2022 League of Ireland First Division
The 2022 League of Ireland First Division season is the 38th season of the League of Ireland First Division, the second tier of the Republic of Ireland's association football league.
| Season | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 February 2022 – November 2022 |
| Matches played | 144 |
← 2021 2023 →
All statistics correct as of 5 February 2022. | |
Overview
The First Division has 9 teams. Each side plays each other four times for a total of 32 matches in the season. The team that finishes in first place achieve automatic promotion to the Premier Division. Teams finishing second to fifth place will enter the play-offs to determine the side to contest for a place in the 2023 Premier Division against the ninth placed (second last) Premier Division team.
Teams
Team changes
Bray Wanderers and Cabinteely F.C. merged in the pre-season to create a revamped Bray Wanderers.[1] Shelbourne were promoted as 2021 champions and UCD as playoff winners, to the Premier Division. Waterford F.C. and Longford Town F.C. joined following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2021 season.
Additional teams
No other teams applied for a First Division Licence.[2]
Stadia and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town | Athlone | Athlone Town Stadium | 5,000 |
| Bray Wanderers | Bray | Carlisle Grounds | 4,000 |
| Cobh Ramblers | Cobh | St. Colman's Park | 3,000 |
| Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 7,845 |
| Galway United | Galway | Eamonn Deacy Park | 5,000 |
| Longford Town | Longford | Bishopsgate | 5,097 |
| Treaty United | Limerick | Markets Field | 5,000 |
| Waterford | Waterford | RSC | 5,160 |
| Wexford | Crossabeg | Ferrycarrig Park | 2,500 |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town |  Martin Russell |
Resigned | 10 April 2022[3] | 9th | Dermot Lennon |
10 April 2022[4] |
| Waterford FC | Ian Morris |
Mutual Consent | 20 April 2022[5] | 9th | Gary Hunt |
20 April 2022[6] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town | Dermot Lennon |
Micheal Schlingermann |
 Umbro |
Hayden & Co. Solicitors |
| Bray Wanderers | Pat Devlin |
Hugh Douglas |
 Nike |
MyClub |
| Cobh Ramblers | Darren Murphy |
John Kavanagh |
 Joma |
McCarthy Insurance Group |
| Cork City | Colin Healy |
Cian Coleman |
 Adidas |
University College Cork |
| Galway United | John Caulfield |
Conor McCormack |
O'Neill's |
Comer Property Management |
| Longford Town | Gary Cronin |
Sam Verdon |
Macron |
Bishopsgate |
| Treaty United | Tommy Barrett |
Jack Lynch |
Umbro |
UPMC |
| Waterford | Gary Hunt |
Eddie Nolan |
Umbro |
None |
| Wexford | Ian Ryan |
Joe Manley |
Umbro |
Wallace |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cork City | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 6 | +22 | 29 | Promotion to League of Ireland Premier Division |
| 2 | Galway United | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 10 | +9 | 26 | Qualification to Promotion play-offs |
| 3 | Longford Town | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 18 | |
| 4 | Waterford | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 17 | |
| 5 | Treaty United | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 16 | |
| 6 | Wexford | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 21 | −5 | 14 | |
| 7 | Bray Wanderers | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 11 | |
| 8 | Cobh Ramblers | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 25 | −12 | 8 | |
| 9 | Athlone Town | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 28 | −17 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Play-offs
First Leg
| 26 October 2022 | 5th Place First Division club | v | 2nd Place First Division club | 5th Place First Division club |
| TBC IST |
| 26 October 2022 | 4th Place First Division club | v | 3rd Place First Division club | 4th Place First Division club |
| TBC IST |
Second Leg
| 29 October 2022 | 2nd Place First Division club | v | 5th Place First Division club | 2nd Place First Division club |
| TBC IST |
| 29 October 2022 | 3rd Place First Division club | v | 4th Place First Division club | 3rd Place First Division club |
| TBC IST |
First Division Play-Off Final
| 4/5/6 November 2022 | 2nd OR 5th Place First Division club | v | 3rd OR 4th Place First Division club | Neutral Venue |
| TBC IST |
Promotion/Relegation Play-Off
| 11/12/13 November 2022 | 9th Place Premier Division club | v | First Division Play-Off Final Winners | Neutral Venue |
| TBC IST |
References
- "Bray Wanderers and Cabinteely confirm name of newly merged team". 3 December 2021.
- Donnelly, David (3 February 2022). "Full steam ahead as all 19 League of Ireland sides awarded licenses for 2022". DublinLive.ie.
- Dollery, Paul. "Athlone Town part company with manager Martin Russell". The42.ie. The42.ie. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- Dollery, Paul. "Athlone Town part company with manager Martin Russell". The42.ie. The42.ie. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
- Dollery, Paul. "Waterford part ways with manager Ian Morris after just 10 games in charge". The42.ie. The42.ie. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- Dollery, Paul. "Waterford part ways with manager Ian Morris after just 10 games in charge". The42.ie. The42.ie. Retrieved 20 April 2022.