Irish FA's big spend on failed bid to bring Euro 2028 football to Belfast revealed
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BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
NIFL set for two-tier restructure for 2026-27
The Northern Ireland Football League has announced a restructure for the 2026-27 season. NIFL is the body that runs the Irish Premiership, Championship and Premier Intermediate Leagues - the top three divisions in Northern Ireland which each contain 12 teams. However, a restructure will see an expanded 16-team Championship formed and bring an end to the Premier Intermediate League for the 2026-27 a National Conference League will be formed for tiers three to five of the football pyramid in Northern structure of the Irish Premiership will remain unchanged and NIFL says the goal is to have five divisions of 12 teams within "three to four years".At the end of the 2025-26 season, there will be no relegation from the Championship and the top four teams from the Premier Intermediate League will be promoted to the second tier for the restructure. The remaining teams will be part of the National Conference says the move is an "evolution" and chief operating officer Steven Mills said it came as a result of both Irish FA and NIFL strategies. "I believe they create a clear performance pathway for ambitious clubs, while also challenging existing clubs to further develop and progress," said Mills."A lot of work from key stakeholders has gone into this, and we thank them all for their input, most importantly our clubs. "This also further highlights the urgent need for the NI Football Fund to come to fruition and for increased investment to continue growing the game, as our clubs continue to face the evolving challenges and needs of their communities."In addition to the restructure, the NIFL board has a new Professional Game Ground Criteria, which is a five-year plan to raise standards across the Premiership and Championship.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Joel Cooper is a serial winner who can help our title dreams come true, insists Coleraine coach
Coleraine's new coach Kevin Deery says he expects Joel Cooper to fire the club back into the hunt for major silverware and he's also shared his fears that the winter game will keep slamming the brakes on Irish League progress in Europe. After the Belfast Telegraph had disclosed details of a pre-contract deal in December, Coleraine announced in June the arrival of title winner Cooper on a 'multi-year deal'.
Belfast Telegraph
6 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Orange Order hits out at ‘inaccurate, sensationalist and divisive' media coverage
Releasing a statement on Monday evening, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland (GOLI) criticised the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life, BBC NI and the Irish News. The statement also criticised recent coverage around the cancellation of a cross-community sports event at North Down Cricket Club last week and said this newspaper had 'erroneously reported the cost of policing the 2025 Twelfth'. Responding to the statement from the organisation, a spokesperson for the Belfast Telegraph said: "The Belfast Telegraph reports on issues across Northern Ireland without fear or favour and will continue to do so. 'We are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation and any complaints about our journalism can be made directly to us. "In relation to the Twelfth, we featured extensive coverage, as we do every year, including three separate supplements across the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life. "We have investigated one factual inaccuracy brought to our attention by the Orange Order statement and are happy to correct it as soon as possible.' In their statement, the Orange Order referenced a story published in the Sunday Life at the weekend on the back of a political row around the cancellation of children's sports event organised by North Down Cricket Club in Comber – branding the story 'victimisation'. The organisation also criticised media coverage of the Portrush Sons of Ulster band parade which took place during The Open golf tournament on the north coast, claiming it 'provided another opportunity for sections of the media to demonise the unionist community and our culture'. Criticising BBC NI, the Orange Order said their reporting of the cancellation of the North Down Cricket Club in Comber was 'relentless and unbalanced' and said the broadcaster's coverage of the Twelfth continued to "marginalise Orangeism". Responding in a statement on their website, a BBC NI spokesperson said its coverage of the Twelfth reflected "their scale and significance for those taking part". "We provided extensive, cross-platform coverage of the Orange Order's 12 July events," they added. "Our multiple news reports were informative and impartial.
