Extratime.ie Reporters Season Predictions 2017

The new League of Ireland season is upon us and, as is recent custom, we've polled our reporters and photographers to predict how the Premier and First Divisions will pan out in 2017.

 

Last season saw 30 contributors to the poll with, let's say, mixed results (you can read them all here). This season a reduced pool of 22 have taken part with, we hope, more accuracy.

 

Without further ado, we present the results.

 

PREMIER DIVISION

 

The Premier Division is more or less as you were in 2015 as both relegated clubs, Limerick and Drogheda United, were promoted back to the top level at the first attempt.

 



The difference, however, is that this year three sides are guaranteed to go down, as opposed to the usual one plus a play-off.

 

Champions that year, Wexford Youths, were relegated in a play-off while the previous season's winners, Longford Town, went straight down as Finn Harps managed to stay up.

 

ET's predictions for last season got the bottom three right... but in completely the wrong order. We had Wexford to stay up in tenth, Longford in 11th and a play-off and Finn Harps in the automatic relegation spot.

 



Which should give some crumb of comfort to Harps fans as our reporters have again expressed a clear preference for Harps to prop up the table, as 16 of our 22 voters placed them bottom.

 

Drogheda United are again expected to struggle in their first season back, with 14/22 expecting them to finish 11th. So far so clear.

 

But this is where it gets a bit more complicated. Our reporters expect the third relegation space to be occupied by Bohemians, although more voted for Galway in 10th (7) than the Gypsies (6).

 

At the top end of the table, it's a photo finish between Dundalk and Cork City, and our reporters, chastened by last season's prediction of Cork, have plumped for the Lilywhites to make it four in a row.

 

Just two cumulative points (249 to 247) separated the sides... but here is once again where it gets murky. 10 of our reporters placed Dundalk first, but 11 went for Cork City but six third-place predictions were enough to bump City down the rankings.

 

Half of respondents (11) tipped Sean Maguire to become Player of the Year, while there was a minority win for Limerick's Chiedozie Ogbene as the breakthrough star with 11 votes.

 

FIRST DIVISION

 

The First Division has not two but three new kids in town this year – Longford Town were relegated, while Wexford and Waterford have lopped off Youths and United respectively.

 

And, like Limerick last year, the clear majority expect the newly-flush Waterford under Pat Fenlon to coast to the league title and the sole promotion spot.

 

14 reporters opted for the Blues to top the table, with tipping Longford and two, somewhat surprisingly, going for UCD. Nobody else was predicted to top the table.

 

At the bottom, despite the arrival of Pat Devlin and Jason Byrne, Cabinteely are tipped to prop up the table ahead of Athlone Town, though Athlone had more last-placed votes (11 to 7).

 

PREMIER DIVISION

 

(Points assigned on a scale of 1st place = 12, 2nd = 11, … , 12th = 1)

 

Dundalk 249

Cork City 247

Shamrock Rovers 229

Derry City 184

St Patrick's Athletic 153

Sligo Rovers 150

Bray Wanderers 149

Limerick 118

Galway United 86

Bohemians 77

Drogheda United 52

Finn Harps 34

 

FIRST DIVISION

 

(Points assigned on a scale of 1st place = 8, 2nd = 7, … , 8th = 1)

 

Waterford 163

Longford Town 138

UCD 111

Shelbourne 103

Wexford 99

Cobh Ramblers 97

Athlone 49

Cabinteely 32