2010–11 IFA Championship
The 2010–11 IFA Championship (known as the Ladbrokes.com Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the third season since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland. The Championship was divided into two divisions, with the clubs in both divisions having intermediate status. Championship 1 served as the second tier of Northern Irish football, with Championship 2 as the third tier. Loughgall were the defending champions of Championship 1.
Season | 2010–11 |
---|---|
← 2009–10 2011–12 → |
In Championship 1, Carrick Rangers secured the title and promotion to the Premiership on 2 May 2011, after Limavady United failed to beat Ballymoney United, leaving them 7 points behind with only two games left to play.[1] Limavady United finished as runners-up but were ineligible for promotion as they did not gain the required licence from the IFA. As a result, the promotion/relegation play-off did not take place. Ballymoney United and Ballyclare Comrades finished in the bottom two, and were relegated to next season's Championship 2.
In Championship 2, Warrenpoint Town were playing their first ever season as an intermediate club, and they went on to win the Championship 2 title after only one season in the division. With the title came promotion to next season's Championship 1. Also promoted were Tobermore United, who finished as runners-up.
Chimney Corner finished bottom of Championship 2 for the second successive season, but avoided relegation when Dollingstown, playing in the Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A division (one tier below Championship 2), finished as league champions but were denied promotion to Championship 2 when they were later found to have fielded an ineligible player in eight league matches. As a result, Dollingstown were deducted all the points that they had gained in the matches the player had taken part in, demoting the club to 4th place in the final league table. The club appealed the decision and took their case all the way to the High Court, but it was dismissed. Tandragee Rovers were crowned champions of the division instead, but did not apply for entry to Championship 2.[2][3] If Dollingstown had won their case they would have been promoted to Championship 2, with Chimney Corner being relegated.
Team changes from 2009–10
Promoted from Championship 1 to IFA Premiership
- Donegal Celtic (2nd in Championship 1)
Relegated from IFA Premiership to Championship 1
- Institute (12th in IFA Premiership)
Promoted from Championship 2 to Championship 1
- Harland & Wolff Welders (1st in Championship 2)
- Dergview (2nd in Championship 2)
Relegated from Championship 1 to Championship 2
- Coagh United (13th in Championship 1)
- Armagh City (14th in Championship 1)
Elected to Championship 2
Championship 1
Champions | Carrick Rangers |
---|---|
Promoted | Carrick Rangers |
Relegated | Ballyclare Comrades Ballymoney United |
Matches played | 182 |
Goals scored | 562 (3.09 per match) |
Biggest home win | Larne 7–0 Bangor |
Biggest away win | Loughgall 1–5 Bangor Ballyclare 0–4 Larne |
Highest scoring | Limavady United 6–2 Carrick Rangers |
Stadia and locations
Club | Stadium | Location | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
Ards | Dixon Park | Ballyclare | 1,800 (500 seated) |
Ballinamallard United | Ferney Park | Ballinamallard | 2,000 (100 seated) |
Ballyclare Comrades | Dixon Park | Ballyclare | 1,800 (500 seated) |
Ballymoney United | Riada Stadium | Ballymoney | 5,752 (218 seated) |
Banbridge Town | Crystal Park | Banbridge | 1,500 (100 seated) |
Bangor | Clandeboye Park | Bangor | 2,850 (500 seated) |
Carrick Rangers | Taylors Avenue | Carrickfergus | 6,000 (400 seated) |
Dergview | Darragh Park | Castlederg | 1,200 (100 seated) |
Glebe Rangers | Riada Stadium | Ballymoney | 5,752 (218 seated) |
Harland & Wolff Welders | Tillysburn Park | Belfast | 3,000 (100 seated) |
Institute | Riverside Stadium | Drumahoe | 2,350 (1,540 seated) |
Larne | Inver Park | Larne | 1,100 (656 seated) |
Limavady United | The Showgrounds | Limavady | 524 (274 seated) |
Loughgall | Lakeview Park | Loughgall | 3,000 (180 seated) |
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Carrick Rangers (C, P) | 26 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 57 | 27 | +30 | 58 | Promotion to IFA Premiership |
2 | Limavady United[lower-alpha 1] | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 53 | 27 | +26 | 51 | |
3 | Dergview | 26 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 51 | 32 | +19 | 48 | |
4 | Bangor | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 45 | 38 | +7 | 41 | |
5 | Ballinamallard United | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 45 | 38 | +7 | 39[lower-alpha 2] | |
6 | Harland & Wolff Welders | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 45 | 38 | +7 | 39[lower-alpha 2] | |
7 | Ards | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 37 | 42 | −5 | 34 | |
8 | Institute | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 43 | −15 | 34 | |
9 | Larne | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 38 | 41 | −3 | 30 | |
10 | Loughgall | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 37 | 48 | −11 | 30 | |
11 | Banbridge Town | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 31 | 39 | −8 | 28 | |
12 | Glebe Rangers | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 36 | 46 | −10 | 28 | |
13 | Ballymoney United (R) | 26 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 31 | 48 | −17 | 23 | Relegation to IFA Championship 2 |
14 | Ballyclare Comrades (R) | 26 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 28 | 55 | −27 | 21 |
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
- Limavady United were ineligible for the promotion play-off, as they did not attain the required licence for promotion.
