1948–49 Iraq FA Baghdad First Division

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]

Iraq Central FA League
Season1948–49
ChampionsAl-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya
(1st title)
RelegatedAl-Maliki
Montakhab Al-Shorta
Kuliya Al-Huqooq
1949–50 →

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 16:00 UTC+03:00 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]

Overview
Team[8]Result
Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-MalikiyaChampions
Al-Haris Al-MalikiRunners-up
Al-Ahli
Wizarat Al-Maarif
Casuals
Ittihad Al-Karkh
Al-MalikiRelegated
Montakhab Al-Shorta
Kuliya Al-Huqooq (withdrew)

Note: Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Maliki decided not to field a team for the season,[9] after failing to get together a team for the opening weekend of the season due to unforeseen circumstances.[2]

References
  1. "Football leagues set up in Iraq's main centres". The Iraq Times. 16 October 1948.
  2. "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. "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. ""Incidents" prompt League Committee inquiry". The Iraq Times. 11 December 1948.
  9. Mubarak, Hassanin (2020). Birth of the Lions of Mesopotamia: The early years of football in Iraq. ISBN 979-8670555623.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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