Season | 2015–16 |
---|---|
← 2014–15
|
Champions | Ards |
---|---|
Promoted | Ards |
Relegated |
Bangor (demoted) Donegal Celtic Lisburn Distillery |
Matches played | 182 |
Goals scored | 632 (3.47 per match) |
Biggest home win |
Armagh City 6–0 Lurgan Celtic (7 November 2015) |
Biggest away win |
Lisburn Distillery 1–9 Armagh City (2 April 2016) |
Highest scoring |
Loughgall 3–7 Larne (17 October 2015) Lisburn Distillery 1–9 Armagh City (2 April 2016) |
Champions | Limavady United |
---|---|
Promoted | PSNI |
Relegated |
Coagh United Dollingstown Glebe Rangers Portstewart Wakehurst |
Matches played | 182 |
Goals scored | 575 (3.16 per match) |
Biggest home win |
PSNI 7–0 Moyola Park (30 April 2016) |
Biggest away win |
Banbridge Town 0–6 Sport & Leisure Swifts (5 September 2015) |
Highest scoring |
Queen's University 4–5 Portstewart (28 November 2015) |
The 2015–16 NIFL Championship (known as the Belfast Telegraph Championship for sponsorship reasons) 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 (NIFL), which took over from the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the 2013–14 season onwards. The season began on 8 August 2015, and concluded on 30 April 2016.
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:
Carrick Rangers 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