Irish Football League

The Irish Football League (IFL), or Irish League, is a league of football (soccer) clubs in Northern Ireland. It should not be confused with the Football League of Ireland, which is the league for the Republic of Ireland.

The IFL 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 just Northern Ireland in 1921 upon partition, with a separate league and association (the Football Association of Ireland) being formed for the Irish Free State in the south.

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).

The IFL is split into three divisions, the Premier, First and Second, with promotion and relegation between them at the end of each season. This is a change from the way in which it used to operate until recently, as a single division entity.

Clubs in Membership (2005-2006)

Premier Division Ards Armagh City Ballymena United Cliftonville Coleraine Dungannon Swifts Glenavon Glentoran Institute Larne Limavady United Linfield Lisburn Distillery Loughgall Newry City Portadown

First Division Ballyclare Comrades Ballinamallard United Banbridge Town Bangor Carrick Rangers Coagh United Crusaders Donegal Celtic Dundela HW Welders Moyola Park Tobermore United

Second Division Annagh United Ballymoney United Brantwood Chimney Corner Dergview Lurgan Celtic Oxford United Portstewart PSNI Queens University Wakehurst

List of Champions

1890/91 Linfield 1891/92 Linfield 1892/93 Linfield 1893/94 Glentoran 1894/95 Linfield 1895/96 Lisburn Distillery 1896/97 Glentoran 1897/98 Linfield 1898/99 Lisburn Distillery 1899/00 Belfast Celtic 1900/01 Lisburn Distillery 1901/02 Linfield 1902/03 Lisburn Distillery 1903/04 Linfield 1904/05 Glentoran 1905/06 Cliftonville and Distillery Template:Fn 1906/07 Linfield 1907/08 Linfield 1908/09 Linfield 1909/10 Cliftonville 1910/11 Linfield 1911/12 Glentoran 1912/13 Glentoran 1913/14 Linfield 1914/15 Belfast Celtic 1915/16 Linfield Template:Fn 1916/17 Glentoran Template:Fn 1917/18 Linfield Template:Fn 1918/19 Beflast Celtic Template:Fn 1919/20 Belfast Celtic 1920/21 Glentoran 1921/22 Linfield 1922/23 Linfield 1923/24 Queen's Island 1924/25 Glentoran 1925/26 Belfast Celtic 1926/27 Belfast Celtic 1927/28 Belfast Celtic

1928/29 Belfast Celtic 1929/30 Linfield 1930/31 Glentoran 1931/32 Linfield 1932/33 Belfast Celtic 1933/34 Linfield 1934/35 Linfield 1935/36 Belfast Celtic 1936/37 Belfast Celtic 1937/38 Belfast Celtic 1938/39 Belfast Celtic 1939/40 Belfast Celtic 1940/41 Belfast Celtic Template:Fn 1941/42 Belfast Celtic Template:Fn 1942/43 Linfield Template:Fn 1943/44 Belfast Celtic Template:Fn 1944/45 Linfield Template:Fn 1945/46 Linfield Template:Fn 1946/47 Belfast Celtic Template:Fn 1947/48 Belfast Celtic 1948/49 Linfield 1949/50 Linfield 1950/51 Glentoran 1951/52 Glenavon 1952/53 Glentoran 1953/54 Linfield 1954/55 Linfield 1955/56 Linfield 1956/57 Glenavon 1957/58 Ards 1958/59 Linfield 1959/60 Glenavon 1960/61 Linfield 1961/62 Linfield 1962/63 Lisburn Distillery 1963/64 Glentoran 1964/65 Derry City 1965/66 Linfield

1966/67 Glentoran 1967/68 Glentoran 1968/69 Linfield 1969/70 Glentoran 1970/71 Linfield 1971/72 Glentoran 1972/73 Crusaders 1973/74 Coleraine 1974/75 Linfield 1975/76 Crusaders 1976/77 Glentoran 1977/78 Linfield 1978/79 Linfield 1979/80 Linfield 1980/81 Glentoran 1981/82 Linfield 1982/83 Linfield 1983/84 Linfield 1984/85 Linfield 1985/86 Linfield 1986/87 Linfield 1987/88 Glentoran 1988/89 Linfield 1989/90 Portadown 1990/91 Portadown 1991/92 Glentoran 1992/93 Linfield 1993/94 Linfield 1994/95 Crusaders 1995/96 Portadown 1996/97 Crusaders 1997/98 Cliftonville 1998/99 Glentoran 1999/00 Linfield 2000/01 Linfield 2001/02 Portadown 2002/03 Glentoran 2003/04 Linfield 2004/05 Glentoran

Notes

• Template:Fnb title shared after two playoffs matches ended in draws.
• Template:Fnb the championships between 1915/16 and 1918/19 are unofficial, due to effects of WWI
• Template:Fnb the championships between 1940/41 and 1946/47 are unofficial, due to effects of WWII

See Also

• Irish Football League Cup
• Northern Irish Cup
• Northern Irish football league system

External link

• IFL Website