Full list of Championship fixtures revealed as Glenavon start promotion bid with home clash
Glenavon will begin their bid to secure immediate promotion back to the Premiership with a home clash against Ards – while Strabane Athletic’s first-ever Championship fixture will be held at the Limavady Showgrounds as Institute provide opposition.
The Lurgan Blues suffered top-flight relegation last term and will be playing in Northern Ireland’s second-tier for the first time since 2004/05.
This season’s Championship has a fresh look with 16 teams competing – up from last season’s 12 – after four were promoted from the Premier Intermediate League.
Annagh United, who narrowly missed out on sealing Premiership status after losing on penalties to Crusaders in a play-off, will get another promotion charge underway at Newington – the Belfast club will be playing home matches at Solitude.
The Championship campaign will start on Saturday, August 8 with 30 rounds played before seven split fixtures begin in March.
Here’s the full list of fixtures as released by the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL):
Round 1 (August 8): Armagh City vs Queens University, Ballinamallard United vs Newry City, Dundela vs Moyola Park, Glenavon vs Ards, H&W Welders vs Warrenpoint Town, Newington vs Annagh United, Rathfriland Rangers vs Loughgall, Strabane Athletic vs Institute.
Round 2 (August 11): Annagh United vs Rathfriland Rangers, Ards vs Dundela, Institute vs Ballinamallard United, Loughgall vs Newington, Moyola Park vs Strabane Athletic, Newry City vs Glenavon, Queens University vs H&W Welders, Warrenpoint Town vs Armagh City.
Round 3 (August 15): Dundela vs Annagh United, Glenavon vs Strabane Athletic, H&W Welders vs Armagh City, Institute vs Loughgall, Moyola Park vs Ballinamallard United, Newington vs Queens University, Rathfriland Rangers vs Newry City, Warrenpoint Town vs Ards.
Round 4 (August 22): Annagh United vs Moyola Park, Ards vs Loughgall, Armagh City vs Glenavon, Ballinamallard United vs Dundela, Newington vs Rathfriland Rangers, Newry City vs Warrenpoint Town, Queens University vs Institute, Strabane Athletic vs H&W Welders.
Round 5 (August 28–29): Ards vs Queens University, Strabane Athletic vs Newington, Ballinamallard United vs Annagh United, Glenavon vs Rathfriland Rangers, H&W Welders vs Dundela, Institute vs Newry City, Loughgall vs Warrenpoint Town, Moyola Park vs Armagh City.
Round 6 (September 5): Annagh United vs Ards, Dundela vs Glenavon, Loughgall vs Ballinamallard United, Moyola Park vs H&W Welders, Newry City vs Armagh City, Queens University vs Strabane Athletic, Rathfriland Rangers vs Institute, Warrenpoint Town vs Newington.
Round 7 (September 12): Annagh United vs H&W Welders, Ards vs Rathfriland Rangers, Armagh City vs Institute, Ballinamallard United vs Glenavon, Newington vs Dundela, Queens University vs Loughgall, Strabane Athletic vs Newry City, Warrenpoint Town vs Moyola Park.
Round 8 (September 19): Dundela vs Strabane Athletic, Glenavon vs Newington, H&W Welders vs Ballinamallard United, Institute vs Warrenpoint Town, Loughgall vs Armagh City, Moyola Park vs Ards, Newry City vs Annagh United, Rathfriland Rangers vs Queens University.
Round 9 (September 26): Annagh United vs Institute, Ards vs Strabane Athletic, Armagh City vs Dundela, Glenavon vs Loughgall, Newington vs Ballinamallard United, Newry City vs H&W Welders, Queens University vs Moyola Park, Rathfriland Rangers vs Warrenpoint Town.
Round 10 (October 3): Ballinamallard United vs Ards, Dundela vs Queens University, H&W Welders vs Rathfriland Rangers, Institute vs Newington, Loughgall vs Newry City, Moyola Park vs Glenavon, Strabane Athletic vs Armagh City, Warrenpoint Town vs Annagh United.
Round 11 (October 10): Annagh United vs Glenavon, Institute vs H&W Welders, Loughgall vs Moyola Park, Newington vs Ards, Newry City vs Dundela, Queens University vs Ballinamallard United, Rathfriland Rangers vs Armagh City, Warrenpoint Town vs Strabane Athletic.
Round 12 (October 16–17): Ards vs Institute, Armagh City vs Annagh United, Ballinamallard United vs Warrenpoint Town, Dundela vs Rathfriland Rangers, Glenavon vs H&W Welders, Moyola Park vs Newington, Queens University vs Newry City, Strabane Athletic vs Loughgall.
Round 13 (October 24): Annagh United vs Queens University, Armagh City vs Ards, H&W Welders vs Loughgall, Institute vs Dundela, Newry City vs Newington, Rathfriland Rangers vs Moyola Park, Strabane Athletic vs Ballinamallard United, Warrenpoint Town vs Glenavon.
Round 14 (October 30–31): Newington vs H&W Welders, Ards vs Newry City, Ballinamallard United vs Armagh City, Dundela vs Warrenpoint Town, Institute vs Moyola Park, Loughgall vs Annagh United, Queens University vs Glenavon, Rathfriland Rangers vs Strabane Athletic.
