Blues win battle as NIFL call in outside help to decide final table

THE Northern Ireland Football League are set to confirm today that the final league placings in the Irish Premiership will be determined by an independent panel which should see Linfield enter the Champions League next season and Coleraine play in the Europa League.

It would also be a surprise, given what has happened in some other leagues around Europe that concluded without finishing all their games, if Linfield are not declared champions.

The Blues are currently top of the table and are four points clear of second-placed Coleraine with seven matches left.

It is also believed that Championship leaders Portadown will be confirmed for promotion to the top flight.

Tonight, the Irish FA should ratify that they will finish their Challenge Cup competition, at the semi-final stage, in July as the 2019-2020 campaign finally gets resolved having been called to a halt way back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The NIFL board met last night after an earlier meeting of the Irish Premiership clubs, which started at 9am yesterday, when there were significant developments.

Previously Linfield and Coleraine had stood alone on the thorny subject of distributing Uefa funds, gained by those sides who qualified for Europe, but at a meeting, described by one source as “a shambles”, things changed when other clubs supported a proposal put forward by the Blues.

Linfield’s plan was

to conclude the season and have an independent panel appointed to determine final league placings.

They have consistently put forward a case for themselves and the Bannsiders to enter the Champions League and Europa League respectively on sporting integrity grounds should the season finish early, given they are first and second in the league with 31 out of 38 games played.