NIFL Premier Intermediate League

Last updated
NIFL Premier Intermediate League
NIFL Premier Intermediate League.png
Founded2016
Country Northern Ireland
Number of teams14
Level on pyramid 3
Promotion to NIFL Championship
Relegation to Ballymena & Provincial League
Mid-Ulster Football League
Northern Amateur League
Domestic cup(s) Irish Cup
IFA Intermediate Cup
League cup(s) Northern Ireland Football League Cup
Current champions Bangor
(2022–23)
Current: 2023-24 season

The NIFL Premier Intermediate League (Known as the Playr-Fit NIFL Premier Intermediate League for sponsorship reasons) is the third level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national association football league in Northern Ireland, and the highest intermediate division in Northern Ireland, occupying level three in the Northern Ireland football league system – below the NIFL Premiership (level 1) and NIFL Championship (level 2).

Contents

The third level in Northern Irish football was known as the Irish League Second Division from 1999 to 2003, the Irish Second Division from 2003 to 2008, the IFA Interim Intermediate League from 2008 to 2009, the IFA Championship 2 from 2009 to 2013, and the NIFL Championship 2 from 2013 to 2016. The league is set to be replaced at the start of the 2026 season by a new conference league format. [1]

History

Under reforms agreed by the NIFL clubs in 2014, from 2016, when the previous Championship 1 acquired senior status, Championship 2 continued as the Premier Intermediate League, retaining its intermediate status and thus became the top intermediate league in Northern Ireland. [2] [3]

In May 2023, the league was expanded to 14 teams, due to licensing issues with Warrenpoint Town and PSNI not having a league they can seamlessly be relegated into. Rathfriland Rangers joined the league for the 2023-24 season, along with Coagh United. [4]

Current members

The 2023–24 NIFL Premier Intermediate League consists of 14 teams.

ClubLocationStadiumCapacity [5]
Armagh City Armagh Holm Park 1,500
Ballymacash Rangers Lisburn The Bluebell Stadium 1,280
Banbridge Town Banbridge Crystal Park1,500
Coagh United Coagh Hagan Park 1,000
Dollingstown Dollingstown Planters Park750
Limavady United Limavady The Showgrounds 1,500
Lisburn Distillery Lisburn New Grosvenor Stadium 1,500
Moyola Park Castledawson Mill Meadow 2,000
Portstewart Portstewart Seahaven1,500
PSNI Belfast Newforge Lane 1,500
Rathfriland Rangers Rathfriland Iveagh Park 1,000
Queen's University A.F.C. Belfast Upper Malone 300 (Approx)
Tobermore United Tobermore Fortwilliam Park 1,000
Warrenpoint Town Warrenpoint Milltown 1,450

List of third-tier champions

SeasonChampions
Irish League Second Division
1999–00 Dundela
2000–01 Dundela
2001–02 Moyola Park
2002–03 Ballinamallard United
Irish Second Division
2003–04 Coagh United
2004–05 Tobermore United
2005–06 Portstewart
2006–07 Ballyclare Comrades
2007–08 Dergview
IFA Interim Intermediate League
2008–09 Harland & Wolff Welders
IFA Championship 2
2009–10 Harland & Wolff Welders
2010–11 Warrenpoint Town
2011–12 Coagh United
2012–13 Knockbreda
NIFL Championship 2
2013–14 Armagh City
2014–15 Lurgan Celtic
2015–16 Limavady United
NIFL Premier Intermediate League
2016–17 Limavady United
2017–18 Dundela
2018–19 Queen's University
2019–20 Annagh United
2021–22 Newington
2022–23 Bangor

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PSNI F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

PSNI Football Club is an intermediate Northern Irish football club that plays in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. The club is associated with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and its home ground is Newforge Lane in Belfast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangor F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Bangor Football Club is a semi-professional Irish League football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club, founded in 1918, hails from Bangor and plays its home matches at Clandeboye Park. Club colours are gold and royal blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coagh United F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Coagh United Football Club is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. The club, founded in 1970, hails from Coagh, near Cookstown, County Tyrone. They play their home games at Hagan Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annagh United F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Annagh United Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club, founded in 1963, hails from Portadown and plays its home matches at the BMG Arena. The club home colours are all red and away all white.

