2021–22 NIFL Championship explained

Competition:NIFL Championship
Season:2021–22
Dates:7 Aug 2021 – 30 Apr 2022
Winners:Newry City
Promoted:Newry City
Relegated:Queen's University
Biggest Home Win:Loughgall 12–1 Annagh United
(30 April 2022)
Biggest Away Win:Knockbreda 1–6 Loughgall
(11 September 2021)
Highest Scoring:Loughgall 12–1 Annagh United
(30 April 2022)
Matches:228
Total Goals:720
Prevseason:2019–20
Nextseason:2022–23

The 2021–22 NIFL Championship (known as the Lough 41 Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the fifth season of the NIFL Championship since gaining senior status. It is the second-tier of the Northern Ireland Football League - the national football league in Northern Ireland. The season began on 7 August 2021 and concluded on 30 April 2022.

The Championship returned after a one-year hiatus, following the cancellation of the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland.

Portadown were the champions from the 2019–20 season. However, as they won promotion to the 2020–21 NIFL Premiership before the COVID-19 hiatus, they could not defend their title. Newry City were confirmed as champions on the final day of the 2021–22 season.

Teams

The 2021–22 NIFL Championship was contested by 12 teams, ten of which retained their Championship status from the 2019–20 season. Portadown were champions in the previous season, and were promoted to the 2020–21 NIFL Premiership. They were replaced by the bottom team in the NIFL Premiership, Institute. Runners-up Ballinamallard United missed out on promotion, as the NIFL Premiership play-off was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland.

The bottom Championship team from the previous season, PSNI, were relegated to the third-tier NIFL Premier Intermediate League. They were replaced by Annagh United, winners of the Premier Intermediate League. The eleventh-placed Championship team from the previous season, Knockbreda, had a reprieve, as the NIFL Championship play-off was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland.

Stadia and locations

ClubStadiumLocationCapacity[1]
Annagh UnitedTandragee RoadPortadown1,250 (100 seated)
ArdsBangor Fuels ArenaBangor1,895 (500 seated)
Ballinamallard UnitedFerney ParkBallinamallard2,000 (250 seated)
Ballyclare ComradesDixon ParkBallyclare5,333
DergviewDarragh ParkCastlederg1,200
DundelaWilgar ParkBelfast2,500
Harland & Wolff WeldersTillysburn ParkBelfast3,000
InstituteRyan McBride Brandywell StadiumDerry8,200
KnockbredaBreda ParkBelfast1,000
LoughgallLakeview ParkLoughgall3,000
Newry CityThe ShowgroundsNewry2,275 (1,080 seated)
Queen's UniversityUpper MaloneBelfast1,000 (330 seated)

League table

Results

Matches 1–22

During matches 1–22 each team played every other team twice (home and away).

Matches 23–33

During matches 23–33 each team played every other team for the third time (either at home, or away).

Matches 34–38

For the final five matches the table split into two halves, with teams ranked 1st–6th in Section A and teams ranked 7th–12th in Section B. During matches 34–38 each team played every other team in their respective section once. The fixtures were reversed from those played during rounds 23–33, ensuring that teams had played every other team in their respective section twice at home and twice away overall throughout the season.

Bottom six

NIFL Championship play-off

The eleventh-placed club, Knockbreda, faced the second-placed club from the 2021–22 NIFL Premier Intermediate League, Bangor, for one place in the following season's Championship.

----Knockbreda won 4–2 on aggregate.

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 B.J BandaBallinamallard United16
2 Benny IgiehonDergview14
Michael McLellanH&W Welders
4 Nedas MaciulaitisLoughgall13
5 Joshua McIlwaineBallinamallard Unitedrowspwan=210
Ruairi McDonaldAnnagh United10
7 Daniel HughesNewry City9

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NIFL Championship Venues 2021-2022 . Soccerway . 10 September 2021.