The 2013–14
NIFL Championship
The Northern Ireland Football League Championship (known as the Playr-Fit Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the second level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national football league in Northern Ireland. Clubs in the Championsh ...
(known as the
Belfast Telegraph
The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media, which also publishes the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent and various other newspapers and magazines in Ireland. Its e ...
Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. This was the first season that the league was operated by the
Northern Ireland Football League
The Northern Ireland Football League (abbreviated to NIFL), formerly known as and still commonly referred to as the Irish League, is the national football league of Northern Ireland. The Irish League was originally formed in 1890, with the leag ...
(NIFL), which took over from the
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team (1882–1950), Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became t ...
(IFA) for the 2013–14 season onwards.
The season began on 9 August 2013 and ended on 10 May 2014.
Institute
An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body.
In some countries, institutes ca ...
won the Championship 1 title, winning promotion back to the top flight for the first time since the
2009–10 season. In the bottom two,
Limavady United and
Coagh United were relegated to Championship 2.
Armagh City and
PSNI
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ; Ulster-Scots: '), is the police service responsible for law enforcement and the prevention of crime within Northern Ireland.
It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it w ...
replaced them in Championship 1, after finishing first and second in Championship 2. For the first time since the Championship was inaugurated in 2008, a club was relegated to regional football.
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.
Team changes from 2012–13
Ards
Ards (or ARDS, ARDs) may refer to:
Medical
* ARDS, Acute respiratory distress syndrome
* ARDs, age-related diseases
Places
* Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland
** Ards (territory), several historical territorial divisions on the Ards Peninsula
...
were last season's winners of Championship 1, achieving promotion to the
2013–14 NIFL Premiership.
Lisburn Distillery replaced them for this season's Championship 1, after finishing in 12th place in the previous season's Premiership. Championship 1 runners-up
Warrenpoint Town were also promoted, by defeating
Donegal Celtic
Donegal Celtic Football & Social Club is an intermediate football and social club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland who currently play in the Ballymena & Provincial Football League. The club, founded in 1970, plays its home matches at Donegal ...
on the
away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
after the
promotion/relegation play-off ended 2–2 on aggregate.
As a result of
Newry City's expulsion the previous season, only the 13th-placed club,
Tobermore United, were relegated to Championship 2. Championship 2 winners
Knockbreda and runners-up
Ballyclare Comrades were both promoted to Championship 1. The last remaining place in Championship 2 was filled by the winner of a two-legged promotion play-off between
Mid-Ulster Football League
The Daily Mirror Mid-Ulster Football League, or simply referred to as the Mid-Ulster League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 9 divisions. These comprise two intermediate sections: the Intermediate A and Intermed ...
champions
Dollingstown
Dollingstown is a large village in County Down, Northern Ireland, lying between Lurgan and Magheralin. It is within the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon district. In the 2011 census it had a population of 2,103 people. Dollingstown is in the to ...
and
Northern Amateur Football League
The Northern Amateur Football League, also known as the Northern Amateur League and often simply as the Amateur League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 13 divisions. These comprise four intermediate sections: ...
champions
Newington YC. Newington YC won the play-off on the
away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
after the tie ended 4–4 on aggregate, to gain promotion to Championship 2 for the first time.
Promoted from Championship 1 to the
Premiership
*
Ards
Ards (or ARDS, ARDs) may refer to:
Medical
* ARDS, Acute respiratory distress syndrome
* ARDs, age-related diseases
Places
* Ards Peninsula, Northern Ireland
** Ards (territory), several historical territorial divisions on the Ards Peninsula
...
(1st in Championship 1)
*
Warrenpoint Town (2nd in Championship 1 - play-off winners)
Relegated from the
Premiership to Championship 1
*
Donegal Celtic
Donegal Celtic Football & Social Club is an intermediate football and social club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland who currently play in the Ballymena & Provincial Football League. The club, founded in 1970, plays its home matches at Donegal ...
(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
The Northern Amateur Football League, also known as the Northern Amateur League and often simply as the Amateur League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 13 divisions. These comprise four intermediate sections: ...
to Championship 2
*
Newington YC (1st in NAFL Premier Division - promoted via play-off)
Championship 1
Stadia and locations
League table
Results
Each team will play every other team twice (once at home, and once away) for a total of 26 games.
Championship 2
Stadia and locations
League table
Results
Each team plays every other team twice (once at home, and once away) for a total of 30 games.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nifl Championship 2013-14
2013-14
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
2