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

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Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in

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. 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.

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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

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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

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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

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 *

(1st in Championship 1) * Warrenpoint Town (2nd in Championship 1 - play-off winners) Relegated from the Premiership to Championship 1 *

(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

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

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