competition/first-division/id-01UNBSJKMC000000VUM100GLVSCQPIVT-G#matches SSE Airtricity League] | update = 27 May 2017 | a_note = | matches_style = FBR | team1= ATH | team2= CAB | team3= COB | team4= LON | team5= SHE | team6= UCD | team7= WAT | team8= WEX

| match_LON_ATH = 3-1{{#tag:ref|In September 2017 the FAI banned two Athlone players for 12 months after a UEFA investigation found "clear and overwhelming betting evidence" of [[match fixing|fixing]] of their 29 April match against Longford.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0907/902965-athlone-players-banned-for-a-year-by-fai/|title=Athlone players banned for 12 months by FAI|date=7 September 2017|work=[[RTÉ.ie]]|accessdate=7 September 2017}}</ref>|group="n"}} | match_LON_CAB = 0–2 | match_LON_COB = 1–3 | match_LON_SHE = 3-1 | match_LON_UCD = 0-1 | match_LON_WAT = 0–0 | match_LON_WEX = 5-0

}} {{col-2}}

===Matches 15–28=== Teams play each other twice (once at home, once away). {{#invoke:sports results|main | source = [http://www.sseairtricityleague.ie/competition/first-division/id-01UNBSJKMC000000VUM100GLVSCQPIVT-G#matches SSE Airtricity League] | update = 7 October 2017 | a_note = | matches_style = FBR | team1= ATH | team2= CAB | team3= COB | team4= LON | team5= SHE | team6= UCD | team7= WAT | team8= WEX

}} {{col-end}}

==Top scorers==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Rank !Player !Club !Goals<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.extratime.com/topscorers/2026/101/first-division/|title=Top Scorers - 2017 League of Ireland First Division|website=extratime.com}}</ref> |-extratime.com/topscorers/2026/101/first-division |1 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Georgie Kelly]] |align="left"|[[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]] |17 |- |2 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} Kieran Marty Waters |align="left"|[[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] |15 |- |3 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Mark O'Sullivan (association footballer)|Mark O'Sullivan]] |align="left"|[[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] |12 |- |- |4 |align="left"|{{flagicon|NIR}} [[David McDaid]] |align="left"|[[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] |11 |- |5 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} Joe Doyle |align="left"|[[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] |10 |- |6 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} David O'Sullivan |align="left"|[[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]] |9 |- |7 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} James English |align="left"|[[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]] |8 |- |8 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} Adam Evans |align="left"|[[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]] |8 |- |9 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Enda Curran]] |align="left"|[[Longford Town F.C.|Longford Town]]/[[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]] |7 |- |10 |align="left"|{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Jason McClelland]] |align="left"|[[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]] |7 |- |}

==Awards== The PFAI First Division player of the year nominees were [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] striker [[David McDaid]], [[Cabinteely F.C.|Cabinteely]] midfielder Kieran Marty Waters and [[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]] striker [[Georgie Kelly]].

==PFAI First Division Team of Year== {| role="presentation" class="floatright" style="width:180px;" |style="text-align:center;"| {{Image label begin|image=Soccer Field Transparant.svg|width=175|font-size=80%}} {{Image label|x=0.45|y=1.28|scale=175|text=[[Niall Corbett|Corbett]]}} {{Image label|x=0.60|y=1.11|scale=175|text=[[Daniel O'Reilly (footballer)|O'Reilly]]}} {{Image label|x=0.74|y=1.00|scale=175|text=[[Chris McCarthy (racewalker)|McCarthy]]}} {{Image label|x=0.31|y=1.11|scale=175|text=Browne}} {{Image label|x=0.11|y=1.00|scale=175|text=[[Evan Osam|Osam]]}}

{{Image label|x=0.43|y=0.57|scale=175|text=[[Greg Sloggett|Sloggett]]}} {{Image label|x=0.74|y=0.57|scale=175|text=[[Kieran Marty Waters|Waters]]}} {{Image label|x=0.47|y=0.85|scale=175|text=[[Garry Comerford|Comerford]]}} {{Image label|x=0.11|y=0.57|scale=175|text=[[Derek Daly|Daly]]}} {{Image label|x=0.60|y=0.31|scale=175|text=[[David McDaid|McDaid]]}} {{Image label|x=0.33|y=0.31|scale=175|text=[[Georgie Kelly|Kelly]]}} {{Image label end}} |} The PFAI First Division Team of the Year was: *'''Goalkeeper''': Niall Corbett (UCD) *'''Defence''': [[Daniel O'Reilly (footballer)|Daniel O'Reilly]] (Longford Town), Kenny Browne (Waterford), Chris McCarthy (Cobh Ramblers), Evan Osam (UCD) *'''Midfield''': Garry Comerford (Waterford), [[Greg Sloggett]] (UCD), Kirean Marty Waters (Cabinteely), [[Derek Daly (footballer)|Derek Daly]] (Waterford) *'''Attack''': [[David McDaid]] (Waterford), [[Georgie Kelly]] (UCD)

==See also== * [[2017 League of Ireland Premier Division]] * [[2017 League of Ireland Cup]]

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2017 League of Ireland First Division}} [[Category:2017 League of Ireland First Division| ]] [[Category:League of Ireland First Division seasons]] [[Category:2017–18 in European second-tier association football leagues|Ireland]] [[Category:2016–17 in European second-tier association football leagues|Ireland]]