2023–24 Gibraltar Football League
| File:Victoria Stadium (Gibraltar).jpg The Victoria Stadium where each match is played | |
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 16 September 2023 – 12 May 2024 |
| Champions | Lincoln Red Imps 4th GFL title 28th overall |
| Champions League | Lincoln Red Imps |
| Conference League | FCB Magpies St Joseph's |
| Matches played | 125 |
| Goals scored | 411 (3.29 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Spain Juanfri (17 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Gibraltar Bradley Banda (13 clean sheets) |
| Biggest home win | Manchester 62 7–0 Lions Gibraltar (5 November 2023) Lincoln Red Imps 7–0 College 1975 (17 December 2023) |
| Biggest away win | Manchester 62 1–10 Lincoln Red Imps (21 April 2024) |
| Highest scoring | Manchester 62 1–10 Lincoln Red Imps (21 April 2024) |
| Longest winning run | 9 games Lincoln Red Imps |
| Longest unbeaten run | 11 games St Joseph's |
| Longest winless run | 16 games College 1975 |
| Longest losing run | 7 games Lions Gibraltar Glacis United |
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
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The 2023–24 Gibraltar Football League season is the fifth season of the Gibraltar Football League in Gibraltar (and second under its current name), and the 125th season of football on the territory overall. The league began on 16 September 2023. Lincoln Red Imps are the reigning champions, winning their third successive title in April 2023. Due to the league's fall down the UEFA coefficient rankings, this season only 2 teams qualified for the UEFA Conference League. The winners (Lincoln Red Imps, their sixth consecutive title win and twenty-eighth overall) qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round. The runners-up (St Joseph's) and third-placed team (FCB Magpies) qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League first qualifying round.
Format
The 2023–24 season sees a change in the format of the GFL.[1] Instead of playing one round of fixtures before splitting, teams will instead play each other twice for a total of 20 games this season. After the second round of games, the top 6 enter the GFL Championship Group, where each team plays each other once to decide the league champion. However, the Challenge Group has been scrapped.
Controversy
In November 2023, it was reported that Lynx were planning to report the Gibraltar Football Association to UEFA and FIFA after it was revealed that Lincoln Red Imps had fielded an ineligible player (believed to be Ibrahim Ayew) in their opening league match, which Lincoln won 3-2. The GFA's ruling was that though the player was suspended, Lincoln would not be punished for the mistake. This was despite the fact that Mons Calpe had been punished for a similar infraction the previous season. This led to complaints of bias and corruption within the GFA which formed the basis of the Lynx complaint.[2] Lynx subsequently finished 7th in the league, missing out on the Championship Group by a single point.
Teams
The following clubs compete in the 2023–24 season. Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Club sponsor | 2022–23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCB Magpies | England Nathan Rooney | Mexico Paco Zúñiga | Macron | Chestertons | 3rd |
| College 1975 | Argentina Leo Vela | Gibraltar Jamie-Luke McCarthy | Joma | 10th | |
| Europa | Italy Michele Di Piedi | Spain Antonio Bello | Kappa | Situs Construction | 2nd |
| Europa Point | Republic of Ireland Ryan McCarthy (interim) | Sweden Martin Falkeborn | Custimoo | Bull Casino | 11th |
| Glacis United | Argentina Claudio Racino | Gibraltar Julio Bado | Macron | LOBO | 6th |
| Lincoln Red Imps | Spain Javi Muñoz | Gibraltar Roy Chipolina | Givova | Damex | 1st |
| Lions Gibraltar | Gibraltar Adrian Parral | Spain Antonio Cintas | Macron | 9th | |
| Lynx | Gibraltar Albert Parody | Gibraltar Jesse Victory | Joma | Grupo Casais | 4th |
| Manchester 62 | England Jamie McDonough | Gibraltar Ethan Santos | Joma | Concussion Legacy Foundation | 8th |
| Mons Calpe | Spain Juan Marí Sánchez | Argentina Christian Fraiz | Givova | FanPlay 365 | 7th |
| St Joseph's | Spain Abraham Paz | Spain Juanma González | Legea | 5th |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCB Magpies | England Nathan Rooney[3] | Resigned | 17 May 2023 | Pre-season | Spain Alfonso Cortijo | 1 June 2023[4] |