The Northern Ireland football league system is categorised into three levels: senior, intermediate and junior. Clubs attain intermediate status by fulfilling certain criteria. Senior status requires clubs to reach stricter criteria. National leagues exist at senior and intermediate level. All junior leagues and some intermediate are organised on a regional basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knockbreda F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Knockbreda Football Club is an intermediate-level, Northern Irish football club who are due to play in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League in the 2024-25 season, following relegation from the NIFL Championship. They hail from Belfast and play their home matches at Breda Park, on the Upper Braniel Road located in the east of the city. The club was formed after the Second World War, c. 1947. and played in the Irish Churches' League before joining the Northern Amateur Football League in 1989. Intermediate status was achieved on promotion to Division 1B in 1997. In 2009, the club was admitted to the IFA Championship

Belfast Celtic Football Club is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in the Ballymena & Provincial Intermediate League. The club hails from Belfast and plays its home games at Páirc Na gCeiltigh, which is in the west of the city. It was founded as Sport & Leisure Swifts in 1978, although the club views its rebranding in 2019 as the beginning of a new club, when it was rebranded as Belfast Celtic.

Warrenpoint Town Football Club is an intermediate Northern Irish football club that plays in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.

The 2012–13 IFA Championship was the fifth season since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland. The season began on 10 August 2012 and ended on 4 May 2013. From next season onwards, the league would be operated by the Northern Ireland Football League, which was taking over from the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the 2013–14 season.

The 2012–13 IFA Premiership was the 5th season of the IFA Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, and the 112th season of Irish league football overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry City A.F.C.</span> Association football club in Northern Ireland

Newry City Athletic Football Club are a semi-professional Northern Irish football club who are due to play in the NIFL Championship in the 2024-25 season, following relegation from the NIFL Premiership. They are based in Newry, County Down and play at the Showgrounds. The club's colours are blue and white.

The 2013–14 NIFL Championship was the sixth season since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland. This was the first season that the league was operated by the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL), which took over from the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the 2013–14 season onwards. The season began on 9 August 2013 and ended on 10 May 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NIFL Championship</span> Association football league in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Football League Championship is the second level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national football league in Northern Ireland. Clubs in the Championship can be promoted to the highest national division – the NIFL Premiership, and relegated to the third level – the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.

The 2014–15 NIFL Championship was the seventh season since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland, and the second season that the league is being operated by the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL), which took over from the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the 2013–14 season onwards. The season began on 8 August 2014 and concluded on 2 May 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Ireland Football League</span> Football league

The Northern Ireland Football League, also known as the Irish League, is the national football league of Northern Ireland. The Irish League was originally formed in 1890, with the league in its current format created in 2013 to assume independent collective management of the top three levels of the Northern Ireland football league system; namely the Premiership, Championship and Premier Intermediate League.

The 2015–16 NIFL Championship was the eighth and final season of the competition in this format since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland, and the third season of the league as part of the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL), which took over from the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the 2013–14 season onwards. The season began on 8 August 2015, and concluded on 30 April 2016.

The 2016–17 NIFL Championship was the first season of the second-tier Irish League since gaining senior status. The fixtures were announced on 7 July 2016. The season began on 13 August 2016 and concluded on 29 April 2017.

The 2017–18 NIFL Championship was the second season of the second-tier Irish League since gaining senior status.

The 2022–23 NIFL Premiership was the 15th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 122nd season of Irish League football overall, and the 10th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League.

The 2022–23 NIFL Championship was the sixth season of the NIFL Championship since gaining senior status. It is the second-tier of the Northern Ireland Football League - the national football league in Northern Ireland. The season began on 13 August 2022 and concluded on 29 April 2023.

References

  1. "PIL set to be replaced by Conference league in 2026". Belfast Telegraph Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. "NI Football League - Restructure Proposal". Northern Ireland Football League . nifootballleague.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  3. Northern Ireland Football League (2014). NI Football League Restructure Proposal.
  4. "NIFL Include Warrenpoint Town and PSNI in expanded third tier". Belfast Telegraph Sport. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. "Venues - Premier Intermediate League - Northern Ireland - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2020-02-04.