IFA Premiership - 2008 Reorganisation

2008 Reorganisation

For the 2008–09 season, the League system for Northern Ireland was re-organised. It was renamed as the IFA Premiership, and reduced to twelve teams, included on the basis not only of their performance in the 2007–08 season, but in the previous two seasons, and other off-the-field criteria as follows. Each applicant club was assessed by an independent panel and awarded points against the following criteria:

• Sporting (maximum 450 points) – based on league placings, Irish Cup, League Cup and European performances in 2005–06, 2006–07 and 2007–08; with points also awarded for running youth teams, women's teams and community development programmes.
• Finance (maximum 200 points) – based on solvency, debt management and cash-flow projection.
• Infrastructure (maximum 150 points) – based on stadium capacity, changing provisions, sanitary facilities, field of play, floodlighting, existence and standard of control room, first aid room, drug testing room and media facilities.
• Business planning (maximum 50 points)
• Personnel (maximum 100 points) – based on qualification and experience of staff
• Attendances (maximum 50 points)

Portadown were relegated to the IFA Championship as a result of submitting their application for the IFA Premiership 29 minutes past the deadline for consideration.