Tag: NI Football League
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Irish League chiefs must improve provisions in place to attract younger fans and families
Let’s get a basic fact of life out of the way first – no one likes a price hike. No one likes a price hike in the same way that no one likes paying taxes, bills, debts, insurance and other such necessary expenses which, in themselves, are rising amid a general rise in the cost…
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How the Irish FA’s new ‘Conference Layer’ for intermediate football can be big hit or own goal
Changes to the intermediate football sphere in Northern Ireland have long been touted and, going by the Irish FA’s latest update on the topic, closer than ever to coming to fruition. From the 2026-27 campaign, a new ‘Conference Layer’ will be in effect as part of a radical shake-up of the intermediate levels of the…
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Bringing back salary cap a small step but giant leap towards professionalism in the Irish League
The hive of discussion on how to improve the Irish League is always abuzz. Whether on or off the pitch, the spoken, overarching ambition of organisation CEO Gerard Lawlor is to see greater professionalism throughout the NI Football League. Earlier in the season, the former Cliftonville chairman unveiled the league body’s five-year plan titled ‘A…
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Implementing VAR in the Irish League could be an increasingly hard sell for supporters in 2024
So, 2023 is almost at an end and 2024 is nigh upon us. Such is the cliché, it is a time to reflect on what has come and gone, looking forward to the exciting new horizons a new year can bring. This 12-month span proved a memorable one in the Irish League, arguably capped by…
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Starting a cup competition between second and third-tier teams could save the PIL’s NIFL future
Finding the formula to better amalgamate the Premier Intermediate League with the top two tiers of the NI Football League has proved somewhat challenging. Progression into the senior-status ranks is, of course, the golden ticket, and the third-tier is the gateway to that. If you win the PIL, then from the following season, you will…
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Rises in Championship and PIL crowds reflect real growth in the Irish League’s lower rungs
When the NI Football League revealed the attendance statistics for the Playr-Fit Championship and Premier Intermediate League, you just had to crack a smile. Both divisions have seen a rise in crowds this campaign, with the PIL – expanded from 12 to 14 teams during the off-season – experiencing a 29 per cent increase in…
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NIFL’s bold plan to change the season structure could prove genius… but they must make sure all bases are covered
Summer football is a hot topic in the Irish League. Some agree with the idea, others disagree and, invariably, those in each camp have their reasons for whether they would retain or alter the structure of the season. For many traditionalists, festive occasions like the regional cup Finals and the slate of Boxing Day derbies…
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A seed of growth may need to be planted to enhance early rounds of the BetMcLean Cup
Debate and question marks over the seeded nature of the BetMcLean Cup First Round draw are not new, but the argument emerged again in 2023 after the fixture catalogue resulted in merely one unseeded team advancing to the last-16. With all 12 Premiership clubs booking their ticket with varying levels of difficulty – of which…
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