Summary
The NIFL Premiership (NIR1), or Dankse Bank Premiership, is the top division in Northern Ireland's football system. At the end of the 2020-2021 NIR1 season, the NIR1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
- 1st place 2020-2021 NIR1 team
- 2021-2022 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round:
- 2nd place 2020-2021 NIR1 team
- 2020-2021 NIR1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs winner
The winner of the 2020-2021 Irish Football Association Challenge Cup (Irish Cup), typically a NIR1 team, also receives a berth in the 1st Qualifying Round of the 2021-2022 UEFA Europa Conference League.
Leagues Pyramid - Northern Ireland
| Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| NIR1 | Dankse Bank Premiership | 12 |
| NIR2 | NIFL Championship | 12 |
| NIR3 | NIFL Premier Intermediate League | 12 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| Regular 17 Oct 2020 - 24 Apr 2021 | Champ/Releg Rounds 28 Apr 2021 - 11 May 2021 | UEFAECL Playoffs 14 May 2021 - 22 May 2021 | 12: NIR1 (10 minimum), NIR2 (2 maximum) |
Season Format
The 2020-2021 NIR1 season consists of 2 stages. In the first stage, each NIR1 team plays the other 11 NIR1 teams 3 times for a total of 33 league matches. In each 3 match series one team hosts 2 home matches and the other team hosts 1 home match. In the second stage, the top six teams play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine final rankings for UEFA Champions League and Europa League placements, and the bottom six teams play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine the relegation placements. Total points are for all 38 matches. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head points, (4) head-to-head goal difference, then (5) a drawing.
Playoffs
Not applicable.
Relegation
At the end of the 2020-2021 NIR1 season, the 12th place NIR1 team is relegated to the NIR2, and the 11th place NIR1 team enters into a Home-Away highest aggregate score playoff with the 2nd place NIR2 team. The playoff winner and the 1st place NIR2 team play in the 2021-2022 NIR1, and the playoff loser plays in the 2021-2022 NIR2.
More Info...
1st Stage
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Linfield FC | 13 | 10 -1-2 | 31 | - | 35 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 6 -1-0 | 19 | 24 | 5 | 19 | 6 | 4 -0-2 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| 2 | Larne FC | 12 | 8 -3-1 | 27 | - | 21 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 6 -0-1 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 2 -3-0 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | Crusaders FC | 13 | 8 -2-3 | 26 | - | 29 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 6 -1-0 | 19 | 19 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 2 -1-3 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| 4 | Ballymena United FC | 12 | 6 -2-4 | 20 | - | 19 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 2 -1-3 | 7 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 6 | 4 -1-1 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | Coleraine FC | 12 | 6 -1-5 | 19 | - | 18 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 4 -0-3 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 -1-2 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 6 | Cliftonville | 13 | 5 -2-6 | 17 | - | 18 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 4 -1-2 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 1 -1-4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | -4 |
| 7 | Glentoran FC | 11 | 3 -5-3 | 14 | - | 19 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 3 -3-0 | 12 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 0 -2-3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | -4 |
| 8 | Glenavon FC | 11 | 3 -4-4 | 13 | - | 17 | 18 | -1 | 6 | 1 -3-2 | 6 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 5 | 2 -1-2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | Warrenpoint Town FC | 13 | 3 -3-7 | 12 | - | 11 | 24 | -13 | 5 | 1 -2-2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 8 | 2 -1-5 | 7 | 6 | 18 | -12 |
| 10 | Portadown FC | 10 | 2 -2-6 | 8 | - | 11 | 24 | -13 | 3 | 0 -1-2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 7 | 2 -1-4 | 7 | 10 | 19 | -9 |
| 11 | Dungannon Swifts FC | 13 | 2 -2-9 | 8 | - | 8 | 30 | -22 | 6 | 2 -0-4 | 6 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 7 | 0 -2-5 | 2 | 2 | 17 | -15 |
| 12 | Carrick Rangers FC | 9 | 1 -1-7 | 4 | - | 7 | 25 | -18 | 4 | 1 -1-2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 -0-5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | -18 |
Championship Group Relegation Group | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fixtures
 | Linfield FC | Solitude (Belfast) |
 | Glenavon FC | Stangmore Park |
 | Carrick Rangers FC | The Oval |
 | Coleraine FC | Inver Park |
 | Crusaders FC | Shamrock Park |
 | Ballymena United FC | Milltown Playing Fields |
| Ballymena United FC | Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena |
| Glenavon FC | Solitude (Belfast) |
| Crusaders FC | The Showgrounds (Coleraine) |
| Glentoran FC | Inver Park |
| Dungannon Swifts FC | Windsor Park (Belfast) |
| Warrenpoint Town FC | Shamrock Park |
| Dungannon Swifts FC | The Showgrounds (Ballymena) |
| Cliftonville | The Showgrounds (Coleraine) |
| Glentoran FC | Seaview (Belfast) |
| Larne FC | Mourneview Park |
| Portadown FC | Windsor Park (Belfast) |
| Carrick Rangers FC | Milltown Playing Fields |
| Warrenpoint Town FC | Solitude (Belfast) |
| Linfield FC | Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena |
Results
| 60 | Warrenpoint Town FC | Windsor Park (Belfast) |
| FT | Glentoran FC | Mourneview Park |
| 33 | Larne FC | Seaview (Belfast) |
| 20 | Dungannon Swifts FC | The Showgrounds (Coleraine) |
| FT | Portadown FC | Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena |
| FT | Cliftonville | The Showgrounds (Ballymena) |
| PSPD | Warrenpoint Town FC | Inver Park |
| PSPD | Carrick Rangers FC | Stangmore Park |
| PSPD | Linfield FC | Seaview (Belfast) |
| PSPD | Portadown FC | The Showgrounds (Coleraine) |
| PSPD | Glentoran FC | Milltown Playing Fields |
| PSPD | Dungannon Swifts FC | Shamrock Park |
| PSPD | Coleraine FC | Windsor Park (Belfast) |
| PSPD | Larne FC | Solitude (Belfast) |
| PSPD | Glenavon FC | Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena |
| PSPD | Crusaders FC | The Showgrounds (Ballymena) |
| PSPD | Ballymena United FC | Mourneview Park |
| PSPD | Dungannon Swifts FC | Milltown Playing Fields |
| PSPD | Glenavon FC | Shamrock Park |
| PSPD | Glentoran FC | Windsor Park (Belfast) |