NIFL Premiership Development League

NIFL Premiership Development League

Founded	2016 2013–2016 (as NIFL Reserve League) 2003–2013 (as IFA Reserve League) 1999–2003 (as Irish League Reserve League) 1977–1999 (as Irish League B Division Section 2)
Country	Northern Ireland
Divisions	1
Number of teams	12
Domestic cup(s)	IFA Intermediate Cup George Wilson Cup
Current champions	Crusaders Reserves (2022–23)
Most championships	Linfield Swifts (17)

The NIFL Development League (prior to 2016, the NIFL Reserve League) is an intermediate Association football league in Northern Ireland consisting of the reserve teams of the twelve NIFL Premiership clubs.

Current members (2022–23)

• Ballymena United Reserves
• Carrick Rangers Reserves
• Cliftonville Olympic
• Coleraine Reserves
• Crusaders Reserves
• Dungannon Swifts Reserves
• Glenavon Reserves
• Glentoran II
• Larne Olympic
• Linfield Swifts
• Newry City Reserves
• Portadown Reserves

History

The NIFL Development League is the successor to the NIFL Reserve League, which in turn was the successor to the Irish League B Division Section 2 which was formed in 1977, when the B Division split into two sections: Section 1 for intermediate clubs and the other for the reserve teams of senior clubs. Since the foundation of the B Division in 1951, these two categories of teams had competed together. In 1999, Section 1 of the B Division was renamed the Irish League Second Division and Section 2 became the Irish League Reserve League. In 2003, on the formation of the Irish Premier League, the IFA took direct control and the league was renamed the IFA Reserve League. In 2013, the Northern Ireland Football League took over, and the league was again renamed, to the NIFL Reserve League. In 2016, it became the NIFL Development League, with an age restriction imposed on players.

List of champions

Irish League B Division Section 2

Season	Champions
1977–78	Linfield Swifts
1978–79	Linfield Swifts
1979–80	Linfield Swifts
1980–81	Cliftonville Olympic
1981–82	Larne Olympic
1982–83	Linfield Swifts
1983–84	Linfield Swifts
1984–85	Linfield Swifts
1985–86	Glentoran II
1986–87	Glentoran II
1987–88	Linfield Swifts
1988–89	Linfield Swifts
1989–90	Glentoran II
1990–91	Linfield Swifts
1991–92	Linfield Swifts
1992–93	Glentoran II
1993–94	Bangor Reserves
1994–95	Bangor Reserves
1995–96	Glentoran II
1996–97	Crusaders Reserves
1997–98	Glentoran II
1998–99	Linfield Swifts

Irish League Reserve League

Season	Champions
1999–00	Linfield Swifts
2000–01	Cliftonville Olympic
2001–02	Glentoran II
2002–03	Glentoran II

IFA Reserve League

Season	Champions
2003–04	Linfield Swifts
2004–05	Linfield Swifts
2005–06	Dungannon Swifts Reserves
2006–07	Ballymena United Reserves
2007–08	Donegal Celtic Reserves
2008–09	Linfield Swifts
2009–10	Linfield Swifts
2010–11	Linfield Swifts
2011–12	Cliftonville Olympic
2012–13	Ballinamallard United II

NIFL Reserve League

Season	Champions
2013–14	Cliftonville Olympic
2014–15	Linfield Swifts
2015–16	Cliftonville Olympic

NIFL Premiership Development League

Season	Champions
2016–17	Linfield Swifts
2017–18	Linfield Swifts
2018–19	Linfield Swifts
2019–20	Cliftonville Olympic
2020–21	cancelled
2021–22	Crusaders Reserves
2022–23	Crusaders Reserves

Summary of champions

Team	Wins	Winning years
Linfield Swifts	21	1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
Glentoran II	8	1985–86, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
Cliftonville Olympic	6	1980–81, 2000–01, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019-20
Crusaders Reserves	3	1996–97, 2021–22, 2022–23
Bangor Reserves	2	1993–94, 1994–95
Ballinamallard United II	1	2012–13
Ballymena United Reserves	1	2006–07
Donegal Celtic Reserves	1	2007–08
Dungannon Swifts Reserves	1	2005–06
Larne Olympic	1	1981–82

See also

• George Wilson Cup
• NIFL Premiership
• NIFL Championship
• NIFL Premier Intermediate League
• Irish Intermediate Cup
• Northern Ireland football league system