Irish Premier League

The Northern Ireland Football League Premiership, known as the for sponsorship purposes, is a semi-professional organization baseball league which runs whilst the highest unit of the Northern Ireland Football League – the nationwide league in Northern Ireland. It was formerly called the IFA Premiership until 2013, with previous competition formats called the Irish Premier League, Irish Football League Premier Division, and before that simply the Irish Football League. However known in popular parlance just as Irish League, the Premiership was established in 2008 beneath the auspices of this Irish Football Association prior to the Northern Ireland Football League was created the start of 2013–14 period. After the season, the winner club is offered the Gibson Cup.

Crusaders are the current champions, once they secured their very first NIFL Premiership subject and fifth title total into the club's history on 18 April 2015 - their particular very first name since 1997.

The existing Premiership format had been introduced for 2008–09 period following the League system for Northern Ireland ended up being re-organised. The very best journey ended up being low in dimensions from 16 to 12 clubs, included regarding foundation not just of their performance into the 2007–08 season, however in the previous two periods, also off-the-field criteria. Each applicant club ended up being assessed by a completely independent panel and awarded things from the following requirements:

• Displaying (optimum 450 points) – considering league placings, Irish Cup, League Cup and European activities in 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08; with things in addition awarded for working childhood groups, ladies' groups and community development programs.
• Finance (maximum 200 points) – considering solvency, financial obligation administration and cash-flow projection.
• Infrastructure (maximum 150 points) – centered on stadium capacity, changing provisions, sanitary services, field of play, floodlighting, presence and standard of control space, first aid room, drug examination room and news facilities.
• Personnel (optimum 100 things) – according to certification and connection with staff
• Company preparing (optimum 50 points)
• Attendances (maximum 50 points)

Portadown were the highest-profile casualty of brand new system, suffering relegation into the newly formed IFA Championship as a result of publishing their application for inclusion inside Premiership 29 minutes beyond the deadline for consideration. The Premiership remained under IFA control for five seasons before development of the Northern Ireland Football League in 2013, with regards to became the NIFL Premiership.