2016–17 NIFL Premiership

The 2016–17 NIFL Premiership (known as the Danske Bank Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth season of Northern Ireland's highest national football league in this format since its inception in 2008, the 116th season of Irish league football overall, and the fourth season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League. The fixtures were announced on 7 July 2016.[3] The season began on 6 August 2016 and ended on 29 April 2017, with the play-offs taking place in May 2017.

NIFL Premiership
Season2016–17
Dates6 August 2016 – 29 April 2017
ChampionsLinfield
52nd Irish title
RelegatedPortadown
Champions LeagueLinfield
Europa LeagueCrusaders
Coleraine
Ballymena United (via play-offs)
Matches played228
Goals scored688 (3.02 per match)
Top goalscorerAndrew Mitchell (Dungannon Swifts) (25)
Biggest home winCrusaders 6–0 Ballymena United
(6 August 2016)
Dungannon Swifts 6–0 Portadown
(8 October 2016)
Biggest away winPortadown 0–5 Linfield
(26 November 2016)
Portadown 0–5 Glentoran
(3 January 2017)
Highest scoringBallymena United 3–4 Ards
(20 August 2016)
Crusaders 4–3 Cliftonville
(1 October 2016)
Ballymena United 3–4 Glenavon
(3 January 2017)
Crusaders 6–1 Glenavon
(29 April 2017)
Highest attendance7,504
Linfield 1–1 Glentoran
(26 December 2016)[1]
Lowest attendance173
Carrick Rangers 0–3 Dungannon Swifts
(24 September 2016)[2]
Total attendance243,738
Average attendance1,074

Crusaders were the two-time defending champions after winning the title for the previous two seasons. On 29 April 2017, Linfield beat Cliftonville 3–1 to win their 52nd league title on the final day of the season.[4]

It was an unlikely title win for Linfield, as after a 1–0 home defeat to Coleraine in January 2017, they sat seven points behind defending champions, Crusaders. A 1–1 draw at home against Portadown on 17 February 2017 meant the gap had grown to nine points with nine games left to play. However, Linfield won all nine of their remaining games, going unbeaten in their last 14 games of the season since the Coleraine defeat, winning 13 of them and drawing the other (the 1–1 draw against Portadown). They picked up 40 out of a possible 42 points to capitalise on Crusaders dropping points, and pipped them to the title on the final day of the season by two points.

Linfield qualified for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League. The runners-up, Crusaders, along with third-placed Coleraine and the play-off winners, Ballymena United, qualified for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League.

Teams

Twelve teams competed in the 2016–17 NIFL Premiership. Warrenpoint Town were relegated after finishing bottom of the 2015–16 NIFL Premiership and after a failed appeal against an IFA ruling not to deduct points from Carrick Rangers after their manager incorrectly served a touchline ban.[5] Warrenpoint Town were replaced by Ards as the winners of the 2015–16 NIFL Championship.[6]

Ballinamallard United finished second from bottom but retained their Premiership place after winning the promotion-relegation play-off against NIFL Championship runners-up Institute 5–4 on aggregate.[7] Portadown started this season with a 12-point deduction, after the IFA found the club guilty of breaching the rules by paying Peter McMahon, despite the player being contracted to the club as an amateur.[8] The club appealed against the decision, but this was rejected in October 2016.[9]

Stadia and locations
Locations of the 2016–17 NIFL Premiership teams
Locations of the Belfast-based 2016–17 NIFL Premiership teams
Club Stadium Location Capacity‡[10][11]
ArdsClandeboye ParkBangor1,895 (500 seated)
Ballinamallard UnitedFerney ParkBallinamallard2,000 (250 seated)
Ballymena UnitedThe ShowgroundsBallymena3,050 (2,200 seated)
Carrick RangersTaylors AvenueCarrickfergus4,500 (150 seated)
CliftonvilleSolitudeBelfast2,530 (all seated)
ColeraineThe ShowgroundsColeraine2,496 (1,106 seated)
CrusadersSeaviewBelfast3,383 (all seated)
Dungannon SwiftsStangmore ParkDungannon5,000 (300 seated)
GlenavonMourneview ParkLurgan4,160 (4,000 seated)
GlentoranThe OvalBelfast6,054 (4,989 seated)
LinfieldWindsor ParkBelfast18,614 (all seated)
PortadownShamrock ParkPortadown3,940 (2,765 seated)

