Northern Ireland officials announce Championship start date but ‘flexible’ approach for Premier Intermediate League fixtures

Northern Ireland Football League officials have announced a much-anticipated Championship kick-off date - but uncertainty remains for Premier Intermediate League clubs.
Manager Ciaran McGurgan and his Annagh United side will compete this season in the Championship following promotion as Premier Intermediate League champions.Manager Ciaran McGurgan and his Annagh United side will compete this season in the Championship following promotion as Premier Intermediate League champions.
Manager Ciaran McGurgan and his Annagh United side will compete this season in the Championship following promotion as Premier Intermediate League champions.

Danske Bank Premiership clubs launch the top-flight 2020/21 season next weekend but the second and third tiers of the Irish League structure will miss out as a PSNI case against Championship relegation remains “under the consideration of the IFA Appeals Board”.

A NIFL statement has now revealed Saturday, October 24 as a provisional start date for the Championship but issues around the Irish Cup and other knockout ties will result in “a more flexible basis to provide fixtures” for PIL teams.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The outstanding appeal in respect of the conclusion of the 2019/20 Championship season, which also impacts the Premier Intermediate League, remains under the consideration of the IFA Appeals Board,” included the NIFL statement. “The IFA Appeals Board have today confirmed that they anticipate that a decision in respect of this appeal will be announced at the beginning of next week (w/c 12 October 2020).

“The above timeline is currently outside of the control of the NI Football League.

“As a consequence of the above, the NIFL Board have confirmed a new provisional start date for the NIFL Championship as Saturday 24 October 2020.

“It is more difficult to confirm a start date for the Premier Intermediate League as clubs are due to commence their Irish Cup campaign on 17 October 2020 with the following weeks in October and November taken up by further rounds of the Irish Cup and/or Divisional Association Cup dates.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“For Season 2020/21 the NI Football League will release PIL fixtures on a more flexible basis to provide fixtures for those clubs who have been knocked out in the early rounds of the National/Divisional Cup competitions.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.