2017–18 NIFL Championship

NIFL Championship
Season 2017–18
Dates 13 August 2017 - 27 April 2018
Champions Institute
Promoted Institute
Newry City A.F.C. (via play-off)
Relegated Lurgan Celtic
Matches played 192
Biggest home win PSNI 11-1 Lurgan Celtic (17 February 2018)
Biggest away win PSNI 0-5 Ballyclare Comrades (11 November 2017)
Highest scoring PSNI 11-1 Lurgan Celtic (17 February 2018)
2018–19 →

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 will consist of 12 teams. Warrenpoint Town were champions in the previous season and were promoted to the 2017–18 NIFL Premiership. The winners of the promotion pre-play-off, second-placed finishers Institute were defeated by Carrick Rangers in the Premiership play-off, therefore failing to achieve promotion.

The bottom team from the previous season, Annagh United was relegated to the third-tier NIFL Premier Intermediate League. They were replaced by Limavady United, winners of the Premier Intermediate League. In addition, second from bottom 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.

Stadia and locations

Locations of the Belfast-based 2016–17 NIFL Championship teams
Club Location Stadium Capacity[1]
Ballyclare ComradesBallyclareDixon Park5,333
DergviewCastledergDarragh Park1,200
Harland & Wolff WeldersBelfastTillysburn Park3,000
InstituteDrumahoeYMCA Grounds1,570
KnockbredaBelfastBreda Park1,000
LarneLarneInver Park3,000
Limavady UnitedLimavadyThe Showgrounds524
LoughgallLoughgallLakeview Park3,000
Lurgan CelticLurganKnockramer Park1,000
Newry City A.F.C.NewryThe Showgrounds2,275
PSNIBelfastNewforge Lane1,500
PortadownShamrock ParkPortadown3,940 (2,765 seated)

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1]
1 Institute (C, P) 32 21 5 6 55 36 +19 68 Promotion to the NIFL Premiership
2 Newry City (P) 32 17 8 7 58 31 +27 59 Qualification for the promotion play-offs
3 Harland & Wolff Welders 32 16 8 8 54 42 +12 56
4 Portadown 32 14 9 9 61 36 +25 51
5 Ballyclare Comrades 32 15 3 14 56 52 +4 48
6 Loughgall 32 12 2 18 45 59 −14 38
7 Larne 32 12 11 9 59 47 +12 47
8 PSNI 32 11 8 13 55 50 +5 41
9 Limavady United 32 10 7 15 52 58 −6 37
10 Knockbreda 32 9 9 14 50 54 −4 36
11 Dergview 32 9 9 14 49 59 −10 36 Qualification for the relegation play-off
12 Lurgan Celtic (R) 32 3 7 22 32 102 −70 16 Relegation to the NIFL Premier Intermediate League
Source: NIFL Championship, Soccerway (top six), Soccerway (bottom six)
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Play-off (subject to IFA decision)[2]
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. ↑ Teams played each other twice (22 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last ten matches.

Results

Matches 1–22

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

Home \ Away BCC DGV H&W INS KNB LAR LIM LOU LGC NEW POR PSNI
Ballyclare Comrades — 1–1 4–3 2–4 2–3 0–2 2–1 2–1 4–0 0–3 1–0 0–3
Dergview 1–1 — 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–2 0–1 1–5 3–2 2–2 3–1 0–1
Harland & Wolff Welders 1–0 5–1 — 3–2 0–3 6–1 3–2 2–0 1–0 0–0 3–2 2–1
Institute 2–1 2–0 2–1 — 2–1 3–0 2–0 3–0 1–1 0–0 2–2 1–0
Knockbreda 1–2 0–0 1–2 0–1 — 1–3 2–1 0–3 4–2 0–1 1–2 3–0
Larne 1–1 3–0 1–1 0–1 3–1 — 2–1 1–1 2–2 3–2 0–3 2–1
Limavady United 3–5 1–0 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–1 — 3–1 2–3 1–3 1–1 2–1
Loughgall 2–1 2–0 1–2 3–1 0–1 2–1 2–1 — 3–2 0–4 1–4 2–1
Lurgan Celtic 0–1 1–3 2–2 0–1 1–1 2–2 3–3 1–2 — 2–1 1–1 3–0
Newry City 4–1 1–0 1–1 0–1 1–0 3–1 2–2 1–0 5–0 — 1–4 1–2
Portadown 1–2 7–0 0–0 1–2 0–1 2–2 2–1 3–0 6–0 1–4 — 3–0
PSNI 5–0 5–2 1–1 2–3 0–0 1–1 4–1 1–2 2–0 0–3 1–1 —
Source:
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 23–32

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

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. In the event, the third paced team,Harland and Wolff Welders did not apply for a Premiership licence, and the second placed team Newry City moved directly to 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.

Queen's University 0-1 Dergview
BBC Sport
Dergview 3-1 Queen's University
BBC Sport
Darragh Park, Castlederg

Dergiew won 3-1 on aggregate and retained their position in the NIFL Championship with Queen's University remaining in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League.

References

  1. ↑ "Championship 2016/2017 - Venues". Scoresway. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "Championship 2016/2017 - Season rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
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