NIFL Premier Intermediate League: History & About

NIFL Premier Intermediate League

Northern Ireland is a country passionate about football. The national team has played at World Cups and European Championships over the years. However, the domestic league setup doesn’t always get the attention it deserves from fans or the media.

The top two tiers of the Northern Irish league set-up are the NIFL Premiership and the NIFL Championship. However, the third tier, the NIFL Premier Intermediate League, is a bustling and highly engaging division of its own.

What is the NIFL Premier Intermediate League?

As talked about earlier, the NIFL Premier Intermediate League is the third tier of football in the Northern Irish football system. The season usually runs from the end of August until the end of April.

The league now has 14 teams, up from 12 in 2023. The teams are based across Northern Ireland. The league consists of eleven teams from the previous season, often two promoted from the level 4 tier and one relegated from the NIFL Championship, maybe two depending on the promotion/relegation play-off.

The league champions are promoted to the NIFL Championship. Clubs can only be promoted if their facilities meet the required standards for the second tier. If they don’t, they are not permitted to enter the NIFL Championship for the following season.

The team that finished in second place in the table faces a two-legged NIFL Championship play-off with the team that finished 11th place in the second tier.

Whoever wins on aggregate over two 90-minute games plays in the NIFL Championship in the following season. If the two teams cannot be separated over the two legs, then the tie goes to an extra-time period of 30 minutes and penalty kicks if needed.

Relegation from the league is slightly less complicated, as the team that finishes at the bottom of the standings is demoted to the fourth tier.

The fourth-tier leagues to which teams are relegated are the Ballymena and Provincial League, the Mid-Ulster Football League, and the Northern Amateur League. Where the teams are relegated depends on the availability of places in each individual league.

What is the history of the league?

The third tier of Northern Irish football has had many different identities in recent years. From 1999 until 2003, it was called the Irish League Second Division. In 2003, it saw another name change, becoming the Irish Second Division, and in 2008, it became the IFA Interim Intermediate League.

However, that moniker didn’t last long, as it once again changed in 2009 when it became IFA Championship 2. In 2013, it became known as the NIFL Championship 2, which it remained as until 2016.

Due to reform of the lower leagues in 2014, the Northern Irish third tier was agreed to be known as the Premier Intermediate League from 2016. In 2026, the league will be transformed into a new conference-style format.

Recent winners and runners-up of the third tier

Season Champions Runners-up
2023/24 Limavady United Armagh City
2022/23 Bangor Ballymacash Rangers
2021/22 Newington Bangor
2020/21 Season cancelled due to Covid-19
2019/20 Annagh United Portstewart
2018/19 Queen’s University Annagh United
2017/18 Dundela Queen’s University
2016/17 Limavady United Newry City
2015/16 PSNI Limavady United
2014/15 Lurgan Celtic Annagh United