2013–14 Northern Ireland Football League
Season | 2013–14 |
---|---|
Champions | Cliftonville |
Relegated | Chimney Corner (resigned) Killymoon Rangers |
2014–15 → |
The 2013–14 Northern Ireland Football League was the first season of Northern Ireland's national football league running independently as the Northern Ireland Football League, consisting of the top three levels of the national league system, namely: the Premiership, Championship 1, and Championship 2. It was the 113th season of Irish league football overall.[1] The season began on 9 August 2013 and concluded on 10 May 2014.
Cliftonville were the defending top-flight champions after winning their fourth league title the previous season – their first since the 1997–98 season.[2] They went on to retain the title for the first time in the club's history to become the inaugural Northern Ireland Football League champions - their fourth outright league title and fifth overall.[3]
For the first time since 2008, a club was relegated to level 4 (regional level). Killymoon Rangers finished bottom of Championship 2 and were relegated to a regional division for the following season. Also leaving Championship 2 was Chimney Corner. In July 2014, the club announced that they would be resigning from the Championship to join the Ballymena & Provincial League for the following season.[4]
Promotion and relegation
[edit]Promoted from Championship 1 to the Premiership
- Ards (1st in Championship 1)
- Warrenpoint Town (2nd in Championship 1 - play-off winners)
Relegated from the Premiership to Championship 1
- Donegal Celtic (11th in IFA Premiership - play-off losers)
- Lisburn Distillery (12th in IFA Premiership)
Promoted from Championship 2 to Championship 1
- Knockbreda (1st in Championship 2)
- Ballyclare Comrades (2nd in Championship 2)
Relegated from Championship 1 to Championship 2
- Tobermore United (13th in Championship 1)
Promoted from Northern Amateur Football League to Championship 2
- Newington YC (1st in NAFL Premier Division - promoted via play-off)
League tables
[edit]Premiership
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cliftonville (C) | 38 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 88 | 39 | +49 | 85 | Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round |
2 | Linfield | 38 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 81 | 46 | +35 | 79 | Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round |
3 | Crusaders | 38 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 67 | 42 | +25 | 66 | |
4 | Portadown | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 77 | 53 | +24 | 62 | |
5 | Glentoran | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 54 | 42 | +12 | 59 | |
6 | Glenavon | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 75 | 79 | −4 | 51 | Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round[a] |
7 | Ballymena United | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 47 | |
8 | Dungannon Swifts | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 49 | 66 | −17 | 44 | |
9 | Coleraine | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 42 | |
10 | Ballinamallard United | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 35 | 70 | −35 | 39 | |
11 | Warrenpoint Town | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 43 | 72 | −29 | 36 | |
12 | Ards (R) | 38 | 6 | 6 | 26 | 44 | 83 | −39 | 24 | Relegation to NIFL Championship 1 |
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Glenavon qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2013–14 Irish Cup.
Championship 1
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Institute (C, P) | 26 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 72 | 35 | +37 | 54 | Promotion to NIFL Premiership |
2 | Bangor[a] | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 39 | +26 | 53 | |
3 | Knockbreda | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 57 | 36 | +21 | 46 | |
4 | Dundela | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 46 | |
5 | Carrick Rangers | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 52 | 34 | +18 | 46 | |
6 | Harland & Wolff Welders | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 41 | |
7 | Ballyclare Comrades | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 53 | 50 | +3 | 34 | |
8 | Loughgall | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 48 | 56 | −8 | 33 | |
9 | Larne | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 32 | 47 | −15 | 32 | |
10 | Lisburn Distillery | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 43 | 49 | −6 | 31 | |
11 | Donegal Celtic | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 41 | 55 | −14 | 29 | |
12 | Dergview | 26 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 30 | 46 | −16 | 26 | |
13 | Coagh United (R) | 26 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 38 | 74 | −36 | 21 | Relegation to NIFL Championship 2 |
14 | Limavady United (R) | 26 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 19 | 59 | −40 | 15 |
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Bangor were ineligible for the promotion play-off, as they did not attain the required licence for promotion.
Championship 2
[edit]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Armagh City (C, P) | 30 | 25 | 2 | 3 | 90 | 26 | +64 | 77 | Promotion to NIFL Championship 1 |
2 | PSNI (P) | 30 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 84 | 28 | +56 | 66 | |
3 | Queen's University | 30 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 47 | 32 | +15 | 63 | |
4 | Newington YC | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 56 | 32 | +24 | 54 | |
5 | Annagh United | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 75 | 53 | +22 | 52 | |
6 | Banbridge Town | 30 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 60 | 44 | +16 | 50 | |
7 | Moyola Park | 30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 61 | 53 | +8 | 46 | |
8 | Portstewart | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 52 | 46 | +6 | 43 | |
9 | Ballymoney United | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 39 | |
10 | Tobermore United | 30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 47 | 63 | −16 | 34 | |
11 | Glebe Rangers | 30 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 48 | 64 | −16 | 33 | |
12 | Lurgan Celtic | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 41 | 67 | −26 | 33 | |
13 | Wakehurst | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 47 | 75 | −28 | 27 | |
14 | Chimney Corner (R) | 30 | 7 | 2 | 21 | 38 | 75 | −37 | 23 | Resigned to join Ballymena & Provincial Regional league[4] |
15 | Sport & Leisure Swifts | 30 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 37 | 70 | −33 | 22 | |
16 | Killymoon Rangers (R) | 30 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 33 | 90 | −57 | 18 | Relegation to Ballymena & Provincial Regional league |
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Premiership
[edit]Championship 1
[edit]Championship 2
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "NORTHERN IRELAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE". NIFL Premiership.
- ^ "Cliftonville beat Linfield to secure Irish Premiership title". BBC Sport. BBC. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ "Cliftonville retain Irish Premiership title for first time". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Corner step down from Championship football". Antrim Times. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.