Tag: Playr-Fit Premier Intermediate League
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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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Intermediate Finals prove pulsating affairs as three regional champions confirmed for 2023
The festive regional Finals have now been decided, and what proved a Christmas cracker on the 25th were followed by two rather more one-sided scorelines on Boxing Day that capped off a trio of prestigious and long-standing intermediate tournaments. The goings-on at Seaview appeared to swing one way and the other before a thriller extra-time…
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Festive trio of regional intermediate Finals over Christmas and Boxing Day will serve up a treat
The festive football schedule is heading into peak season – and an enduring staple of the calendar is the regional cup Finals which take place between Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Headlined on the 25th December by the Steel and Sons Cup match-up that fans and followers flock to Seaview for in their thousands, the…
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The County Antrim Shield Final carries added importance for Larne and Glentoran in 2024
The County Antrim Shield showpiece in 2024 has now been rubber-stamped and, from both sides, it is a match that carries noteworthy significance. In the green corner, Glentoran, who booked their spot at Seaview a few weeks prior to their Final adversaries Larne, are on the hunt for the first trophy of Warren Feeney’s tenure…
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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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Ballymacash Rangers: The rapid rise of a Lisburn club making major gains on and off the pitch
The year 2023 is almost done, and throughout the Irish League, it has proved to be 12 pulsating and eventful months where a great deal of new memories were made for all involved to savour. In Ballymacash Rangers’ case, 2023 was also the first total year the club has spent as a NIFL-associated club –…
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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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2pm kick-off times in top two tiers during winter would have more benefits than drawbacks
Winter is a time of year that brings new challenges – ones that stretch beyond the footballing sphere but, equally, can leave their imprint on it. The most obvious of these fresh trials is the climate. Earlier sunsets, cold chills, snow and ice paint a different picture at the season’s mid-point compared to the warm-weather…
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