Manage a League of Ireland Premier Division club — free in your browser
Pick a League of Ireland Premier Division club and run it for a season: 10 sides, 256 players from 20 nations, all free and all in the browser.
10 clubs · 256 players · average rating 58.3 · average age 24.7. The strongest squad on paper is St Patrick's Athletic FC, and the highest-rated player in the division is J. Anang (67) of St Patrick's Athletic FC.
Every League of Ireland Premier Division club you can take over
Squad strength is the average rating of a club's best eleven — it shows who starts as favourites, and who you would be taking on as a rebuild.
| Club | Code | Squad | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Patrick's Athletic FC | STB | 25 | 64.1 |
| Shamrock Rovers | SHR | 26 | 63.4 |
| Shelbourne FC | SHF | 27 | 62.5 |
| Derry City | DEB | 23 | 62.1 |
| Bohemian FC | BOF | 23 | 61.6 |
| Drogheda United | DRU | 27 | 59.6 |
| Galway United | GAU | 24 | 59.5 |
| Waterford FC | WAF | 28 | 59.4 |
| Sligo Rovers | SLR | 26 | 59.2 |
| Cork City | COB | 27 | 58.5 |
The best players in League of Ireland Premier Division
The players you will be building around — or trying to prise away from a rival. Ratings are BALLKNW's own stylised approximations for gameplay balance, not official figures from any ratings provider.
| Player | Club | Position | Age | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Anang | St Patrick's Athletic FC | Goalkeeper | 25 | 67 |
| C. Kearns | Shelbourne FC | Goalkeeper | 27 | 67 |
| M. Duffy | Derry City | Forward | 30 | 67 |
| C. Forrester | St Patrick's Athletic FC | Midfielder | 32 | 66 |
| R. Lopes | Shamrock Rovers | Defender | 33 | 66 |
| R. Palmer | St Patrick's Athletic FC | Midfielder | 26 | 65 |
| G. Burke | Shamrock Rovers | Forward | 31 | 65 |
| E. McGinty | Shamrock Rovers | Goalkeeper | 25 | 65 |
League of Ireland Premier Division wonderkids worth signing early
The under-21s with the widest gap between what they are now and what they could become. Buy early, or watch a rival do it.
| Player | Club | Age | Now | Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Melia | St Patrick's Athletic FC | 17 | 64 | 83 |
| C. O'Sullivan | Cork City | 18 | 59 | 80 |
| M. Noonan | Shamrock Rovers | 16 | 60 | 80 |
| M. Murray | Cork City | 17 | 53 | 74 |
| C. O'Sullivan | Shamrock Rovers | 19 | 56 | 74 |
| F. Anderson | Cork City | 18 | 57 | 74 |
Where League of Ireland Premier Division players come from
Only 0% of players are from Ireland. With 20 nationalities in the division this is one of the game's genuinely international leagues, and your scouting net can start anywhere.
| Nation | Players | Share of division |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 163 | 63.7% |
| England | 40 | 15.6% |
| Northern Ireland | 17 | 6.6% |
| Scotland | 8 | 3.1% |
| United States | 6 | 2.3% |
What League of Ireland Premier Division is like to manage in
Average age sits at 24.7. Nobody's squad is falling apart with age, and nobody's is waiting three seasons to arrive. It is also one of the tightest divisions in the game: only 5.6 rating points separate the strongest first eleven from the weakest, so promotion and relegation are decided by management rather than budget. Look for the 74 under-21s who have not finished developing — the squads span 20 nations, so the pool is wider than the league's size suggests.
Take the job, read the board's expectations, then build for them: a shape that fits the squad, a window that fixes the gaps, an academy that pays for the next rebuild. It saves to your own browser, so there is nothing to install and nothing to sign up for.
Common questions
Can I manage a League of Ireland Premier Division club for free?
Yes. All 10 League of Ireland Premier Division clubs are playable in Gaffa at no cost — there is no download, no account and no paid tier. Pick a club, set your tactics, work the transfer market and simulate the season in your browser.
Which League of Ireland Premier Division clubs are in the game?
Every club in the division: St Patrick's Athletic FC, Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne FC, Derry City, Bohemian FC, Drogheda United and 4 more. Each carries a full squad, so League of Ireland Premier Division has 256 players in total.
Do I need an account to save my League of Ireland Premier Division season?
No. Your save is written to your own browser and picks up where you left off when you come back on the same device. There is nothing to sign up for.
Take a League of Ireland Premier Division club to the top
Free, in your browser, nothing to install. Pick your club and start the season.
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