Yahoo Sports NIFL Women’s Premiership kicks off its 2024 season
The top tier of women’s football in Northern Ireland, the NIFL Women’s Premiership, has opened the account for the 2024 season. The division consists of the nine top teams in the country.
With results already in the bag, we’ve put together everything you need to know ahead of the rest of this exciting campaign.
New things in store
The 2024 season promises new things in store, as NIFL aims to continue promoting the top tier of women’s football in the country. This season’s tagline, ‘We can, we will’ hopes to inspire the next generation by empowering the current players.
Another aspect being highlighted is an emphasis on the homegrown talent — clubs representing their local communities. Photoshoots took place at the Walls of Derry, Harland and Wolff (East Belfast), and Drum Manor Forest Park (Cookstown), in a nod to the local heritage of clubs as a whole, as well as individual players who have came through youth system right through to the first team.
DAZN streaming deal
DAZN has agreed a groundbreaking streaming deal with the league, allowing games to be broadcast live on a regular basis for the first time. This also includes the League Cup coming up at the end of June.
New places to call home
This season sees stadium changes for a handful of the teams due to new regulations which aim to continue to a path toward professionalism. Glentoran set up base at the Blanchflower Stadium in East Belfast, while Mid-Ulster now call Stangmore in Dungannon home.
Last season round-up
Glentoran were crowned champions, pipping Cliftonville to the trophy while Ballymena were relegated on the final day of the season. Mid-Ulster finished second bottom and Sion Swifts chose to drop down a division earlier in the year.
2024 Match-day One results
Sunday, May 5th brought match-day one for eight of the teams, including 2023 Champions Glentoran and the newly promoted Lisburn Rangers. Here’s a full rundown of the first results of the season.
Cliftonville 5-0 Mid-Ulster
Glentoran 6-0 Crusaders
Larne 1-2 Lisburn Ladies
Derry City 1-2 Lisburn Rangers
2024 Match-day Two results
Lisburn Ladies 0-7 Linfield Women
Crusaders Strikers 5-1 Mid-Ulster
Cliftonville 5-0 Derry City
Larne 0-4 Lisburn Rangers
Looking ahead
It’s too early to make any predictions for the NIFL Women’s Premiership season yet but initial signs tell us a few things.
The two previous champions, Glentoran and Cliftonville, have both started well with strong victories in opening games. Newcomers Lisburn Rangers have also made an impressive start, securing two wins out of two. Three teams in Mid-Ulster, Derry City and Larne sit bottom of the table with zero points collected so far.
We will see one more set of fixtures before the league pauses for the international break at the end of the month.
2024 Match-day Three fixtures
Linfield Women vs Lisburn Rangers (May 24th, 7:45pm)
Glentoran vs Mid-Ulster (May 24th, 7:45pm)
Derry City vs Crusaders (May 26th, 2pm)
Cliftonville vs Larne Women (May 26th, 3pm)