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1]
1 Linfield (C) 38 27 8 3 87 24 +63 89 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 Crusaders 38 27 6 5 83 36 +47 87 Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 2]
3 Coleraine 38 18 11 9 56 42 +14 65
4 Ballymena United (O) 38 18 5 15 75 73 +2 59 Qualification for the Europa League play-offs[lower-alpha 3]
5 Cliftonville 38 17 7 14 55 50 +5 58
6 Glenavon 38 13 13 12 55 55 0 52
7 Dungannon Swifts 38 14 10 14 67 59 +8 52[lower-alpha 4] Qualification for the Europa League play-offs[lower-alpha 3]
8 Ards 38 13 8 17 61 70 −9 47
9 Glentoran 38 12 10 16 45 53 −8 46
10 Ballinamallard United 38 10 5 23 45 72 −27 35
11 Carrick Rangers (O) 38 5 7 26 31 79 −48 22 Qualification for the relegation play-offs
12 Portadown (R) 38 7 4 27 28 75 −47 13[lower-alpha 5] Relegation to the NIFL Championship
Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference[13]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
  2. 2016–17 Irish Cup winners, Linfield, had already qualified for the Champions League as league champions. As a result, a Europa League berth was passed down to third-placed Coleraine.
  3. Ballymena United qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the Europa League play-offs.
  4. After 33 games, clubs in the bottom half of the table at the split cannot climb into the top half, regardless of the results during matches 34–38.
  5. Portadown were deducted 12 points for a player registration breach.[12]

Results

Matches 1–22

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

Home \ Away ARD BMD BYM CRK CLF COL CRU DUN GLV GLT LIN POR
Ards — 3–3 2–4 3–1 2–2 1–2 0–1 3–3 0–1 2–0 0–2 1–0
Ballinamallard United 2–1 — 0–1 1–3 1–2 0–3 0–1 2–0 1–1 2–1 1–2 1–2
Ballymena United 3–4 4–0 — 2–0 3–2 2–0 2–1 1–4 3–3 4–1 1–4 2–0
Carrick Rangers 1–1 3–3 1–4 — 0–3 2–0 1–4 0–3 0–0 1–2 0–2 1–1
Cliftonville 2–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 — 1–0 0–4 1–2 3–0 2–0 2–1 1–0
Coleraine 1–1 3–1 2–2 2–0 0–1 — 1–1 2–2 2–2 4–1 1–1 3–0[lower-alpha 1]
Crusaders 1–0 5–1 6–0 3–1 4–3 1–0 — 3–1 3–1 2–2 0–0 2–1
Dungannon Swifts 1–2 3–2 2–2 3–1 1–1 4–0 0–1 — 1–1 0–1 0–4 6–0
Glenavon 1–0 0–1 5–0 4–0 3–2 1–0 3–3 0–1 — 1–1 2–2 1–0
Glentoran 1–0 1–1 2–3 0–1 2–1 0–1 1–3 1–0 2–2 — 1–2 0–0
Linfield 4–0 4–0 2–1 3–0 1–2 1–1 0–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 — 4–1
Portadown 0–3[lower-alpha 2] 2–1 0–2 4–0 0–3 0–1 0–1 2–0 3–0[lower-alpha 3] 0–1 0–5 —
Source: RSSSF
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
  1. Match awarded 3–0 to Coleraine due to Portadown forfeiting the game after they were suspended from all football activity for non-payment of a £5,000 fine.[14]
  2. Match awarded 3–0 to Ards due to Portadown fielding a suspended player; original result was Portadown 3–1 Ards.[15]
  3. Match awarded 3–0 to Portadown due to Glenavon fielding a suspended player; original result was 2–2 draw.[16]

Matches 23–33

During matches 23–33 each team played every other team for the third time (either at home, or away).

Home \ Away ARD BMD BYM CRK CLF COL CRU DUN GLV GLT LIN POR
Ards — 2–0 4–2 0–4 — — 2–4 — 1–0 1–3 — —
Ballinamallard United — — 1–2 — 1–0 1–2 — — — — 1–2 1–0
Ballymena United — — — 3–1 — 1–1 — 3–2 3–4 2–4 — 3–0
Carrick Rangers — 1–2 — — — — — 0–1 0–0 — 0–2 3–2
Cliftonville 2–1 — 2–1 0–0 — 0–0 — — — 1–1 — 3–0
Coleraine 3–1 — — 2–0 — — 1–0 2–1 — 2–0 — 4–2
Crusaders — 3–1 2–1 3–0 1–0 — — — — — 1–2 —
Dungannon Swifts 3–3 2–2 — — 2–2 — 1–2 — — — 1–4 —
Glenavon — 3–0 — — 2–2 1–2 0–1 2–0 — — 1–2 —
Glentoran — 0–1 — 1–0 — — 0–3 2–2 0–0 — 0–1 —
Linfield 5–1 — 2–0 — 2–0 0–1 — — — — — 1–1
Portadown 0–3 — — — — — 1–1 0–1 1–2 0–5 — —
Source: RSSSF
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Matches 34–38

During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their half of the table once. As this was the fourth time that teams played each other this season, home sides were chosen so that they will have played each other twice at home and twice away.