- Head-to head tiebreaker: BMD 4–2 HAR; HAR 2–2 BMD
Results
Each team plays every other team twice (once at home, and once away) for a total of 26 games.
Championship 2
Champions | Warrenpoint Town |
---|---|
Promoted | Warrenpoint Town Tobermore United |
Matches played | 240 |
Goals scored | 860 (3.58 per match) |
Biggest home win | Queen's University 7–0 Lurgan Celtic |
Biggest away win | Chimney Corner 2–8 Warrenpoint Town Annagh United 1–7 PSNI |
Highest scoring | Chimney Corner 2–8 Warrenpoint Town Sport & Leisure Swifts 7–3 Chimney Corner |
Stadia and locations
Club | Stadium | Location | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
Annagh United | Tandragee Road | Portadown | 1,250 (100 seated) |
Armagh City | Holm Park | Armagh | 3,000 (330 seated) |
Chimney Corner | Allen Park | Antrim | 2,000 (100 seated) |
Coagh United | Hagan Park | Coagh | 2,000 (179 seated) |
Dundela | Wilgar Park | Belfast | 2,500 (100 seated) |
Killymoon Rangers | Mid Ulster Sports Arena | Cookstown | 1,000 (100 seated) |
Knockbreda | Upper Braniel | Knockbreda | 1,000 (100 seated) |
Lurgan Celtic | Knockrammer Park | Lurgan | 1,000 (100 seated) |
Moyola Park | Mill Meadow | Castledawson | 1,000 (200 seated) |
Portstewart | Seahaven | Portstewart | 1,000 (100 seated) |
PSNI | Newforge Lane | Belfast | 500 (112 seated) |
Queen's University | Newforge Lane | Belfast | 500 (112 seated) |
Sport & Leisure Swifts | Glen Road Heights | Belfast | 500 (215 seated) |
Tobermore United | Fortwilliam Park | Tobermore | 1,500 (100 seated) |
Wakehurst | Mill Meadow | Castledawson | 1,000 (200 seated) |
Warrenpoint Town | Milltown Playing Fields | Warrenpoint | 500 (100 seated) |
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Warrenpoint Town (C, P) | 30 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 84 | 26 | +58 | 73 | Promotion to IFA Championship 1 |
2 | Tobermore United (P) | 30 | 20 | 4 | 6 | 67 | 36 | +31 | 64 | |
3 | Knockbreda | 30 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 59 | 32 | +27 | 62 | |
4 | Dundela | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 74 | 41 | +33 | 57 | |
5 | Queen's University | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 61 | 35 | +26 | 55 | |
6 | Coagh United | 30 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 66 | 48 | +18 | 54 | |
7 | Wakehurst | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 62 | 54 | +8 | 46 | |
8 | Sport & Leisure Swifts | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 52 | 58 | −6 | 42 | |
9 | Portstewart | 30 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 51 | 52 | −1 | 38 | |
10 | PSNI | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 56 | 58 | −2 | 37 | |
11 | Lurgan Celtic | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 48 | 62 | −14 | 33 | |
12 | Armagh City | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 43 | 60 | −17 | 33 | |
13 | Annagh United | 30 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 34 | 66 | −32 | 26 | |
14 | Killymoon Rangers | 30 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 37 | 64 | −27 | 24 | |
15 | Moyola Park | 30 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 31 | 67 | −36 | 23 | |
16 | Chimney Corner | 30 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 35 | 101 | −66 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored; 4th head-to-head points; 5th head-to-head goal difference
(C) Champion; (P) Promoted.
Results
Each team plays every other team twice (once at home, and once away) for a total of 30 games.
References
- "Carrick Rangers win league and cup on same night". BBC Sport. BBC Sport. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- Dollingstown FC case 'could go to European court'
- Dollingstown disgust after club loses in court