Irish Football League
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The Irish Premier League - formerly the Irish Football League - or Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland. It should not be confused with the Football League of Ireland, which is the league for the Republic of Ireland.
The Irish League is the second oldest national league in the world, being formed a week earlier than the Scottish Football League. Only the Football League in England is older.
The Irish League was originally formed as the football league for all of Ireland in 1890 (although most of its member clubs were in fact based in the north), but became the league for Northern Ireland in 1921 after partition, with a separate league and association (the Football Association of the Irish Free State - now called the Football Association of Ireland) - being formed for the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) in the south and west.
In its first season this league was dismissed by the local press as the "Belfast League" because all eight teams came from that city, and a Belfast dominance continued to plague the league. In 1892 Derry Olympic became the first non-Belfast side, but only lasted one season. In 1900 Derry Celtic joined the league and in 1901 a second Derry team, St Columb's Court was added. St Columb's Court lasted just one season, before being replaced by the league's first Dublin team, Bohemians, in 1903. Another Dublin side, Shelbourne, was added in 1904. It was not until 1911 that a non-city club joined in the league, namely Glenavon, who play in the County Armagh town of Lurgan. Glenavon replaced Bohemians, who resigned from the league, but were re-admitted in 1912. During 1912 there were three Dublin sides, with the addition of Tritonville, but like Derry Olympic and St Columb's Court before them, they lasted just one season. Derry Celtic also dropped out in 1913, so that when the Irish League split due to partition in 1921, Glenavon was the only non-Belfast team left.
In 2003, the Irish Football Association took charge of Northern Ireland's national league with the creation of the Irish Premier League (IPL). The Irish Football League retained a separate existence, but controlling only two feeder leagues: the First Division and Second Division. In 2004, the IFA took over control of the remaining IFL divisions and renamed them as the IFA Intermediate League First Division and Second Division, effectively winding up the Irish Football League Ltd as a separate organisation after 114 years.
The IPL contains sixteen teams, the Irish First Division and the Irish Second Division contain twelve teams each. At the end of the season, the bottom team in the IPL is relegated to the Irish First Division and replaced by the top team in the Irish First Division. The team that finishes second-from-bottom in the IPL plays a play-off match against the second-placed Irish First Division team to determine which team will play in the IPL in the following season. (This is assuming that the First Divisions teams involved meet the IPL entry criteria: if not, they cannot be promoted.) Two teams are relegated from the First Division and replaced by two promoted teams from the Second Division.
The IFL's records from its days in operation as the league for all of Ireland still stand as the records for Northern Ireland (as is the case for the Northern Ireland national football team).
Clubs in Membership (2006-2007)
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Premier Division
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First Division
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Second Division
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List of Champions
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Performance by club
| Team | Winner | Last win | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linfield | 51 | 2005/06 |
| 2 | Glentoran | 23 | 2004/05 |
| 3 | Belfast Celtic | 19 | 1947/48 |
| 4 | Lisburn Distillery | 5 (1 shared) | 1962/63 |
| 5 | Crusaders | 4 | 1996/97 |
| Portadown | 4 | 2001/02 | |
| 6 | Glenavon | 3 | 1959/60 |
| 7 | Cliftonville | 3 (1 shared) | 1997/98 |
| 8 | Ards | 1 | 1957/58 |
| Coleraine | 1 | 1973/74 | |
| Derry City | 1 | 1964/65 | |
| Queen's Island | 1 | 1923/24 |
Notes
- Note (1): title shared after two playoffs matches ended in draws.
- Note (2): the championships between 1915/16 and 1918/19 are unofficial, due to effects of WWI
- Note (3): the championships between 1940/41 and 1946/47 are unofficial, due to effects of WWII
See also
- Irish Football League Cup
- Irish Cup
- Irish First Division
- Irish Second Division
- County Antrim Shield
- Northern Ireland football league system
External links
| Irish League 2006-2007 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Irish Premier League Armagh City | Ballymena United | Cliftonville | Crusaders | Coleraine | Donegal Celtic | Dungannon Swifts | Glenavon | Glentoran | Larne | Limavady United | Linfield | Lisburn Distillery | Loughgall | Newry City | Portadown | | ||
| Irish First Division Ards | Ballinamallard United | Banbridge Town | Bangor | Carrick Rangers | Coagh United | Dundela | Institute | Harland & Wolff Welders | Moyola Park | Portstewart | Tobermore United | | ||
| Irish Second Division Annagh United | Ballyclare Comrades | Ballymoney United | Brantwood | Chimney Corner | Dergview | Glebe Rangers | Lurgan Celtic | Oxford United Stars | PSNI | Queen's University | Wakehurst | | ||
| Association Football in Ireland |
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| Northern Ireland Irish Football Association - Northern Ireland national football team>National Team - Football League |
| Republic of Ireland Football Association of Ireland - Republic of Ireland national football team>National Team - Football League |
| Ireland>Combined Setanta Sports Cup |
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