Play-offs

UEFA Europa League play-offs

Teams finishing fourth to seventh took part in Europa League play-offs to decide which team would qualify for next season's Europa League first qualifying round.

Semi-finals
Ballymena United (4th)5–2Dungannon Swifts (7th)
Kane  3', 40'
McKinney  36'
McMurray  70'
Owens  82'		 BBC Sport
Soccerway		 Lowe  64'
Glackin  74'
Referee: Ian McNabb
Cliftonville (5th)3–5Glenavon (6th)
Winchester  7'
Curran  33'
J. Donnelly  42'		 BBC Sport
Soccerway		 Marshall  3'
Moorhouse  40'
Singleton  49'
Gray  69'
McGrory  72' (pen.)
Referee: Tim Marshall

Final
Ballymena United (4th)2–1Glenavon (6th)
Friel  53'
Braniff  80'		 BBC Sport
Soccerway		 Marshall  67'
Referee: Arnold Hunter

NIFL Premiership play-offs

Pre-play-off

The runners-up and third-placed teams from the Championship, Institute and Ballyclare Comrades respectively, took part (over two legs) in a pre-play-off.

Ballyclare Comrades1–0Institute
  • McMullan  81'
 Report
Institute3–1Ballyclare Comrades
Report
YMCA Grounds, Drumahoe

Institute won 3–2 on aggregate.

Play-off

The eleventh-placed team from the Premiership, Carrick Rangers, played the winners of the pre-play-off, Institute, over two legs for one spot in the 2017–18 NIFL Premiership.

Institute1–1Carrick Rangers
McCrudden  41' BBC Sport
Soccerway		 Murray  43' (pen.)
YMCA Grounds, Drumahoe
Referee: Lee Tavinder
Carrick Rangers4–1Institute
McVey  11'
McCullough  25'
O'Brien  71', 80' (pen.)		 BBC Sport
Soccerway		 Morrow  12'

Carrick Rangers won 5–2 on aggregate and retained their spot in the NIFL Premiership for the 2017–18 season; Institute remained in the NIFL Championship.

Top goalscorers
As of 18 April 2017
Rank Scorer Club Goals[17]
1 Andrew Mitchell Dungannon Swifts 25
2 Paul Heatley Crusaders 21
3 Andrew Waterworth Linfield 20
Jordan Owens Crusaders 20
5 Cathair Friel Ballymena United 17
6 Curtis Allen Glentoran 16
7 Tony Kane Ballymena United 14
Aaron Burns Linfield 14
Jamie McGonigle Coleraine 14
10 Johnny McMurray Ballymena United 12
11 Adam Lecky Ballinamallard United 11
Michael Ruddy Ards 11
13 Greg Moorhouse Glenavon 10
Gavin Whyte Crusaders 10
James Mclaughlin Coleraine 10

References
  1. http://www.irishleaguesupporters.com/attteam.php?atthometeam=Linfield&attseason=1617&atthomeaway=home
  2. http://www.irishleaguesupporters.com/attteam.php?atthometeam=Carrick%20Rangers&attseason=1617&atthomeaway=home
  3. "2016–17 SEASON FIXTURES RELEASED". nifootballleague.com. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  4. "Irish Premiership: Linfield clinch title by beating Cliftonville". BBC Sport. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  5. "Warrenpoint Town relegated after appeal dismissed". BBC Online. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  6. "IRISH LEAGUE: Ards promoted to Danske Bank Premiership". News Letter. 30 April 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  7. "Irish Premiership play-off: Late Mallards goal secures aggregate win". BBC Online. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  8. "Portadown down 12 points in Danske Bank Premiership season following IFA fine". Belfast Telegraph. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  9. "Portadown lose 12-point deduction appeal as Coleraine are awarded 3-0 win". BBC Sport. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  10. "AQW 1178/11". niassembly.gov.uk. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  11. "Sport NI Annual review 2008/09" (PDF). sportni.net. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  12. "Portadown handed 12-point deduction for next season over Peter McMahon case - BBC Sport". BBC Online. BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  13. "Premiership 2016/2017 - Season rules". Scoresway. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  14. "Portadown lose 12-point deduction appeal as Coleraine are awarded 3-0 win". BBC Sport. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  15. "Portadown forfeit match against Ards after playing suspended Robert Garrett". BBC Sport. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  16. "Glenavon to appeal IFA ruling on David Elebert". BelfastLive. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  17. "FIFA NI Premiership top scorers". Retrieved 11 August 2016.
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