NIFL Premiership Development League

Last updated
NIFL Premiership Development League
Founded2016
2013–2016 (as NIFL Reserve League)
2003–2013 (as IFA Reserve League)
1999–2003 (as Irish League Reserve League)
1977–1999 (as Irish League B Division Section 2)
Country Northern Ireland
Divisions1
Number of teams12
Domestic cup(s) IFA Intermediate Cup
George Wilson Cup
Current champions Crusaders Reserves (2022–23)
Most championships Linfield Swifts (17)

The NIFL Development League (prior to 2016, the NIFL Reserve League) is an intermediate Association football league in Northern Ireland consisting of the reserve teams of the twelve NIFL Premiership clubs.

Contents

Current members (2022–23)

History

The NIFL Development League is the successor to the NIFL Reserve League, which in turn was the successor to the Irish League B Division Section 2 which was formed in 1977, when the B Division split into two sections: Section 1 for intermediate clubs and the other for the reserve teams of senior clubs. Since the foundation of the B Division in 1951, these two categories of teams had competed together. In 1999, Section 1 of the B Division was renamed the Irish League Second Division and Section 2 became the Irish League Reserve League. In 2003, on the formation of the Irish Premier League, the IFA took direct control and the league was renamed the IFA Reserve League. In 2013, the Northern Ireland Football League took over, and the league was again renamed, to the NIFL Reserve League. [1] In 2016, it became the NIFL Development League, with an age restriction imposed on players.

List of champions

Irish League B Division Section 2

SeasonChampions
1977–78 Linfield Swifts
1978–79 Linfield Swifts
1979–80 Linfield Swifts
1980–81 Cliftonville Olympic
1981–82 Larne Olympic
1982–83 Linfield Swifts
1983–84 Linfield Swifts
1984–85 Linfield Swifts
1985–86 Glentoran II
1986–87 Glentoran II
1987–88 Linfield Swifts
1988–89 Linfield Swifts
1989–90 Glentoran II
1990–91 Linfield Swifts
1991–92 Linfield Swifts
1992–93 Glentoran II
1993–94 Bangor Reserves
1994–95 Bangor Reserves
1995–96 Glentoran II
1996–97 Crusaders Reserves
1997–98 Glentoran II
1998–99 Linfield Swifts

Irish League Reserve League

SeasonChampions
1999–00 Linfield Swifts
2000–01 Cliftonville Olympic
2001–02 Glentoran II
2002–03 Glentoran II

IFA Reserve League

SeasonChampions
2003–04 Linfield Swifts
2004–05 Linfield Swifts
2005–06 Dungannon Swifts Reserves
2006–07 Ballymena United Reserves
2007–08 Donegal Celtic Reserves
2008–09 Linfield Swifts
2009–10 Linfield Swifts
2010–11 Linfield Swifts
2011–12 Cliftonville Olympic [2]
2012–13 Ballinamallard United II

NIFL Reserve League

SeasonChampions
2013–14 Cliftonville Olympic [3]
2014–15 Linfield Swifts [4]
2015–16 Cliftonville Olympic [5]

NIFL Premiership Development League

SeasonChampions
2016–17 Linfield Swifts [6]
2017–18 Linfield Swifts [7]
2018–19 Linfield Swifts [8]
2019–20 Cliftonville Olympic [9]
2020–21cancelled
2021–22 Crusaders Reserves [10]
2022–23 Crusaders Reserves
2023–24 Coleraine Reserves [11]

Summary of champions

TeamWinsWinning years
Linfield Swifts 211977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
Glentoran II 81985–86, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
Cliftonville Olympic 61980–81, 2000–01, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019-20
Crusaders Reserves 31996–97, 2021–22, 2022–23
Bangor Reserves 21993–94, 1994–95
Ballinamallard United II 12012–13
Ballymena United Reserves 12006–07
Coleraine Reserves 12023–24
Donegal Celtic Reserves 12007–08
Dungannon Swifts Reserves 12005–06
Larne Olympic 11981–82

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NIFL Premiership</span> Association football top division of Northern Ireland

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The Champions Cup was a cross-border association football super cup inaugurated in 2019 that features the league champions from both football associations on the island of Ireland. The competition sees the League of Ireland Premier Division champions from the Republic of Ireland face the NIFL Premiership champions from Northern Ireland. The Champions Cup is the successor to the Setanta Sports Cup, the previous all-Ireland competition which ran from 2005 until 2014. The Champions Cup is sponsored by Unite the Union, the British and Irish trade union. The 2019 edition was the only one contested, and as of 2022 there is little prospect of the competition returning.

The 2020–21 NIFL Premiership was the 13th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 120th season of Irish League football overall, and the 8th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2021–22 NIFL Premiership was the 14th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 121st season of Irish League football overall, and the 9th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

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References

  1. ↑ "NORTHERN IRELAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE". NIFL Premiership.
  2. ↑ CLIFTONVILLE OLYMPIC SECURE IFA RESERVE LEAGUE TITLE
  3. ↑ CLIFTONVILLE OLYMPIC - RESERVE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2013/14
  4. ↑ Reserve League table
  5. ↑ Olympic's Silver Lining
  6. ↑ Linfield Swifts receive League Champions trophy at Windsor Park
  7. ↑ NI Football League
  8. ↑ NI Football League
  9. ↑ NI Football League
  10. ↑ NI Football League
  11. ↑ NI Football League
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