NIFL Premiership Development League

{{Infobox football league

| country = Northern Ireland

| founded = 2016
2013–2016 (as NIFL Reserve League)
2003–2013 (as IFA Reserve League)
1999–2003 (as Irish League Reserve League)
{{nowrap|1977–1999 (as Irish League B Division Section 2)}}

| divisions = 1

| teams = 12

| domest_cup = IFA Intermediate Cup
George Wilson Cup

| champions = Crusaders Reserves (2022–23)

| most successful club = Linfield Swifts (17)

}}

The NIFL Development League (prior to 2016, the NIFL Reserve League) is an intermediate Association football league in Northern Ireland consisting of the reserve teams of the twelve NIFL Premiership clubs.

Current members (2022–23)

History

The NIFL Development League is the successor to the NIFL Reserve League, which in turn was the successor to the Irish League B Division Section 2 which was formed in 1977, when the B Division split into two sections: Section 1 for intermediate clubs and the other for the reserve teams of senior clubs. Since the foundation of the B Division in 1951, these two categories of teams had competed together. In 1999, Section 1 of the B Division was renamed the Irish League Second Division and Section 2 became the Irish League Reserve League. In 2003, on the formation of the Irish Premier League, the IFA took direct control and the league was renamed the IFA Reserve League. In 2013, the Northern Ireland Football League took over, and the league was again renamed, to the NIFL Reserve League.{{cite news|url=http://www.ifapremiership.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=870&catid=3&Itemid=12|title=NORTHERN IRELAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE|work=NIFL Premiership}} In 2016, it became the NIFL Development League, with an age restriction imposed on players.

List of champions

=Irish League B Division Section 2=

class="wikitable"

! style="background:silver;" | Season

! style="background:silver;" | Champions

1977–78Linfield Swifts
1978–79Linfield Swifts
1979–80Linfield Swifts
1980–81Cliftonville Olympic
1981–82Larne Olympic
1982–83Linfield Swifts
1983–84Linfield Swifts
1984–85Linfield Swifts
1985–86Glentoran II
1986–87Glentoran II
1987–88Linfield Swifts
1988–89Linfield Swifts
1989–90Glentoran II
1990–91Linfield Swifts
1991–92Linfield Swifts
1992–93Glentoran II
1993–94Bangor Reserves
1994–95Bangor Reserves
1995–96Glentoran II
1996–97Crusaders Reserves
1997–98Glentoran II
1998–99Linfield Swifts

=Irish League Reserve League=

class="wikitable"

! style="background:silver;" | Season

! style="background:silver;" | Champions

1999–00Linfield Swifts
2000–01Cliftonville Olympic
2001–02Glentoran II
2002–03Glentoran II

=IFA Reserve League=

class="wikitable"

! style="background:silver;" | Season

! style="background:silver;" | Champions

2003–04Linfield Swifts
2004–05Linfield Swifts
2005–06Dungannon Swifts Reserves
2006–07Ballymena United Reserves
2007–08Donegal Celtic Reserves
2008–09Linfield Swifts
2009–10Linfield Swifts
2010–11Linfield Swifts
2011–12Cliftonville Olympic[http://www.irishfa.com/news/item/7289/cliftonville-olympic-secure-ifa-reserve-league-title/ CLIFTONVILLE OLYMPIC SECURE IFA RESERVE LEAGUE TITLE]
2012–13Ballinamallard United II

=NIFL Reserve League=

class="wikitable"

! style="background:silver;" | Season

! style="background:silver;" | Champions

2013–14Cliftonville Olympic[http://nifootballleague.com/nifl-reserve-league/news/item/cliftonville-olympic-reserve-league-champions-2013-14 CLIFTONVILLE OLYMPIC - RESERVE LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 2013/14]
2014–15Linfield Swifts[http://www.nifootballleague.com/nifl-reserve-league/table Reserve League table]
2015–16Cliftonville Olympic[http://www.cliftonvillefc.net/news_olympic_180416.html Olympic's Silver Lining]

=NIFL Premiership Development League=

class="wikitable"

! style="background:silver;" | Season

! style="background:silver;" | Champions

2016–17Linfield Swifts[http://www.linfieldfc.com/linfieldswiftsnews.aspx?id=17413 Linfield Swifts receive League Champions trophy at Windsor Park]
2017–18Linfield Swifts[https://www.nifootballleague.com/premiership-development-league/table NI Football League]
2018–19Linfield Swifts[https://www.nifootballleague.com/premiership-development-league/table NI Football League]
2019–20Cliftonville Olympic[https://www.nifootballleague.com/news/2020/june/confirmed-20192020-development-and-academy-league-standings/ NI Football League]
2020–21cancelled
2021–22Crusaders Reserves[https://www.nifootballleague.com/premiership-development-league/2021-2022/standings/ NI Football League]
2022–23Crusaders Reserves
2023–24Coleraine Reserves[https://www.nifootballleague.com/news/2024/april/coleraine-crowned-premiership-development-league-champions/ NI Football League]

Summary of champions

class="wikitable"

! style="background:silver;" | Team

! style="background:silver;" | Wins

! style="background:silver;" | Winning years

|Linfield Swifts211977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
|Glentoran II81985–86, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
|Cliftonville Olympic61980–81, 2000–01, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019-20
|Crusaders Reserves31996–97, 2021–22, 2022–23
|Bangor Reserves21993–94, 1994–95
|Ballinamallard United II12012–13
|Ballymena United Reserves12006–07
|Coleraine Reserves12023–24
|Donegal Celtic Reserves12007–08
|{{nowrap|Dungannon Swifts Reserves}}12005–06
|Larne Olympic11981–82

See also

References