2023–24 NIFL Premiership

NIFL Premiership
Season	2023–24
Dates	4 Aug 2023 –
Relegated	Newry City
	← 2022–23 2024–25 →

The 2023–24 NIFL Premiership (known as the Sports Direct Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is the 16th season of the NIFL Premiership, the highest level of league football in Northern Ireland, the 123rd season of Irish League football overall, and the 11th season of the league operating as part of the Northern Ireland Football League. The 38-game season commenced on 4 August 2023.

The champions qualify for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League first qualifying round. The 2023–24 Irish Cup winners qualify for the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, with the runners-up (or third-placed team if the Irish Cup winners finish in the top two) and Conference League play-off winners qualifying for the first qualifying round. The eleventh-placed team (Ballymena United) qualified for the NIFL Premiership play-off. The bottom-placed team (Newry City) were relegated to the 2024–25 NIFL Championship.

Teams

The league consisted of twelve teams; eleven teams remaining from the previous season, and one team promoted from the NIFL Championship. The promoted team from the 2022–23 NIFL Championship was Loughgall, who returned to the top-flight for the first time since 2007 (replacing the relegated team of Portadown). Larne entered the season as defending champions, having won their first league title in the previous season.

Stadia and locations

Belfast

Belfast teams : Cliftonville
Crusaders
Glentoran
Linfield

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Locations of the 2023–24 NIFL Premiership teams

2023–24 NIFL Premiership is located in Greater Belfast

Locations of the Belfast-based 2023–24 NIFL Premiership teams

Club	Stadium	Location	Capacity^[1]^[2]
Ballymena United	The Showgrounds	Ballymena	3,824 (all seated)
Carrick Rangers	Loughshore Hotel Arena	Carrickfergus	2,100 (380 seated)
Cliftonville	Solitude	Belfast	3,054 (all seated)
Coleraine	The Showgrounds	Coleraine	4,843 (1,607 seated)
Crusaders	Seaview	Belfast	3,208 (all seated)
Dungannon Swifts	Stangmore Park	Dungannon	2,000 (300 seated)
Glenavon	Mourneview Park	Lurgan	3,302 (all seated)
Glentoran	The Oval	Belfast	6,054 (3,991 seated)
Larne	Inver Park	Larne	2,732 (1,632 seated)
Linfield	Windsor Park	Belfast	18,434 (all seated)
Loughgall	Lakeview Park	Loughgall	3,000
Newry City	The Showgrounds	Newry	2,275 (1,080 seated)

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation^[a]
1	Larne (X)	36	26	8	2	79	20	+59	86	Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2	Linfield (X)	36	26	5	5	80	38	+42	83	Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round^[b]
3	Cliftonville (T)	36	22	5	9	77	42	+35	71
4	Crusaders (Q)	36	18	7	11	59	39	+20	61	Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round play-off
5	Glentoran (Q)	36	16	9	11	70	41	+29	57
6	Coleraine (Q)	36	12	10	14	47	62	−15	46

7	Carrick Rangers	36	13	5	18	50	70	−20	44	Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round play-off
8	Loughgall	36	12	6	18	55	65	−10	42
9	Dungannon Swifts	36	11	8	17	59	69	−10	41
10	Glenavon	36	11	4	21	44	66	−22	37
11	Ballymena United (Q)	36	7	4	25	25	67	−42	25	Qualification for the NIFL Premiership play-off
12	Newry City (R)	36	4	5	27	25	91	−66	17	Relegation to the NIFL Championship

Updated to match(es) played on 16 April 2024. Source: Northern Ireland Football League, Soccerway
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^[3]
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated; (X) Assured of at least Conference League first qualifying round
Notes:

^ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league was split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six).
^ The 2023–24 Irish Cup winners (Cliftonville or Linfield) qualify for the Conference League second qualifying round. If Linfield win the Irish Cup, the Conference League first qualifying round spot will be passed to the third-placed team.

Results

Matches 1–33

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).

