The Northern Ireland Football League Championship, known as the NIFL Bluefin Sport Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second division of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national football league in Northern Ireland.
It was founded in 2008 as the Premier Intermediate League for members of the previous IFA Intermediate League that met the new stricter membership criteria, though was marketed as the IFA Championship. In 2009, it was extended to two divisions: Championship 1 and Championship 2 with promotion and relegation between the two. In 2013, the Championship and IFA Premiership were replaced by a single Northern Ireland Football League, independent of the Irish Football Association (IFA).
Under reforms agreed by the NIFL clubs in 2014, from 2016-17, Championship 1 acquired senior status, continuing as the NIFL Championship, while Championship 2 continued as the Premier Intermediate League, retaining its intermediate status
The 2017–18 NIFL Championship is the second season of the second-tier Irish League since gaining senior status
The 2017–18 NIFL Championship will consist of 12 teams. Warrenpoint Town were champions in the previous season and were promoted to the 2017–18 NIFL Premiership. The winners of the promotion pre-play-off, second-placed finishers Institute were defeated by Carrick Rangers in the Premiership play-off, therefore failing to achieve promotion.
The bottom team from the previous season, Annagh United was relegated to the third-tier NIFL Premier Intermediate League. They were replaced by Limavady United, winners of the Premier Intermediate League. In addition, second from bottom team from the previous season, Armagh City were relegated and replaced by third-tier runners-up Newry City A.F.C., against whom they lost a two-legged play-off.
Limavady United
During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home-and-away).
During matches 23–32 each team played every other team in their half of the table twice (home-and-away).
Institute celebrate winning the Bluefin Sport Championship (
NIFL Premiership play-offs
The second and third-placed teams from the Championship, will take part in the Premiership pre-play-off. The winners will then play the second-bottom-placed team in the NIFL Premiership in the play-off.
NIFL Championship play-off
The eleventh-placed team from the Championship will play the runners-up from the 2017–18 Premier Intermediate League over two legs for one spot in the NIFL Championship.
Source: https://www.nifootballleague.com
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