The 2013–14 NIFL Championship (known as the Belfast Telegraph Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland. This was the first season that the league was operated by the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL), which took over from the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the 2013–14 season onwards. The season began on 9 August 2013 and ended on 10 May 2014.

Institute won the Championship 1 title, winning promotion back to the top flight for the first time since the 2009–10 season. In the bottom two, Limavady United and Coagh United were relegated to Championship 2. Armagh City and PSNI replaced them in Championship 1, after finishing first and second in Championship 2. For the first time since the Championship was inaugurated in 2008, a club was relegated to regional football. Killymoon Rangers finished bottom of Championship 2 and were relegated to a regional division for the following season. Also leaving Championship 2 was Chimney Corner. In July 2014, the club announced that they would be resigning from the Championship to join the Ballymena & Provincial League for the following season.

Team changes from 2012–13

Ards were last season's winners of Championship 1, achieving promotion to the 2013–14 NIFL Premiership. Lisburn Distillery replaced them for this season's Championship 1, after finishing in 12th place in the previous season's Premiership. Championship 1 runners-up Warrenpoint Town were also promoted, by defeating Donegal Celtic on the away goals rule after the promotion/relegation play-off ended 2–2 on aggregate.

As a result of Newry City's expulsion the previous season, only the 13th-placed club, Tobermore United, were relegated to Championship 2. Championship 2 winners Knockbreda and runners-up Ballyclare Comrades were both promoted to Championship 1. The last remaining place in Championship 2 was filled by the winner of a two-legged promotion play-off between Mid-Ulster Football League champions Dollingstown and Northern Amateur Football League champions Newington YC. Newington YC won the play-off on the away goals rule after the tie ended 4–4 on aggregate, to gain promotion to Championship 2 for the first time.

Promoted from Championship 1 to the Premiership

Relegated from the Premiership to Championship 1

Promoted from Championship 2 to Championship 1

Relegated from Championship 1 to Championship 2

Promoted from Northern Amateur Football League to Championship 2

  • Newington YC (1st in NAFL Premier Division - promoted via play-off)

Championship 1

Stadia and locations

2013–14 NIFL Championship is located in Northern Ireland
Location of teams in the 2013–14 NIFL Championship 1
2013–14 NIFL Championship is located in Greater Belfast
Location of the Belfast-based teams in the 2013–14 NIFL Championship 1
ClubStadiumLocationCapacity
Ballyclare ComradesDixon ParkBallyclare1,800 (500 seated)
BangorClandeboye ParkBangor2,850 (500 seated)
Carrick RangersTaylors AvenueCarrickfergus6,000 (400 seated)
Coagh UnitedHagan ParkCoagh2,000 (179 seated)
DergviewDarragh ParkCastlederg1,200 (100 seated)
Donegal CelticDonegal Celtic ParkBelfast2,330 (650 seated)
DundelaWilgar ParkBelfast2,500 (100 seated)
Harland & Wolff WeldersTillysburn ParkBelfast3,000 (100 seated)
InstituteRiverside StadiumDrumahoe3,110 (1,540 seated)
KnockbredaBreda ParkKnockbreda1,000 (100 seated)
LarneInver ParkLarne1,100 (656 seated)
Limavady UnitedThe ShowgroundsLimavady524 (174 seated)
Lisburn DistilleryNew Grosvenor StadiumBallyskeagh7,000 (540 seated)
LoughgallLakeview ParkLoughgall3,000 (180 seated)

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsPromotion or relegation
1Institute (C, P)2615927235+3754Promotion to NIFL Premiership
2Bangor2616556539+2653
3Knockbreda2614485736+2146
4Dundela2614486547+1846
5Carrick Rangers2614485234+1846
6Harland & Wolff Welders2611874634+1241
7Ballyclare Comrades26104125350+334
8Loughgall2696114856−833
9Larne2695123247−1532
10Lisburn Distillery2687114349−631
11Donegal Celtic2685134155−1429
12Dergview2668123046−1626
13Coagh United (R)2656153874−3621Relegation to NIFL Championship 2
14Limavady United (R)2643191959−4015

Results

Each team will play every other team twice (once at home, and once away) for a total of 26 games.