Round 15 (November 7): Armagh City vs Newington, Ballinamallard United vs Rathfriland Rangers, Dundela vs Loughgall, Glenavon vs Institute, H&W Welders vs Ards, Moyola Park vs Newry City, Strabane Athletic vs Annagh United, Warrenpoint Town vs Queens University.
Round 16 (November 13): Annagh United vs Ballinamallard United, Ards vs Moyola Park, Institute vs Armagh City, Loughgall vs Glenavon, Newington vs Warrenpoint Town, Newry City vs Strabane Athletic, Queens University vs Dundela, Rathfriland Rangers vs H&W Welders.
Round 17 (November 21): Ards vs Newington, Armagh City vs Rathfriland Rangers, Ballinamallard United vs Loughgall, Glenavon vs Newry City, H&W Welders vs Annagh United, Moyola Park vs Queens University, Strabane Athletic vs Dundela, Warrenpoint Town vs Institute.
Round 18 (November 28): Dundela vs Armagh City, Institute vs Ards, Loughgall vs Strabane Athletic, Moyola Park vs Annagh United, Newington vs Glenavon, Newry City vs Ballinamallard United, Queens University vs Rathfriland Rangers, Warrenpoint Town vs H&W Welders.
Round 19 (December 4–5): Strabane Athletic vs Queens University, Annagh United vs Loughgall, Ards vs Warrenpoint Town, Armagh City vs Moyola Park, Ballinamallard United vs Institute, Glenavon vs Dundela, H&W Welders vs Newry City, Rathfriland Rangers vs Newington.
Round 20 (December 12): Annagh United vs Armagh City, Dundela vs Newington, Institute vs Rathfriland Rangers, Loughgall vs H&W Welders, Newry City vs Moyola Park, Queens University vs Ards, Strabane Athletic vs Glenavon, Warrenpoint Town vs Ballinamallard United.
Round 21 (December 19): Ards vs Annagh United, Armagh City vs Warrenpoint Town, Glenavon vs Ballinamallard United, H&W Welders vs Institute, Loughgall vs Rathfriland Rangers, Moyola Park vs Dundela, Newington vs Strabane Athletic, Newry City vs Queens University.
Round 22 (December 26): Armagh City vs Loughgall, Ballinamallard United vs Moyola Park, Dundela vs H&W Welders, Glenavon vs Annagh United, Institute vs Strabane Athletic, Queens University vs Newington, Rathfriland Rangers vs Ards, Warrenpoint Town vs Newry City.
Round 23 (January 1): Annagh United vs Dundela, Ards vs Ballinamallard United, H&W Welders vs Glenavon, Loughgall vs Queens University, Moyola Park vs Institute, Newington vs Armagh City, Newry City vs Rathfriland Rangers, Strabane Athletic vs Warrenpoint Town.
Round 24 (January 16): Ards vs Armagh City, Ballinamallard United vs Strabane Athletic, Dundela vs Institute, Glenavon vs Moyola Park, H&W Welders vs Queens University, Newington vs Newry City, Rathfriland Rangers vs Annagh United, Warrenpoint Town vs Loughgall.
Round 25 (January 23): Annagh United vs Newington, Armagh City vs H&W Welders, Dundela vs Ballinamallard United, Institute vs Glenavon, Moyola Park vs Rathfriland Rangers, Newry City vs Loughgall, Queens University vs Warrenpoint Town, Strabane Athletic vs Ards.
Round 26 (January 30): Annagh United vs Strabane Athletic, Ballinamallard United vs H&W Welders, Glenavon vs Warrenpoint Town, Loughgall vs Institute, Newington vs Moyola Park, Newry City vs Ards, Queens University vs Armagh City, Rathfriland Rangers vs Dundela.
Round 27 (February 6): Ards vs Glenavon, Armagh City vs Newry City, Ballinamallard United vs Queens University, H&W Welders vs Newington, Institute vs Annagh United, Moyola Park vs Loughgall, Strabane Athletic vs Rathfriland Rangers, Warrenpoint Town vs Dundela.
Round 28 (February 20): Annagh United vs Warrenpoint Town, Armagh City vs Strabane Athletic, Dundela vs Newry City, Glenavon vs Queens University, H&W Welders vs Moyola Park, Loughgall vs Ards, Newington vs Institute, Rathfriland Rangers vs Ballinamallard United.
Round 29 (February 27): Ards vs H&W Welders, Ballinamallard United vs Newington, Glenavon vs Armagh City, Loughgall vs Dundela, Newry City vs Institute, Queens University vs Annagh United, Strabane Athletic vs Moyola Park, Warrenpoint Town vs Rathfriland Rangers.
Round 30 (March 6): Annagh United vs Newry City, Armagh City vs Ballinamallard United, Dundela vs Ards, H&W Welders vs Strabane Athletic, Institute vs Queens University, Moyola Park vs Warrenpoint Town, Newington vs Loughgall, Rathfriland Rangers vs Glenavon.