| Manchester 62 | England Jamie McDonough | Appointed assistant coach | 31 May 2023 | Australia Anthony Limbrick | 20 June 2023[5] | |
| Europa Point | Gibraltar Garry Lowe[6] | Signed by Bruno's Magpies | 6 July 2023 | Sweden Dalibor Savic | 12 July 2023[7] | |
| Glacis United | Italy Michele Di Piedi | Sacked | 16 August 2023 | Argentina Claudio Racino | 1 September 2023 | |
| Europa | Spain Miguel Ángel Berlanga | Mutual consent | 25 August 2023 | Spain Mario Pérez | 25 August 2023 | |
| FCB Magpies | Spain Alfonso Cortijo | Promoted to Director | 1 September 2023[8] | England Nathan Rooney | 1 September 2023 | |
| Mons Calpe | Spain David Guti | Sacked | 2 October 2023[9] | 8th | Spain Juan Marí Sánchez | 3 October 2023 |
| Manchester 62 | Australia Anthony Limbrick | Resigned | 23 November 2023 | 6th | Gibraltar Allen Bula (caretaker) | 3 December 2023 |
| Europa | Spain Mario Pérez | Sacked | 6 December 2023 | 10th | Spain Ángel Espinosa (caretaker) | 6 December 2023 |
| Manchester 62 | Gibraltar Allen Bula | End of caretaker spell | 14 December 2023 | 4th | England Jamie McDonough | 15 December 2023 |
| Europa | Spain Ángel Espinosa | 1 January 2024 | 10th | Italy Michele Di Piedi | 1 January 2024 | |
| College 1975 | Argentina Luis Manuel Blanco | Resigned | 17 February 2024 | 10th | Argentina Leo Vela | 18 February 2024 |
| Europa Point | Sweden Dalibor Savic | End of contract | 30 April 2024[10] | 6th | Republic of Ireland Ryan McCarthy (interim) | 1 May 2024 |
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Regular season
During the regular season, each team faced each other twice (once at home at once away), before the league is split into two (with only the top six teams advancing to the GFL Championship Group).
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification[lower-alpha 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln Red Imps | 20 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 63 | 12 | +51 | 52 | Qualification for the GFL Championship Group |
| 2 | St Joseph's | 20 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 49 | 15 | +34 | 50 | |
| 3 | FCB Magpies | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 52 | 28 | +24 | 42 | |
| 4 | Mons Calpe | 20 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 31 | 28 | +3 | 29 | |
| 5 | Manchester 62 | 20 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 39 | 41 | −2 | 28 | |
| 6 | Europa Point | 20 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 28 | |
| 7 | Lynx | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 29 | 31 | −2 | 27 | |
| 8 | Europa | 20 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 34 | −9 | 20 | |
| 9 | Glacis United | 20 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 21 | 47 | −26 | 16 | |
| 10 | Lions Gibraltar | 20 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 16 | 50 | −34 | 13 | |
| 11 | College 1975 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 21 | 65 | −44 | 11 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Fair Play
Notes:
- ↑ Teams play each other twice (20 matches), before the top six teams advance to the GFL Championship Group.
Results
GFL Championship Group
The top six teams from the regular season contest the GFL Championship Group to decide the league champion. Results from the regular season were carried over into this round.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln Red Imps (C) | 25 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 86 | 15 | +71 | 65 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | St Joseph's | 25 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 62 | 16 | +46 | 63 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 1] |
| 3 | FCB Magpies | 25 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 55 | 36 | +19 | 46 | |
| 4 | Europa Point | 25 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 31 | +1 | 35 | |
| 5 | Mons Calpe | 25 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 33 | |
| 6 | Manchester 62 | 25 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 44 | 64 | −20 | 29 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Fair Play
(C) Champions
Notes:
- ↑ The 2023–24 Rock Cup winners also qualified for the Conference League first qualifying round. Since the cup winners (Lincoln Red Imps) qualified based on league position, the Conference League spot was passed to the third-placed team.
