2015–16 NIFL Championship


The 2015–16 NIFL Championship was the eighth and final season of the competition in this format since its establishment after a major overhaul of the league system in Northern Ireland, and the third season of the league as part of the Northern Ireland Football League, which took over from the Irish Football Association for the 2013–14 season onwards. The season began on 8 August 2015, and concluded on 30 April 2016.

Changes from 2014–15

Competition changes

League restructure proposals to be introduced over a three-season period were approved by the NIFL on 25 June 2014. The second phase, coming into effect this season, amended the Championship rules:
won the previous season's Championship 1 title, winning promotion back to the top flight for the first time since their relegation in the 2011–12 season. In the bottom two, Dundela and PSNI were relegated to this season's Championship 2, while Lurgan Celtic and Annagh United went in the opposite direction after finishing first and second in Championship 2. For the second successive season, a club was relegated to regional football. Ballymoney United finished bottom of Championship 2 and were relegated to a regional division for the following season. As a result, Championship 2 reduced in size to 14 clubs.
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
Relegated from Championship 2 to Level 4 Regional League

Stadia and locations

ClubStadiumLocationCapacity
Annagh UnitedTandragee RoadPortadown1,250
ArdsClandeboye ParkBangor2,850
Armagh CityHolm ParkArmagh3,000
Ballyclare ComradesDixon ParkBallyclare1,800
BangorClandeboye ParkBangor2,850
DergviewDarragh ParkCastlederg1,200
Donegal CelticDonegal Celtic ParkBelfast2,330
Harland & Wolff WeldersTillysburn ParkBelfast3,000
InstituteRiverside StadiumDrumahoe3,110
KnockbredaBreda ParkKnockbreda1,000
LarneInver ParkLarne1,100
Lisburn DistilleryNew Grosvenor StadiumBallyskeagh7,000
LoughgallLakeview ParkLoughgall3,000
Lurgan CelticKnockrammer ParkLurgan1,000

League table

Results

Each team will play every other team twice for a total of 26 games.

Championship 2

Stadia and locations

ClubStadiumLocationCapacity
Banbridge TownCrystal ParkBanbridge1,500
Coagh UnitedHagan ParkCoagh2,000
DollingstownPlanters ParkLurgan1,000
DundelaWilgar ParkBelfast2,500
Glebe RangersRiada StadiumBallymoney5,752
Limavady UnitedThe ShowgroundsLimavady1,000
Moyola ParkMill MeadowCastledawson1,000
Newington YCSeaviewBelfast3,383
PortstewartSeahavenPortstewart1,000
PSNINewforge LaneBelfast500
Queen's UniversityDub StadiumBelfast1,000
Sport & Leisure SwiftsGlen Road HeightsBelfast500
Tobermore UnitedFortwilliam ParkTobermore1,500
WakehurstMill MeadowCastledawson1,000

League table

Results

Each team will play every other team twice for a total of 26 games.