Home \ Away	BYM	CRK	CLF	COL	CRU	DUN	GLA	GLT	LAR	LIN	LGL	NEW	BYM	CRK	CLF	COL	CRU	DUN	GLA	GLT	LAR	LIN	LGL	NEW
Ballymena United	—	0–2	0–2	3–1	1–2	1–1	0–1	0–2	0–0	0–1	1–3	0–2	—	0–2	—	3–1	2–4	2–4	—	—	0–1	—	0–1	—
Carrick Rangers	0–1	—	0–3	2–0	0–1	2–1	1–3	2–1	1–2	1–2	2–2	0–2	—	—	0–1	—	—	2–1	0–2	—	—	2–3	—	0–1
Cliftonville	2–0	4–0	—	5–0	3–0	5–0	3–0	2–2	1–1	0–1	1–1	1–0	3–0	—	—	4–1	2–1	—	4–2	—	0–2	0–3	—	—
Coleraine	2–1	1–1	1–2	—	0–4	2–3	4–1	0–0	0–0	1–3	3–2	3–1	—	0–2	—	—	—	1–1	1–0	—	0–0	3–0	1–3	—
Crusaders	1–0	9–0	0–3	0–2	—	2–0	2–0	1–1	0–3	0–1	1–1	1–1	—	2–0	—	1–1	—	—	2–0	1–2	0–2	—	—	—
Dungannon Swifts	0–1	2–3	1–4	2–2	1–4	—	3–1	1–2	0–0	2–3	1–2	4–1	—	—	3–1	—	2–2	—	—	0–3	0–2	—	—	5–0
Glenavon	1–0	2–1	0–1	1–1	1–3	1–0	—	0–1	0–4	0–2	2–0	1–3	0–1	—	—	—	—	4–0	—	0–0	—	2–2	1–2	—
Glentoran	5–0	2–3	1–0	1–2	2–2	0–0	3–1	—	1–2	4–0	6–0	1–0	4–0	2–2	2–2	6–0	—	—	—	—	—	—	0–3	8–2
Larne	3–0	4–1	2–1	2–0	1–1	4–4	4–1	2–1	—	2–0	1–0	4–0	—	2–0	—	—	—	—	6–1	3–0	—	1–1	2–0	3–0
Linfield	4–0	3–3	2–1	2–1	2–0	4–3	4–2	2–0	1–2	—	5–1	6–1	2–0	—	—	—	1–0	1–2	—	2–0	—	—	—	6–0
Loughgall	5–2	3–4	1–4	1–2	1–2	1–2	2–2	0–1	1–0	0–2	—	3–1	—	3–3	2–3	—	0–1	2–1	—	—	—	1–2	—	0–0
Newry City	0–0	0–1	0–3	0–2	0–4	2–2	0–3	2–4	1–2	0–3	0–3	—	1–1	—	1–2	0–2	0–1	—	0–4	—	—	—	—	—

Source: Northern Ireland Football League, Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

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

Home \ Away	CLF	COL	CRU	GLT	LAR	LIN
Cliftonville	—	—	—		—	—
Coleraine	2–2	—		2–1	—	—
Crusaders	2–1	—	—	—	—	1–2
Glentoran	—	—		—	1–2	0–0
Larne	8–1		0–1	—	—	—
Linfield		2–2	—	—		—

Updated to match(es) played on 16 April 2024. Source: Northern Ireland Football League, Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Section B

Home \ Away	BYM	CRK	DUN	GLA	LGL	NEW
Ballymena United	—	—	—	1–0	—
Carrick Rangers	2–1	—	—	—		—
Dungannon Swifts		3–2	—		2–0	—
Glenavon	—		—	—	—	3–2
Loughgall	2–3	—	—	3–1	—	—
Newry City	—	1–3	0–2	—		—

Updated to match(es) played on 16 April 2024. Source: Northern Ireland Football League, Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Play-offs

Conference League play-off

Clubs that finish 3rd–7th compete for the second and final place in the 2024–25 Conference League first qualifying round. The play-offs are one-off matches with extra time and penalties used to determine the winner if necessary, with the higher-ranked teams given home advantage. Since the 2023–24 Irish Cup winners will finish 7th or higher, one of the spots will be vacated (with the 3rd-placed team qualifying automatically if the Irish Cup winners finish in the top two).

