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

Teams

The 2017–18 NIFL Championship was contested by 12 teams. Warrenpoint Town were champions in the previous season and were promoted to the

2017–18 NIFL Premiership The 2017–18 NIFL Premiership (known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the 10th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 117th season of Irish league football overall, ...

. Runners-up

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 3–2 on aggregate in the promotion pre-play-off against third-placed Ballyclare Comrades, but were defeated 5–2 on aggregate by

Carrick Rangers Carrick Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional Northern Irish football club playing in NIFL Premiership. The club, founded in 1939, hails from Carrickfergus, County Antrim and plays its home matches at Taylors Avenue which is known as th ...

in the Premiership play-off, therefore remaining in the Championship for this season. The bottom team from the previous season,

Annagh United Annagh United Football Club (The name 'Annagh' ) 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 c ...

, were relegated to the third-tier

NIFL Premier Intermediate League 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 t ...

. They were replaced by

Limavady United Limavady United Football Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club comes from Limavady, County Londonderry, and plays home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours are royal blue shirt ...

, winners of the Premier Intermediate League. In addition, the eleventh-placed team from the previous season, Armagh City, were relegated and replaced by third-tier runners-up Newry City, against whom they lost a two-legged

play-off The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eith ...

Stadia and locations

League table

Results

Matches 1–22

During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).

Matches 23–32

During matches 23–32 each team played every other team in their half of the table twice (home and away).

Top six

Bottom six

Play-offs

NIFL Premiership play-offs

The runners-up and third-placed teams from the Championship were set to take part (over two legs) in the Championship promotion pre-play-off. However, the third-placed team, Harland and Wolff Welders, did not apply for a Premiership licence, so the second-placed team Newry City moved directly into the play-off final.

NIFL Championship play-off

The eleventh-placed team from the Championship, Dergview, played the runners-up from the 2017–18 Premier Intermediate League, Queen's University, over two legs for one spot in the

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 ...

. ---- ''Dergiew won 4–1 on aggregate and retained their position in the NIFL Championship with Queen's University remaining in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:2017-18 NIFL Championship NIFL Championship seasons

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 ...

2017–18 in Northern Ireland association football