Release Date: Dec 18, 2010

AS part of the continuing plan to establish a new IFA Invitational League representatives from the Carnegie Premier, First and Second Divisions attended an information seminar on Wednesday, 30 May, 2007 in the Ramada Hotel, Belfast.

In advance of this seminar consultations had taken place which resulted in subsequent approvals by both the IFA Business Committee and the IPL Working Group.

The club representatives were given detailed information on: 

1. The process and principles including the makeup and background of the assessment panel. 
2. The application document with guidance in relation to its completion. 
3. The scoring matrix including explicit direction as to how the potential score within each area is attained.

The process was open to all clubs and they each had until 22 June 2007 to return the completed application form with the necessary supporting documentation.

These applications were studied in detail by the Independent Assessment panel chaired by Mervyn Elder on 22 and 29 June 2007 and a report was furnished to the Association.

The IFAP Shadow Board met on 7 August 2007 to consider the report of the Independent Assessment panel and discuss the more general operational matters relating to the IFAP.

As a result of the meeting a full ranking list was distributed to the applicant clubs and subsequently issued to the media.

Some additional key principles including the format of the league, the timeline and the need for every club to also attain a domestic club licence were also communicated to the clubs.

On Tuesday June 17 the Irish Football Association unveiled the new structure and fixtures for the League which will be known as the IFA Premiership.

The new structure saw 12 clubs playing across a schedule of 38 match days which commenced on 9 August 2008. The make-up of the ‘IFA Premiership’ for the 2008 / 2009 season was: Linfield; Ballymena United; Glentoran; Coleraine; Cliftonville; Dungannon Swifts; Glenavon; Crusaders;Lisburn Distillery; Newry City; Bangor; Institute.