Northern Ireland

[Bannside of Killowen]

The Northern Ireland system needs a total overhaul at every level

The pyramid system in Northern Ireland 

Level    League(s)/Division(s)
1    NIFL Premiership -  Senior 
2    NIFL Championship Senior 
3    NIFL Premier Intermediate League - Intermediate
4    Ballymena & Provincial League Premier Division  - Intermediate
      Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A  - Intermediate
      Northern Amateur League Premier Division  - Intermediate
       Northern Ireland Intermediate League  - Intermediate
5     Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate B  - Intermediate
       Northern Amateur League Division 1A   - Intermediate
6     Northern Amateur League Division 1B  - Intermediate
7     Northern Amateur League Division 1C  - Intermediate

Leagues under level 7 are junior clubs 

The NIFL Premiership Development League, which is also an intermediate league, comprises the reserve teams of the twelve senior NIFL Premiership clubs.

Championship Development League North & Championship Development League South for NIFL Championship NIFL & Premier Intermediate League (the same format as the English set up)

there is no under 18's 

Senior level

NIFL Charity Shield ( Similar to the English FA Community Shield)

At national level there are two senior cup competitions: the Irish Cup and the Northern Ireland Football League Cup, although intermediate teams are entitled to enter both.

At regional level, three of the four regional FAs organise their own senior cup competition. The North East Ulster Football Association runs the County Antrim Shield; the Mid-Ulster Football Association organises the Mid-Ulster Cup and the North West of Ireland Football Association organises the North West Senior Cup.

 

Intermediate level

At national level there is one intermediate cup competition: the Intermediate Cup. At regional level, three of the four regional FAs organise their own cup competitions. The North East Ulster Football Association runs the Steel & Sons Cup; the Mid-Ulster Football Association organises the Bob Radcliffe Cup; and the North West of Ireland Football Association organises the Craig Memorial Cup. The Fermanagh & Western Football Association organised the Fermanagh & Western Intermediate Cup for three seasons, but it is now defunct.

There are numerous junior leagues in Northern Ireland, including junior divisions of the Northern Amateur League and the Mid-Ulster League. The term "junior" is not related to the age of the players but the fact that the clubs are at amateur level.

Junior level

There is one national junior cup competition: the Irish Junior Cup. At regional level, each of the four regional FAs organises its own cup competition. The North East Ulster Football Association runs the County Antrim Junior Shield; the Mid-Ulster Football Association organises the Mid-Ulster Shield, the North West of Ireland Football Association organises the North-West Junior Cup, and the Fermanagh & Western Football Association organises the Mulhern Cup.

In other words i would love to see that sort of format with Senior level, Intermediate level, Junior level

[Bannside of Killowen]

I sure hope theses are put into the Northern Ireland database 

 

The Irish Football Association has launched a new Five-Year Strategy aimed at promoting, fostering and developing football for all. 

With the Northern Ireland senior men’s side having competed at EURO 2016, the new National Football Stadium at Windsor Park complete and open, more people watching the NIFL Premiership and more people playing the game, football in the country is on a high.

However, in January the board of the Irish FA commissioned a new Five-Year Strategy designed to ensure that the game continues to grow at all levels and that the Association continues to deliver for the entire football family in Northern Ireland. 

As part of the process of writing the new strategy, the Association held consultations with Divisional Associations, NIFL, the Northern Ireland Women’s FA, the Northern Ireland Boy’s FA, the Premier Intermediate League, Championship Clubs and the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs. 

The new Irish FA Five-Year Strategy sets six long-term objectives: 

• To help Northern Ireland international teams challenge every time and qualify every other time in qualification for major tournaments
• To help rebuild the football estate in Northern Ireland
• To provide assistance for senior clubs in European Competition and to help NIFL Premiership Clubs break the top 40 in UEFA co-efficient ranking
• To reinvigorate the ‘everyday’ game
• To build a thriving stadium business at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park
• To serve the Community Better

Patrick Nelson Irish FA Chief Executive said: “A new strategy was required to ensure that the legacy of UEFA EURO 2016 has an impact on every level of football in Northern Ireland. 

“We want to make sure that qualification for major tournaments doesn’t just happen once in a generation but is something that happens regularly for both our men’s and women’s international teams.

Additionally, we want to offer as much help as possible to our member clubs. We look forward to the long-promised £32.6 million of sub-regional funding being released by the Stormont Executive and will work to ensure that this capital investment has a transformative effect on football at all levels. 

“It is also our aim that the ‘everyday game’ flourishes whether at intermediate, junior or recreational level. It is also a priority of the Association that the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park is used for as many club finals as possible.

“In short, we want to build on the foundations laid in recent years and to set new targets that will benefit the whole game in Northern Ireland. I believe that this plan will help us do that and I look forward to promoting, fostering and developing football for all over the next five years.” 

The full Irish FA strategy document is available to view and download at irishfa.com/strategy. 

[Neil Brock]

Reviewed so locked.