Home \ AwayBCCBGRCRKCOADGVDGCDNDH&WINSKNBLRNLIMLISLGL
Ballyclare Comrades0–10–11–22–01–15–32–25–12–54–03–20–32–0
Bangor4–00–35–02–11–03–21–10–12–03–23–16–26–1
Carrick Rangers4–22–21–03–13–40–13–21–23–01–21–03–11–2
Coagh United0–21–61–62–33–10–22–21–12–31–12–14–42–3
Dergview1–55–02–10–02–12–30–01–10–51–20–03–31–1
Donegal Celtic1–61–40–06–10–15–30–30–51–01–12–11–14–2
Dundela3–05–11–12–32–23–20–21–14–00–11–02–02–1
Harland & Wolff Welders1–12–21–24–02–00–23–60–11–11–03–03–31–2
Institute3–22–25–16–24–04–24–03–10–06–12–02–11–1
Knockbreda2–03–03–15–11–24–15–40–12–21–04–02–23–1
Larne0–10–41–23–32–11–10–20–34–31–55–11–02–0
Limavady United3–31–20–51–01–02–10–41–30–51–20–01–01–2
Lisburn Distillery1–01–31–11–32–02–03–60–12–23–11–22–02–1
Loughgall6–42–20–24–21–11–33–32–35–51–01–04–11–2

Championship 2

Stadia and locations

2013–14 NIFL Championship is located in Northern Ireland
Location of teams in the 2013–14 NIFL Championship 2
2013–14 NIFL Championship is located in Greater Belfast
Location of the Belfast-based teams in the 2013–14 NIFL Championship 2
ClubStadiumLocationCapacity
Annagh UnitedTandragee RoadPortadown1,250 (100 seated)
Armagh CityHolm ParkArmagh3,000 (330 seated)
Ballymoney UnitedRiada StadiumBallymoney5,752 (218 seated)
Banbridge TownCrystal ParkBanbridge1,500 (100 seated)
Chimney CornerAllen ParkAntrim2,000 (106 seated)
Glebe RangersRiada StadiumBallymoney5,752 (218 seated)
Killymoon RangersMid Ulster Sports ArenaCookstown700 (100 seated)
Lurgan CelticKnockrammer ParkLurgan1,000 (100 seated)
Moyola ParkMill MeadowCastledawson1,000 (200 seated)
Newington YCSeaviewBelfast3,383 (all seated)
PortstewartSeahavenPortstewart500 (100 seated)
PSNINewforge LaneBelfast500 (112 seated)
Queen's UniversityDub StadiumBelfast1,000 (100 seated)
Sport & Leisure SwiftsGlen Road HeightsBelfast500 (215 seated)
Tobermore UnitedFortwilliam ParkTobermore1,500 (100 seated)
WakehurstMill MeadowCastledawson1,000 (200 seated)

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsPromotion or relegation
1Armagh City (C, P)3025239026+6477Promotion to NIFL Championship 1
2PSNI (P)3020648428+5666
3Queen's University3019654732+1563
4Newington YC3015965632+2454
5Annagh United3015787553+2252
6Banbridge Town30162126044+1650
7Moyola Park30144126153+846
8Portstewart30127115246+643
9Ballymoney United30116136159+239
10Tobermore United30104164763−1634
11Glebe Rangers30103174864−1633
12Lurgan Celtic3096154167−2633
13Wakehurst3076174775−2827
14Chimney Corner (R)3072213875−3723Resigned to join Ballymena & Provincial Regional league
15Sport & Leisure Swifts3057183770−3322
16Killymoon Rangers (R)3053223390−5718Relegation to Ballymena & Provincial Regional league

Results

Each team plays every other team twice (once at home, and once away) for a total of 30 games.

Home \ AwayANNARMBMYBBTCHIGBEKMRLGCMOYNTNPSTPSNIQUESLSTOBWAK
Annagh United0–36–22–09–11–03–01–03–04–23–31–13–43–13–17–2
Armagh City5–12–14–09–23–06–04–04–22–03–12–11–03–03–06–0
Ballymoney United3–31–20–11–33–43–14–01–25–20–21–33–43–11–03–3
Banbridge Town4–31–43–03–23–12–01–11–02–12–01–20–21–16–03–1
Chimney Corner2–32–11–10–10–23–04–00–41–41–50–20–11–01–23–0
Glebe Rangers0–30–21–22–13–21–01–33–51–11–21–81–24–02–44–0
Killymoon Rangers1–20–41–00–74–23–33–31–60–40–12–20–22–42–55–4
Lurgan Celtic1–10–10–41–40–13–25–13–02–20–52–00–13–30–22–1
Moyola Park5–21–22–64–34–00–31–24–00–35–20–31–01–15–00–0
Newington YC1–11–02–22–02–12–02–02–21–00–11–13–04–02–14–1
Portstewart1–14–10–11–02–21–23–00–10–00–30–50–14–13–12–3
PSNI5–03–35–13–13–03–12–07–04–01–23–20–02–03–22–3
Queen's University2–12–42–42–12–11–13–13–20–00–01–10–01–03–02–1
Sport & Leisure Swifts3–12–20–23–22–11–32–43–41–33–30–10–30–13–31–1
Tobermore United0–41–20–00–23–13–02–02–12–30–02–20–22–34–02–4
Wakehurst0–00–23–32–42–02–13–00–22–31–03–32–51–20–12–3