A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Season | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Shelbourne (13th title) |
| Relegated | Shelbourne Dublin City |
| UEFA Champions League | Derry City |
| UEFA Cup | St Patrick's Athletic Drogheda United |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | Cork City |
| Setanta Sports Cup | Cork City Derry City Drogheda United St Patrick's Athletic |
| Top goalscorer | Jason Byrne: 15 (Shelbourne)[1] |
| Highest attendance | 6,080[2] Derry City 1–0 Cork City |
| Total attendance | 257,745[note 1] |
| Average attendance | 1,562 |
← 2005 2007 → | |
The 2006 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 22nd season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The division was made up of 12 teams. Shelbourne were champions while Derry City finished as runners-up. However Shelbourne were subsequently demoted to the First Division and had to withdraw from the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and 2007 Setanta Sports Cup because of their financial difficulties.
Club information
| Team | Manager | Main sponsor | Kit supplier | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians |  Gareth Farrelly |
Des Kelly Carpets | O'Neills | Dalymount Park | 8,500 |
| Bray Wanderers | Eddie Gormley |
Slevin Group | Adidas | Carlisle Grounds | 7,000 |
| Cork City | Damien Richardson |
Nissan | O'Neills | Turners Cross | 8,000 |
| Derry City | Stephen Kenny |
MeteorElectrical.com | Umbro | The Brandywell | 7,700 |
| Drogheda United | Paul Doolin |
Murphy Environmental | Jako | United Park | 5,400 |
| Dublin City | Dermot Keely |
Carroll's Irish Gift Stores | Umbro | Dalymount Park | 8,500 |
| Longford Town | Alan Mathews |
Flancare | Umbro | Flancare Park | 4,500 |
| Shelbourne | Pat Fenlon |
JW Hire | Umbro | Tolka Park | 10,100 |
| Sligo Rovers |  Sean Connor |
Toher's | Jako | The Showgrounds | 5,500 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | John McDonnell |
Smart Telecom | Umbro | Richmond Park | 5,500 |
| UCD | Pete Mahon |
Budweiser | O'Neills | Belfield Park | 1,900 |
| Waterford United | Gareth Cronin |
ThermoFrame | Diadora | Waterford Regional Sports Centre | 8,000 |
Overview
The Premier Division season kicked off on 10 March and concluded on 17 November. The season saw several clubs face financial difficulties. The Revenue Commissioners took High Court action and threatened to have Shelbourne wound up after it failed to pay more than €104,000 in outstanding taxes.[3][4] Shelbourne also struggled to pay its players during the season. In July Dublin City also went out of business and withdrew from the league, unable to complete the season. Their results were expunged from the record which benefited both Cork and Derry who had dropped points to them.[5] However Shelbourne's off field problems did not prevent them from winning the title. Mark Farren's stoppage-time winner for Derry City away to Waterford United on 13 November ensured that for the third successive year the title would be decided on the final day of the season. Shelbourne clinched the title with a 2–1 win over Bohemians at Tolka Park. Jason Byrne and Glen Crowe scored the vital goals. However Shelbourne's celebrations were cut short when the league decided to demote them to the First Division. They also withdrew from the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and 2007 Setanta Sports Cup because of their financial difficulties.[6][7]
Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelbourne (C, R) | 30 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 60 | 27 | +33 | 62 | Demotion to League of Ireland First Division[a] |
| 2 | Derry City | 30 | 18 | 8 | 4 | 46 | 20 | +26 | 62 | Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Drogheda United | 30 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 37 | 23 | +14 | 58 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
| 4 | Cork City | 30 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 37 | 15 | +22 | 56 | Qualification to Intertoto Cup first round |
| 5 | Sligo Rovers | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 40 | |
| 6 | UCD | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 38 | |
| 7 | St Patrick's Athletic | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 32 | 29 | +3 | 37 | Qualification to UEFA Cup first qualifying round[b] |
| 8 | Longford Town | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 23 | 27 | −4 | 34 | |
| 9 | Bohemians[c] | 30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 29 | 34 | −5 | 29 | |
| 10 | Bray Wanderers | 30 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 22 | 64 | −42 | 17 | |
| 11 | Waterford United[d] | 30 | 2 | 6 | 22 | 20 | 58 | −38 | 12 | Qualification to Relegation play-off |
| 12 | Dublin City | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 24 | −13 | 15 | Withdrew from league[e] |
- ^ Shelbourne were demoted to the First Division for financial irregularities.
- ^ St Patrick's Athletic qualified for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round after reaching the 2006 FAI Cup Final.
- ^ Bohemians were deducted three points for fielding Jason McGuinness while he was suspended.
- ^ Waterford United lost promotion/relegation play-off but subsequently replaced Shelbourne for the 2007 season.
- ^ Dublin City withdrew from league on 18 July. All their results were expunged.