|
IFA Cup
The Irish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly referred to as the Irish Cup (currently known as the Clearer Water Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) is the primary football knockout cup competition in Northern Ireland. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth-oldest national cup competition in the world. Prior to the break-away from the Irish Football Association by clubs from what would become the Irish Free State in 1921, the Irish Cup was the national cup competition for the whole of Ireland. Since 3 October 2023, the cup has been sponsored by ''Clearer Water''. It was previously sponsored by Nationwide Building Society, Bass Ireland Ltd, JJB Sports, Tennent's Lager and Sadler's Peaky Blinder and Samuel Gelston's Irish Whiskey. Dungannon Swifts are the current holders after defeating Cliftonville 4–3 on penalties in the 2025 final. Format During the cup's history, different formats and rules have been used in respect of eligibility to enter the competition, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irish Football Association
The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body for association football in Northern Ireland. It organised the Ireland national football team (1882–1950), Ireland national football team from 1880 to 1950, which after 1954, became the Northern Ireland national football team. History Foundation of the IFA The IFA was formed on 18 November 1880 by seven football clubs mostly in the Belfast area, as the organising body for the sport across all of Ireland. A meeting was called by Cliftonville FC, Cliftonville of other football clubs that followed the rules set out by the Scottish Football Association (SFA). At that meeting, on 18 November of that year, seven clubs formed the IFA, making it the fourth oldest national football association in the world (after those of The Football Association, England, Scottish Football Association, Scotland and Football Association of Wales, Wales). The founding members were: Alexander F.C., Alexander, Avoniel F.C., Avoniel, Cliftonvill ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NIFL Premier Intermediate League
The NIFL Premier Intermediate League (Known as the Playr-Fit NIFL Premier Intermediate League for sponsorship reasons) is the third level of the Northern Ireland Football League, the national association football league in Northern Ireland, and the highest intermediate division in Northern Ireland, occupying level three in the Northern Ireland football league system – below the NIFL Premiership (level 1) and NIFL Championship (level 2). The third level in Northern Irish football was known as the Irish League Second Division from 1999 to 2003, the Irish Second Division from 2003 to 2008, the IFA Interim Intermediate League from 2008 to 2009, the IFA Championship 2 from 2009 to 2013, and the NIFL Championship 2 from 2013 to 2016. The league is set to be replaced at the start of the 2026 season by a new conference league format. History Under reforms agreed by the NIFL clubs in 2014, from 2016, when the previous Championship 1 acquired senior status, Championship 2 continued a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NIFL Premiership
The NIFL Premiership, known as the Sports Direct Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and Irish Premiership colloquially, is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Northern Ireland Football League – the national league in Northern Ireland. The NIFL Premiership was established as the IFA Premiership in 2008 under the auspices of the Irish Football Association as the successor to the Irish Premier League, before the Northern Ireland Football League was created for the start of the 2013–14 season. At the end of the season, the champion club is presented with the Gibson Cup. Linfield F.C., Linfield are the current champions, winning their 9th title in the 2024–25 NIFL Premiership, 2024–25 season. Origin The current format was introduced for the 2008–09 IFA Premiership, 2008–09 season after the league system for Northern Ireland was re-organised. The top flight was reduced in size from 16 to 12 clubs, included on the b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cliftonville Cricket Ground
Cliftonville Cricket Ground was a sports ground in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was previously used for cricket, football and hockey, hosting a football international in 1887, but was closed following sectarian attacks in 1972. It is now owned by Belfast City Council and used for Gaelic games. History Cliftonville Cricket Ground was the first home ground of Cliftonville F.C. However, after the creation of the Irish Football League in 1890 the club moved across the road to Solitude. In 1880 Enfield Cricket Club moved to the ground and were renamed Cliftonville Cricket Club. They remained at the ground until 1972 when a series of sectarian attacks against members and the looting and burning of the clubhouse by a hostile mob led to them leaving. It hosted the first Irish Cup final in 1881. On 12 March 1887 the ground was used to host a British Home Championship football match between Ireland and Wales; the Irish won 4–1 with 4,000 in attendance, marking Ireland's first-eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel. It is the second-largest city in Ireland (after Dublin), with an estimated population of in , and a Belfast metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of 671,559. First chartered as an English settlement in 1613, the town's early growth was driven by an influx of Scottish people, Scottish Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Presbyterians. Their descendants' disaffection with Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland's Protestant Ascendancy, Anglican establishment contributed to the Irish Rebellion of 1798, rebellion of 1798, and to the Acts of Union 1800, union with Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain in 1800—later regarded as a key to the town's industrial transformation. When granted City status in the United Kingdom#Northern Ireland, city s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
County Londonderry