Results
Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers
As of 12 May 2024.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain Juanfri | Lincoln Red Imps | 17 |
| 2 | Sweden Hugo Jesslén | Europa Point | 16 |
| 3 | Spain Pablo Rodríguez | St Joseph's | 15 |
| 4 | Scotland Connor Flynn-Gillespie | Lynx | 14 |
| 5 | Spain Labra | Europa | 12 |
| 6 | Spain Víctor Villacañas | Lincoln Red Imps | 10 |
| 7 | Cuba Aldair Ruiz | Manchester 62 | 9 |
| 8 | Argentina Facu Álvarez | FCB Magpies | 8 |
| Argentina Seba Díaz | FCB Magpies | ||
| Spain José Giráldez | FCB Magpies | ||
| Gibraltar Tjay De Barr | Lincoln Red Imps | ||
| England Ahmed Salam | Manchester 62 | ||
| Poland Hugo Bartkowiak[lower-alpha 1] | Mons Calpe |
- ↑ Includes 4 goals for College 1975.
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands Manny Duku | Manchester 62 | Lions Gibraltar | 7–0 (H) | 5 November 2023 |
| Sweden Hugo Jesslén4 | Europa Point | College 1975 | 5–0 (A) | 25 November 2023 |
| Argentina Seba Díaz | FCB Magpies | Glacis United | 3–0 (H) | 8 December 2023 |
| Spain Labra4 | Europa | Lions Gibraltar | 5–0 (A) | 16 December 2023 |
| Spain Juanfri | Lincoln Red Imps | College 1975 | 7–0 (H) | 17 December 2023 |
| Scotland Connor Flynn-Gillespie | Lynx | Lions Gibraltar | 4–0 (A) | 28 January 2024 |
| Argentina Facu Álvarez | FCB Magpies | College 1975 | 7–2 (H) | 17 February 2024 |
| Spain Juanfri4 | Lincoln Red Imps | Manchester 62 | 10–1 (A) | 21 April 2024 |
| Spain Manuel Caballero | St Joseph's | Manchester 62 | 5–0 (A) | 3 May 2024 |
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gibraltar Bradley Banda | St Joseph's | 13 |
| 2 | Spain Nauzet Santana | Lincoln Red Imps | 11 |
| 3 | Finland Johannes Ström | Europa Point | 9 |
| 4 | Gibraltar Christian Lopez | FCB Magpies | 5 |
| Gibraltar Bradley Avellano | Lynx | ||
| 6 | Argentina Marcos Zappacosta | Europa | 3 |
| Spain Borja Valadés | Lions Gibraltar | ||
| Spain Daniel Tudela | Mons Calpe | ||
| 9 | Spain Walid Birrou | Glacis United | 2 |
| Gibraltar Dayle Coleing | Lincoln Red Imps | ||
| Spain Fernando Canto | Manchester 62 | ||
| Scotland Alan Martin | Manchester 62 | ||
| Argentina Christian Fraiz | Mons Calpe |
See also
References
- ↑ "Mens Domestic Football Season to Kick off on Friday 15th September with the traditional Pepe Reyes Memorial Cup". Gibraltar FA. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ↑ Lynx FC criticises the GFA and will go to UEFA and FIFA following the case of undue alignment of Lincoln Red Imps (in Spanish) Al Sol de la Costa. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ↑ Nathan Rooney departs Magpies Bruno's Magpies. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
- ↑ Alfonso Cortijo Returns Bruno's Magpies. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
- ↑ Anthony Limbrick appointed manager Manchester 62. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ↑ Thanks for all your hard work Garry Europa Point FC. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ↑ Officiellt: Dalibor Savic till Europa Point FC Fotbolltransfers. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ↑ Official Announcement Bruno's Magpies. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ↑ David Guti deja de ser el entrenador del Mons Calpe SC Al Sol de la Costa. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ↑ Officiellt: Dalibor Savic lämnar Europa Point FC fotbolltransfers. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.