First League

The First League, also known as the 1. Liga, is a Brunanter professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Brunanter football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by sixteen clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and regulation with the Second League. Winners are awarded with the First League trophy.

Seasons run from August/September to April/May, with teams playing 30 matches each, totalling 240 matches in the season. Every matchday consists of two to four days.

It was formed in 1908 by four clubs (St. Marks Koningstad, Brunant Leuwens, FC Donderar and Grijzestad Strijders), but has since expanded to sixteen. Since then, a total of 15 clubs have been crowned champions of the First League. The current champions are Mediterranean FC, who won the title in the 2017-18 season.

The current First League chairman is St. Marks president Michael Steen.

History[]

In 1908, Johann Von Dreckt, Stephen Chase, W.J. Russell and Adam Snelling, owners of the nation's four professional football clubs, met together to officially establish a competitive league. They agreed to start a league that would contain the four teams and ensure that each team played an equal amount of games and that the rules of football were enforced. In 1925, after the AFC increased its membership to sixteen clubs, a second league was created, dividing into eight clubs in each of the two leagues. The clubs that won more often were in the First, and those that won less often in the Second. After the Second World War, the membership of each league was increased to sixteen in the first, and ten in the second.

The league is looking at expanding to eighteen or twenty teams along with the possible inclusion of Cetatian side AS Cettatie in the league.

Competition format[]

There are sixteen clubs in the First League. During the course of a season (from August/September to May/April) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 30 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The two lowest placed teams are relegated into the Second League, and the top two teams from the Second League are promoted in their place.

Clubs[]

2015-16 teams[]

Logos[]

Defunct teams[]

Only teams that were playing their last season in the First League are mentioned. Regulation and promotion are not mentioned.

FC Drenthe 09 (1909-1928)
Fulvia (1910-1945)
Koningstad SFC (1921-1933)
Ambrosian FC (1935-1950)
Real Grijzestad SC (1938-1956)
Real Koningstad (1921-1960)
Niesburg R.S.C. (1929-1936)
Sparta Hendrikstad (1924-1987)

Players[]

Transfers[]

The first First League player to be involved in a transfer which broke the IWO transfer record was Florian Evers in 1927, who moved from FC Drenthe to Fulvia for £4,800. 21 years later, Alan Kings set a record fee, £17,000 from FC Donderar to Atlético Alcacer in Traspes. In 1961, FC Drenthe again set the record by signing Pedro Santamaría from Atlético Alcacer for £30,700.

All of the last fifteen wikination transfer records have been set by First League clubs, signing Simon Rever, Miguel Pinto, Luis Carlos Menezes, Matthias Bergmann, George Michálek, Karim Zenadi, Andy Chappel, Felix Brunner, Miquel Campdegall, Oliver Jordans, Ibra El-Zein (2x), Hans Oudberghen, Gigo and finally in 2014 Mike Murray, who was bought for between £9,500,000 and £14,300,000 from North Beach Kemburg

All-time top goalscorers[]

Rank	Name	Years	Goals	Apps	Ratio
1	Willem Bergher	1972-1988	268	398	0.67
2	Karim Zenadi	1990-2003	251	355	0.71
3	Miguel Pinto	1981-1994	213	350	0.60
4	Ibra El-Zein	2003-2004, 2007-present	207	263	0.79
5	Miquel Campdegall	1990-2002	196	244	0.80
6	George Michálek	1986-1996	190	279	0.68
7	Felipe Castilla	1953-1963	181	277	0.65
8	Florian Evers	1922-1940, 1946-1949	163	241	0.68
9	Felix Brunner	1999-present	153	310	0.49
10	Oliver Jordans	1994-1996, 1998-1999, 2003-2015	143	282	0.51

(Bold denotes players still playing in the league.)

Stadiums[]

Stadium	Team(s)	Location	Capacity	Opened
Aurora Stadium	Aurora F.C.	Rosetown	8,000	1983
Donderstadion	FC Donderar	Donderstad	12,278	1964
Dortmund Park	Dortmund SFC	Dortmund	13,700	2002
Drenthe City Stadium	FC Drenthe	Drenthe	11,000	1997
East Park	Middleton Arrows	Middleton	6,325	1927
Helmondstadion	Helmond Raiders Mediterranean FC	Nieuw Helmond	17,800	1964
Koningstadion	St. Marks Koningstad FC Kings	Koningstad	40,000	1974
SD Bank-Center	Arabian FC	Koningstad	32,689	2007
University Park	Grijzestad Strijders Grijzestad University S.C.	Grijzestad	22,140	1948
Valor Field	Charlestown FC	Charles Town	3,185	2008
Volkswagen Stadium	Cape Cross FC Standard FC	Cape Cross	10,000	2005
Willemstadion	FC Willemstad	Sint-Willemstad	14,589	2012