Loughgall president has full confidence Lakeview Park will be ready to host Premiership football next season

​The Villagers have won the second-tier on two occasions – 2007/08 and 2009/10 – since they were last relegated from the Irish League in 2007 but didn’t apply for the necessary licence to take a step up either time.

There was an option to share Mourneview Park with Glenavon for next season but Willis says Lakeview will be ready to entertain the country’s premier teams, with Loughgall – now the smallest European settlement to have a top-flight club – bringing Premiership football back to their village.

"It's the third time we have won the Championship but the previous two times we didn't apply for the promotion license because we either didn't think we would be in a position to challenge for it or our facilities weren't as good as they are today,” he said. “The standard of Premiership grounds have improved and the standards you have to achieve to get into it are high.

"It will be ready. We have some work to do in the close season that we couldn't do during the playing season.

"We have put in the additional seats that are required, we have the covered accommodation that's required.

"We have a bit of work to do on seating in the existing stand that needs repaired or replaced. We are probably looking at putting in a new toilet block for away supporters.

"Speaking to our chairman he's confident that everything will be in place by June time.

"Very kindly Glenavon agreed that we could use their facilities if for any reason ours weren't ready in time but we're confident we will have it ready."

With two consecutive third-place finishes under manager Dean Smith, Loughgall have made significant progress on the pitch in recent years – which has helped spark developments off it too.

"Everyone is very excited about it,” added Willis. “You always want to play at the highest level and the biggest thing from our point of view is that we couldn't deny Dean, his management team and the players that have been so faithful to us over a number of seasons.

"We have been working on this for a number of years to make sure we were prepared if we were to achieve that we could step up."