2016 Bhutan National League

Bhutan National League

Season	2016
Champions	Thimphu City
Relegated	Bhutan U-17s, Tensung
AFC Cup	Thimphu City
Matches played	30
Goals scored	104 (3.47 per match)
Top goalscorer	Chencho Gyeltshen (15 goals)
Biggest home win	Ugyen Academy 5–0 Paro United
Biggest away win	Bhutan Clearing 0–6 Ugyen Academy
Highest scoring	Bhutan Clearing 1–6 Thimphu
← 2015 2017 →

The 2016 Bhutan National League was the fifth season of the national football competition in Bhutan, having replaced the A-Division (Bhutan) in 2013. Again, the Thimphu League provides the qualifiers from Thimphu, with the top three teams in that competition being awarded places in the National League alongside three regional teams.

Thimphu League

Format and rules

The Thimphu League is a regional competition for teams from Thimphu. the competition consists of seven teams, each plays the others twice – home and away – for a total of 12 games each, over 14 game weeks. 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. The league table is decided firstly on points won, then on goal difference and finally on total goals scored if the previous two are equal. The first three teams automatically qualify for the National league, the bottom two teams compete in relegation playoffs with the top two teams from the B-Division for two places in the next season's competition.[1]

Competing clubs

Bhutan U-17s
Druk Pol
Druk Stars
Druk United
Tensung
Terton
Thimphu
Thimphu City

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Location of teams participating in the 2016 Thimphu League.

• Bhutan U-17s
• Druk Pol
• Druk Stars
• Druk United
• Tensung
• Terton
• Thimphu
• Thimphu City

Season summary

The 2016 season of the Thimphu League, previously called the Bhutan A-Division, started on April 3, 2016 and ended on June 19.[2] Terton are defending champions[3] and the competition has been expanded from 7 teams in 2015 with the addition of Tensung and Bhutan U-17s following the relegation of Dzongree.[2] The 2016 Thimphu league was opened with a friendly match organised by the Bhutan Football Federation between the Legends, a team of ex-national team players, including Nado, a sixty-five year old player who represented Bhutan throughout the eighties and nineties,[4] and the Young Stars, the national team,[5] with the Young Stars winning 5–4.[4]

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Thimphu City (Q)	14	10	3	1	44	11	+33	33	2016 Bhutan National League
2	Thimphu (Q)	14	8	3	3	31	16	+15	27
3	Druk United (Q)	14	8	2	4	28	12	+16	26
4	Druk Stars	14	8	2	4	36	18	+18	26
5	Druk Pol	14	6	2	6	21	20	+1	20
6	Terton	14	4	2	8	26	22	+4	14
7	Tensung (R, Q)	14	2	3	9	14	42	−28	9	Relegation
8	Bhutan U-17s (R, Q)	14	1	1	12	7	66	−59	4

Updated to match(es) played on 19 June 2016. Source: [2]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away	U17	POL	STA	UTD	TEN	TER	THI	CIT
Bhutan U-17s		0–4	0–6	0–4	1–0	0–5	0–9	1–6
Druk Pol	4–2		0–1	1–1	1–2	2–1	5–1	1–3
Druk Stars	6–0	1–0		1–0	5–0	0–4	0–1	2–2
Druk United	5–0	0–1	3–1		3–1	1–1	5–1	1–3
Tensung	3–3	4–0	1–7	1–2		0–3	0–2	0–3
Terton	3–0	1–2	2–3	0–1	2–2		2–4	1–2
Thimphu	5–0	0–0	4–2	1–0	0–0	2–0		0–0
Thimphu City	6–0	3–0	1–1	0–2	10–0	3–1	2–1

Updated to match(es) played on 19 June 2016. Source: [2]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Note 1: The notion of home and away fixtures in the A-Division is moot as all games are played at Changlimithang Stadium. As such, for the purpose of this table, the first result chronologically has been deemed that team's "home" game and the second the "away" game.

National league

Format and rules

The competition consists of six teams competing for the national league championship, the winner of which gains a place in the next season's. AFC Cup. Each plays the others twice – home and away – for a total of 10 games each, over 10 game weeks. 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. the league table is decided firstly on points won, then on goal difference and finally on total goals scored if the previous two are equal. There is no promotion or relegation from this league.[6]

Teams

Ugyen Academy

Bhutan Clearing

Paro United

Druk United
Thimphu
Thimphu City

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Location of teams participating in the 2016 Bhutan National League.

A total of six teams competed in the league: three teams representing Thimphu, who qualified as a result of their final positions in the 2015 A-Division, and three teams representing other districts.

• Bhutan Clearing (representing Chukha District)
• Druk United (third place in the 2016 A-Division)
• Paro United (representing Paro District)
• Thimphu (runners-up in the 2016 A-Division)
• Thimphu City (winners of the 2016 A-Division)
• Ugyen Academy (representing Punakha District)

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Thimphu City (C, Q)	10	7	1	2	25	12	+13	22	2017 AFC Cup preliminary round
2	Druk United	10	6	2	2	20	12	+8	20
3	Ugyen Academy	10	5	1	4	23	11	+12	16
4	Thimphu	10	5	0	5	24	14	+10	15
5	Paro United	10	3	3	4	9	19	−10	12
6	Bhutan Clearing	10	0	1	9	3	36	−33	1

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated

Results

Home \ Away	BCL	UTD	PAR	TPU	TPC	UGY
Bhutan Clearing		0–4	1–2	1–6	0–5	0–6
Druk United	3–0		0–0	0–4	3–4	2–1
Paro United	1–1	1–3		0–3	1–0	0–3
Thimphu	3–0	1–2	2–3		0–2	2–1
Thimphu City	3–0	1–3	1–1	3–2		4–1
Ugyen Academy	3–0	0–0	5–0	2–1	1–2

Updated to match(es) played on 13 August 2016. Source: soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

References

1. "Thimphu League – 2016 Rules". scoresway.com. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
2. "Thimphu League". soccerway.com. Perfrorm Group. 3 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
3. Stokkermans, Karel; Jigmi, Sonam (23 July 2015). "Bhutan 2015". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
4. Tshedup, Younten (4 April 2016). "When old meet the young". kuenselonline.com. Kuensel. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
5. Tshedup, Younten (2 April 2016). "The meeting of the titans". kuenselonline.com. Kuensel. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
6. "Bhutan National League – 2015 Rules". scoresway.com. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.