1948–49 Iraq FA Baghdad First Division

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Iraq Central FA League
Season1948–49
ChampionsAl-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya
(1st title)
RelegatedAl-Maliki
Montakhab Al-Shorta
Kuliya Al-Huqooq

The 1948–49 Iraq FA Baghdad First Division was the first season of the Iraq Central FA League (the top division of football in Baghdad and its neighbouring cities from 1948 to 1973). The competition started on 5 November 1948,[1][2] after the fixture list had been drawn up at a meeting between club representatives held at the Al-Maliki club.[3]

The Iraq Central Football Association (IFA) intended to hold the league in a double round-robin format, but this was changed to a single round-robin after several games had to be postponed due to rainy weather.[4] The IFA also set a rule that players who had already played for one club in a league game could not play for another team without prior permission from the League Committee, however Montakhab Al-Shorta and Wizarat Al-Maarif were found to have broken this rule.[5]

The title-deciding match between Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya and Al-Haris Al-Maliki was played on 16 April 1949 at Al-Kashafa Stadium.[6] Al-Haris Al-Maliki needed to win outright in order to overtake their opponents and win the title, but the game ended 3–3 and therefore Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya were crowned inaugural league champions.[7]

League table from known results[]

The following is not the final league table, but is the most recent league table published by The Iraq Times newspaper as at 11 December 1948, with the added inclusion of the four known results that took place after this date.[8]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya 6 5 1 0 27 4 6.750 11 League Champions
2 Al-Haris Al-Maliki 5 4 1 0 21 5 4.200 9
3 Al-Ahli 4 3 1 0 15 3 5.000 7
4 Ittihad Al-Karkh 6 3 0 3 13 13 1.000 6
5 Al-Maliki 4 2 1 1 6 4 1.500 5 Relegated to Iraq FA Baghdad Second Division
6 Montakhab Al-Shorta 5 1 0 4 7 23 0.304 2
7 Wizarat Al-Maarif 2 0 0 2 1 4 0.250 0
8 Casuals 6 0 0 6 6 28 0.214 0
9 Kuliya Al-Huqooq[a] 2 0 0 2 0 12 0.000 0 Relegated to Iraq FA Baghdad Second Division
Source: The Iraq Times[b]

Notes:

  1. ^ Kuliya Al-Huqooq were expelled from the league after failing to show up for two consecutive matches against Casuals and Montakhab Al-Shorta respectively.[9]
  2. ^ Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Malikiya decided not to field a team for the season,[10] after failing to get together a team for the opening weekend of the season due to unforeseen circumstances.[2]

Known results[]

Home \ Away AHL HAR KUL MLK CAS ITT KHQ SHR WIZ
Al-Ahli 1–1 3–1 7–0
Al-Haris Al-Maliki –[a] 5–0 5–0
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya 3–3 1–0 7–0 5–1
Al-Maliki 3–1 2–1
Casuals 1–4 2–5 1–5 1–4
Ittihad Al-Karkh 0–3 0–4
Kuliya Al-Huqooq 0–7 –[b]
Montakhab Al-Shorta 2–5 –[b] –[c]
Wizarat Al-Maarif 0–2
Source: The Iraq Times
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ^ The Al-Haris Al-Maliki–Al-Maliki match was ordered to be replayed after Al-Maliki players left the field in the 79th minute while losing 2–1 in protest at a refereeing decision.[8]
  2. ^ a b Kuliya Al-Huqooq were expelled from the league after failing to show up for two consecutive matches against Casuals and Montakhab Al-Shorta respectively.[9]
  3. ^ The Montakhab Al-Shorta–Wizarat Al-Maarif match was rescheduled after Wizarat Al-Maarif failed to show up on the original date.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ "Football leagues set up in Iraq's main centres". The Iraq Times. 16 October 1948.
  2. ^ a b "Baghdad Football League is off to enthusiastic start". The Iraq Times. 11 November 1948.
  3. ^ "Baghdad Football League games start on Friday". The Iraq Times. 2 November 1948.
  4. ^ "Baghdad Football League". The Iraq Times. 31 December 1948.
  5. ^ a b "Baghdad Football League is going "on the air"". The Iraq Times. 2 December 1948.
  6. ^ "League deciding match on Saturday". The Iraq Times. 14 April 1949.
  7. ^ "Military College win Iraq Times Cup". The Iraq Times. 21 April 1949.
  8. ^ a b ""Incidents" prompt League Committee inquiry". The Iraq Times. 11 December 1948.
  9. ^ a b "Basrah, Mosul and Kirkuk asked for Cup entries". The Iraq Times. 16 December 1948.
  10. ^ Mubarak, Hassanin (2020). Birth of the Lions of Mesopotamia: The early years of football in Iraq. ISBN 979-8670555623.

External links[]

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