Linfield midfielder Chris Shields has labelled a potential change in the Irish League playing calendar which would see the season run between May and February as “probably the worst proposal to date”.

This week, the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) released a new survey in partnership with Play It Forward Consulting calling for “fan input and to understand how a calendar shift could affect” supporters.

A message ahead of taking the survey states: “A change of calendar could influence everything from club performance in European qualifiers, to matchday experiences, player recruitment, and fan engagement. While summer football may bring opportunities (e.g. better weather, increased visibility), it could also overlap with other sports and events. Therefore, we want to hear your views, as fans of clubs in the league.”

NIFL CEO Gerard Lawlor confirmed in June that the organisation had commissioned a deeper report to get further answers surrounding both the positives and negatives of a potential calendar switch.

placeholder image — Chris Shields has had his say on the potential Irish League calendar change. (Photo by Andrew McCarroll/Pacemaker Press)

Included in NIFL’s ‘A Bold & Brighter Future for Professional Football’ strategy launched by Lawlor in September 2023 was a plan to "lead and implement a change to the professional game playing calendar” in Northern Ireland.

Shields spent a large part of his career playing in the League of Ireland, winning five Premier Division titles with Dundalk, so is no stranger to playing throughout the summer, but he feels the current proposal would be unfair on part-time clubs.

“Probably the worst calendar proposal to date,” Shields posted on social media in response to the survey. “Cannot expect part time players and staff to give up their Christmas and then their summer. Especially players with young families.”

Larne captain Tomas Cosgrove replied with two clapping emojis under Shields’ post.

Lawlor previously stated he hoped to bring a proposal to member clubs by early-2026 and insists any change would not only benefit those competing in Europe.

"We did a review that we commissioned which gave us a real appetite for further review,” said Lawlor in June. “Some on the board felt we needed more and I can tell you that we have commissioned a deeper dive and deeper report into that which will give us a lot of the answers one way or another.

"Any change in the season is not solely about helping European clubs.

"The money that comes from Europe comes down the table so this is about is there new opportunities around Premier League football, broadcasting deals - football is such a saturated market in broadcasting at this moment in time.

"The benefits are worth exploring and we'll see what the report tells us and members will make the decision on what to do."

NIFL’s Chair, Chris Brindley MBE, has extensive experience in rugby league, a sport which changed their professional playing calendar from the winter to summer in 1996, mainly due to weather and commercial reasons.

"I find it incredible that teams from Northern Ireland qualify for Europe and their first competitive game is in a tournament against teams that have played 26 or 27 games,” said Brindley earlier this summer. “Is it a match of skill or match fitness?

"One of the things we're committed to looking at is our season calendar the best we could possibly have to allow our clubs to be successful?

"The fan experience is awful in the pouring rain in November so people who are transient fans look out the window and don't want to go. That's what the experience in rugby league was.

"I understand the passion, people tell me about Boxing Day here. In rugby league, the first fixture was on Boxing Day between the biggest rivals. You're also playing on pitches which need less maintenance.

"The biggest failure would be to do nothing."