NIFL Premiership play-off

The eleventh-placed club (Ballymena United) will face the second-placed club from the 2023–24 NIFL Championship for the final place in the following season's Premiership.

References

^ "AQW 1178/11". niassembly.gov.uk. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
^ "Sport NI Annual review 2008/09" (PDF). sportni.net. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
^ "NIFL Premiership Rules 2020–21" (PDF). NIFL. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

External links

Official website

[3] Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league was split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six).

[table_note_res_ECL1Q0.38815853297159-4] The 2023–24 Irish Cup winners (Cliftonville or Linfield) qualify for the Conference League second qualifying round. If Linfield win the Irish Cup, the Conference League first qualifying round spot will be passed to the third-placed team.

[1] "AQW 1178/11". niassembly.gov.uk. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2011.

[2] "Sport NI Annual review 2008/09" (PDF). sportni.net. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.

[5] "NIFL Premiership Rules 2020–21" (PDF). NIFL. Retrieved 23 March 2021.

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v t e NIFL Premiership seasons
Irish League	1890–91 1891–92 1892–93 1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–00 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03
Irish Premier League	2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08
IFA Premiership	2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13
NIFL Premiership	2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Belfast & District League (wartime)	1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19
Northern Regional League (wartime)	1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47

v t e 2023–24 in Northern Irish football
Domestic leagues	NIFL Premiership NIFL Championship NIFL Premier Intermediate League
Domestic cups	Irish Cup Northern Ireland Football League Cup County Antrim Shield NIFL Charity Shield
Other cups	Scottish Challenge Cup
European competitions	UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Europa Conference League
Related to national team	UEFA Euro 2024 qualification (Group H)

v t e 2023–24 in European men's football (UEFA)
Domestic leagues	Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus '23 '24 Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark England Estonia '23 '24 Faroe Islands '23 '24 Finland '23 '24 France Georgia '23 '24 Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland '23 '24 Israel Italy Kazakhstan '23 '24 Kosovo Latvia '23 '24 Lithuania '23 '24 Luxembourg Malta Moldova Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Northern Ireland Norway '23 '24 Poland Portugal Republic of Ireland '23 '24 Romania Russia San Marino Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden '23 '24 Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Wales
Domestic cups	Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark England Estonia Faroe Islands '23 '24 Finland '23 '24 France Georgia '23 '24 Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland '23 '24 Israel Italy Kazakhstan '23 '24 Kosovo Latvia '23 '24 Liechtenstein Lithuania '23 '24 Luxembourg Malta Moldova Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Northern Ireland Norway '23 '24 Poland Portugal Republic of Ireland '23 '24 Romania Russia San Marino Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Wales
League cups	England Finland Iceland Israel Kazakhstan '24 Northern Ireland Portugal Scotland Wales
Supercups	Albania Andorra Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus England Estonia '23 '24 Faroe Islands France Georgia Germany Iceland Israel Italy Kazakhstan '23 '24 Kosovo Latvia '24 Lithuania '23 '24 Malta Moldova Netherlands Northern Ireland Poland Portugal Republic of Ireland '23 '24 Romania Russia San Marino Spain Turkey ~~Ukraine~~
UEFA competitions	Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round group stage knockout phase Final Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round group stage knockout phase Final Europa Conference League qualifying phase and play-off round Champions Path Main Path group stage knockout phase Final Super Cup UEFA–CONMEBOL Club Challenge Youth League UEFA Champions League Path Domestic Champions Path knockout phase Under-20 Intercontinental Cup
International competitions	UEFA Euro 2024 qualification 2022–23 UEFA Nations League League C relegation play-outs Football at the 2024 Summer Olympics (qualification) 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup 2025 Euro Under-21 qualification 2024 Euro Under-19 qualification 2024 Euro Under-17 qualification