Ballymena & Provincial Football League
{{short description|Association football league in Northern Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football league
| image = 200px
| upright =
| country = Northern Ireland
| founded = 1948
| teams = 53 (11 in Premier)
| promotion = NIFL Premier Intermediate League
| levels = 4 (Premier only)
| domest_cup = Irish Cup
IFA Intermediate Cup
| champions = Coagh United (2022–23)
| most successful club =
| current =
}}
The Ballymena and Provincial Football League[http://ballymenaprovincialleague.niclubs.co.uk/league-rules Ballymena & Provincial Football League Rules]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} is a regional football league in Northern Ireland. The league has a Premier Division with intermediate status and three junior divisions: Junior Divisions 1, 2 and 3.
History
The league was formed as the Ballymena and District Junior League in 1948, with twelve founding members, including Moyola Park F.C., the only original member club that still retains membership through its reserve team. In 1983, the name was changed to the Ballymena and District Premier League, and in 1990, intermediate status was granted to the top division and the league was renamed as the Ballymena and Provincial Intermediate League. The league subsequently changed its name again to the current Ballymena and Provincial Football League.{{Cite web |url=http://ballymenaprovincialleague.niclubs.co.uk/history |title=Ballymena & Provincial League History |access-date=2014-08-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125131123/http://ballymenaprovincialleague.niclubs.co.uk/history |archive-date=2016-01-25 |url-status=dead }}
In 2023, the league announced a re-structure of the league in order to expand into two tiers (a Division One and Division Two) for the start of the 2024–25 season.{{citeweb|url=https://bpilorg.pitchero.com/general-league-announcement-77247|title=General League Announcement|publisher=Ballymena & Provincial FootbalL League|date=28 July 2023|accessdate=6 January 2024}}{{Dead link|date=March 2025}}
Intermediate clubs in membership (2023–24)
Currently, eighteen teams play in the Intermediate Division. The league champions can be promoted to NIFL Premier Intermediate League, providing they meet the admittance requirements.{{Cite web|url=http://bpilorg.pitchero.com/match-info/tables|title = Tables - Ballymena & Provincial Football League}}
| -table style="width: 100%; text-align: left;" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="3"
|valign="top"| Intermediate League A
|valign="top"| Intermediate League B |
Cups
Cups that are currently available only to clubs in the Ballymena & Provincial Intermediate Leagues are:
- Crawford Cup;
- McReynolds Cup;
- O'Gorman Cup;
- Canada Trophy;
- Linda Welshman Memorial Cup;
Teams in the junior divisions can play in the Irish Junior Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.nifootball.co.uk/league/viewleague/BallymenaAndProvincial.html |title=Cups |date=2008-10-03 |access-date=2008-10-03 |publisher=Ni Football |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921075728/http://www.nifootball.co.uk/league/viewleague/BallymenaAndProvincial.html |archive-date=21 September 2008 |url-status=dead }}
List of champions
| class="wikitable" |
| Season
!Champions |
|---|
| 1948-49
|Moyola Park{{cite web |title=Moyola Park. Club history. |url=https://www.moyolaparkfc.co.uk/club-history/ |access-date=26 June 2022 |website=Moyola Park FC}} |
| 1949-50 |
| 1951-1959
|unknown |
| 1959-60 |
| 1961-1973
|unknown |
| 1973-74 |
| 1976-1976
|unknown |
| 1976-77 |
| 1977-78 |
| 1979–2006
|unknown |
| 2006–07 |
| 2007–08 |
| 2008–09
|Coleraine Crusaders |
| 2009–10 |
| 2010–11 |
| 2011–12 |
| 2012–13 |
| 2013–14 |
| 2014–15 |
| 2015–16 |
| 2016–17 |
| 2017–18 |
| 2018–19
|Bangor[http://nifootball.co.uk/leagues/tables/bpil-premier-division nifootball] |
| 2021–22 |
| 2022–23 |
''Source: [https://archive.today/20130717145555/http://www.nifootball.co.uk/standings/bpil-premier-division/2006-2007 nifootball]
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://bpfl.leaguerepublic.com/index.html Ballymena & Provincial League] - (Official Website)
{{Football in Northern Ireland}}
{{UEFA fourth leagues}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballymena and Provincial Intermediate League}}