2025–26 NIFL Championship
Football league season
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The 2025–26 NIFL Championship (known as the Playr-Fit Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth season of the NIFL Championship (the second-tier of the Irish League - the national football league in Northern Ireland) since gaining senior status.[1]
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Limavady United |
| Promoted | Limavady United |
← 2024–25 2026–27 → | |
Teams
The league consisted of twelve teams; nine teams remaining from the previous season, two teams promoted from the NIFL Premier Intermediate League, and one team relegated from the NIFL Premiership. With the league expanding to sixteen teams for the following season, no team will be relegated this season.[2]
The promoted teams were the 2024–25 NIFL Premier Intermediate League champions Warrenpoint Town and 2024–25 NIFL Championship play-off winners Queen's University. They replaced the NIFL Championship play-off losers Ballyclare Comrades and bottom-placed team Newry City.[3]
The relegated team was the 2024–25 NIFL Premiership bottom-placed team Loughgall. They replaced the 2024–25 NIFL Championship champions Bangor.[4]
Stadia and locations
| Club | Stadium | Location | Capacity[5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annagh United | BMG Arena | Portadown | 1,250 (100 seated) |
| Ards | Clandeboye Park | Bangor | 1,895 (500 seated) |
| Armagh City | Holm Park | Armagh | 2,000 (500 seated) |
| Ballinamallard United | Ferney Park | Ballinamallard | 2,000 (250 seated) |
| Dundela | Wilgar Park | Belfast | 2,500 |
| Harland & Wolff Welders | Blanchflower Stadium | Belfast | 3,000 (2,000 seated) |
| Institute | Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium | Derry | 3,700 |
| Limavady United | The Showgrounds | Limavady | 524 (274 seated) |
| Loughgall | Lakeview Park | Loughgall | 3,000 |
| Newington | Inver Park | Larne | 3,000 |
| Queen's University | Upper Malone | Belfast | 1,000 (330 seated) |
| Warrenpoint Town | Milltown | Warrenpoint | 1,450 |
Regular season
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limavady United | 33 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 61 | 32 | +29 | 71 | Qualification for Section A |
| 2 | Annagh United | 33 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 54 | 27 | +27 | 71 | |
| 3 | Harland & Wolff Welders | 33 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 77 | 41 | +36 | 59 | |
| 4 | Newington | 33 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 69 | 52 | +17 | 51 | |
| 5 | Loughgall | 33 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 51 | |
| 6 | Queen's University | 33 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 43 | 42 | +1 | 47 | |
| 7 | Institute | 33 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 47 | 43 | +4 | 46 | Qualification for Section B |
| 8 | Ards | 33 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 50 | 46 | +4 | 43 | |
| 9 | Warrenpoint Town | 33 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 44 | 50 | −6 | 36 | |
| 10 | Ballinamallard United | 33 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 36 | 52 | −16 | 34 | |
| 11 | Dundela | 33 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 37 | 73 | −36 | 20 | |
| 12 | Armagh City | 33 | 4 | 5 | 24 | 28 | 100 | −72 | 17 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Drawing of lots[6]
Results
For matches 1–22, each team plays every other team twice (home and away). For matches 23–33, each team plays every other team for the third time (either at home or away).
Matches 34–38
For the final five matches, the table splits into two halves, with the top six teams forming Section A and the bottom six teams forming Section B. Each team plays every other team in their respective section once. The fixtures are reversed from those played during rounds 23–33, ensuring that teams have played every other team in their respective section twice at home and twice away overall throughout the season.
Section A
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limavady United (C, P) | 38 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 69 | 34 | +35 | 81 | Promotion to the NIFL Premiership |
| 2 | Annagh United | 38 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 55 | 39 | +16 | 72 | Qualification for the NIFL Premiership play-off |
| 3 | Harland & Wolff Welders | 38 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 87 | 48 | +39 | 66 | |
| 4 | Newington | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 77 | 62 | +15 | 60 | |
| 5 | Queen's University | 38 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 51 | 46 | +5 | 57 | |
| 6 | Loughgall | 38 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 50 | 38 | +12 | 56 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Drawing of lots[6]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Results
Section B
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Institute | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 59 | 46 | +13 | 59 |
| 8 | Ards | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 56 | 51 | +5 | 52 |
| 9 | Warrenpoint Town | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 45 | 53 | −8 | 41 |
| 10 | Ballinamallard United | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 44 | 60 | −16 | 38 |
| 11 | Dundela | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 43 | 77 | −34 | 28 |
| 12 | Armagh City | 38 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 30 | 112 | −82 | 19 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Drawing of lots[6]