County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. Before the partition of Ireland, it was one of the Counties of Ireland, counties of the Kingdom of Ireland from 1613 onward and then of the United Kingdom after the Acts of Union 1800. Adjoining the north-west shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and today has a population of about 252,231. Since 1972, the counties in Northern Ireland, including Londonderry, have no longer been used by the state as part of the local administration. Following further reforms in 2015, the area is now governed under three different districts: Derry and Strabane, Causeway Coast and Glens and Mid-Ulster District, Mid-Ulster. Despite no longer being used for local government and administrative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castledawson
Castledawson is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is mostly within the townland of Shanemullagh (, IPA: �anˠˈʃanˠˌwʊl̪ˠəx, about four miles from the north-western shore of Lough Neagh, and near the market town of Magherafelt. In the 2011 census, it had a population of 2,289. History The village sits on the River Moyola and was originally called "Dawson's Bridge". The bridge that crossed the river here was once the largest single span stone bridge in Ireland. The village was named after its 'castle' (actually a large manor house) built by Joshua Dawson in 1713. He was Chief Secretary for Ireland and founded the village in 1710. The Dawson estate, Shanemullagh, shares its name with the original townland name. The Dawson family also founded Christ Church, on the edge of that estate, in the early 18th century. On 29 June 1912, a large group of Ancient Order of Hibernians members, allegedly drunk after having held a parade, clashed with a party of Presb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moyola Park F
Moyola may refer to: * River Moyola, Northern Ireland * Moyola Park, estate on the river * Baron Moyola Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ..., title of James Chichester-Clark * Maigh Seóla, a plain in County Galway, Ireland {{dab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1880–81 Irish Cup
The 1880–81 Irish Cup was the inaugural edition of the Irish Cup, the premier knock-out cup competition in Irish football. The competition began on 5 February 1881 with the first round and ended on 9 April 1881 with the final. Moyola Park were the first winners of the competition, and they have never won it since. The competition was played in a straight knock-out format. If a match ended level at full time, a replay was required to decide the winner. The first Irish Cup replay was between Cliftonville and Knock on 26 March 1881. William Morrow of Moyola Park scored the first goal in an Irish Cup final during his club's 1–0 win over Cliftonville to lift the trophy. Results First round The draw for the first round was made on 10 January 1881, with the matches played on Saturday, 5 February 1881. Alexander received a bye into the semi-finals as a result of the odd number of seven participants. , - Semi-finals The 3 first round winners entered this round, along with Alexa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Irish Football Clubs In European Competitions
Irish League football clubs have participated in European football competitions since 1957, when in the 1957–58 season, Glenavon took part in the European Cup – the first Irish League club to do so. In total, 16 clubs have represented Northern Ireland in European competition. History As of the 2020–21 season, the NIFL Premiership champions qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The runners-up, the Europa League play-off winners and the Irish Cup winners qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League. If, however, the cup winners have already qualified for Europe by finishing first or second in the league, the Europa Conference League place goes to the league's third-placed club. Only the league champions have ever represented the Irish League in the European Cup/Champions League. Glenavon were the first team ever to represent Northern Ireland in any of the four competitions, when in the first round of the 1957–58 European Cup they played out a 0–0 draw against Dani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Windsor Park
The National Football Stadium at Windsor Park (officially the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park for sponsorship reasons), or the National Football Stadium, also known as Windsor Park is a association football, football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home ground of Linfield F.C., Linfield who own the land the stadium is built on, while the Irish Football Association own and operate the stadium and pay Linfield an annual rental fee for the use of the land on behalf of the Northern Ireland national football team. The stadium is usually where the Irish Cup final is played. History Named after the Windsor, Belfast, district in south Belfast in which it is located, Windsor Park was first opened in 1905, with a match between Linfield and Glentoran F.C., Glentoran. The first major development of the stadium took place in the 1930s, to a design made by the Scottish architect Archibald Leitch. It had one main seated stand – the Grandstand, later known as th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Penalty Shootout (association Football)
In association football, a penalty shoot-out (previously known as kicks from the penalty mark) is a tie-breaking method to determine which team is awarded victory in a match that cannot end in a draw, when the score is tied after the normal time as well as extra time (if used) has expired. For example, in a FIFA World Cup, penalties are used in elimination matches; the round of 32, the round of 16, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, and the final. In a penalty shoot-out, each team takes turns shooting at goal from the penalty mark, with the goal defended only by the opposing team's goalkeeper. Each team has five shots which must be taken by different players; the team that makes more successful kicks is declared the victor. Shoot-outs finish as soon as one team has an insurmountable lead. If scores are level after five pairs of shots, the shootout progresses into additional " sudden-death" rounds. Balls successfully kicked into the goal during a shoot-out do not count as go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
