Season 2001–02 UEFA Champions League Shelbourne Dates 9 Aug 2001 – 31 Mar 2002 Location Republic of Ireland | Champions Shelbourne UEFA Intertoto Cup St Patrick's Athletic Champion Shelbourne F.C. | |
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UEFA Cup Shamrock Rovers
Dundalk Top goalscorer Glen Crowe: 21
(Bohemians) Relegated Dundalk F.C., Galway United F.C., Monaghan United F.C. People also search for 2000–01 League of Ireland Premier Division | ||
The 2001–02 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 17th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The division was made up of 12 teams. Shelbourne were declared champions after St Patrick's Athletic were deducted 15 points for fielding an ineligible player.
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Regular season
The season saw each team playing three rounds of games, playing every other team three times, totalling 33 games. The 2002–03 season would see the League of Ireland Premier Division reduced from 12 to 10 teams. As a result, three teams were automatically relegated. The season is best remembered for the controversy involving allegations of St Patrick's Athletic fielding ineligible players. St. Pat's originally had 9 points deducted for fielding Paul Marney in the first three games of the season. This was later revoked after arbitration. However Shelbourne appealed against this decision which was taken to the High Court where the appeal was rejected. It was then discovered by the Shelbourne chief executive, Ollie Byrne, that Charles Livingstone Mbabazi had not been registered by St. Pat's for the first five games of the season and so the club had 15 points deducted, three points for each game. The decision of the FAI appeal board to dismiss St. Pat's appeal in the Livingstone case saw Shelbourne confirmed as league champions.
Promotion/Relegation Play-off
Longford Town who finished in ninth place played off against Finn Harps, the third placed team from the 2001–02 League of Ireland First Division.
2nd Leg
Longford Town win 6-5 on penalties after extra time and retain their place in the Premier Division.