Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TO BE OR NOT TO BE.. ..that is the question NIFL will attempt to answer this week
THE Northern Ireland Football League is set to hold imminent talks with Irish League clubs on whether to complete or call time on the 2019/20 Danske Bank Premiership.
NIFL’S steering group will convene a series of meetings this week to discuss several options on how to proceed.
A deadline of June 30 had been set to decide whether to finish the campaign or – like Scotland, Belgium and the Netherlands – call it quits.
But Irish FA President David Martin stated yesterday that a decision – and potential plan – has to be presented to UEFA by this Friday.
While it is unclear when the NI Executive will permit football to return behind closed doors, UEFA have asked all associations to confirm their European nominees by August 3.
That means NIFL and the Irish FA are likely to have a very narrow window to work within if they are to successfully conclude the league and Irish Cup.
In all likelihood, the only way to finish the Premiership on the pitch is to play only two of the remaining seven rounds of fixtures and draw a line under the league after 33 games.
This option, which would see the five ‘post split’ fixtures done away with, would result in all 12 top-flight clubs having played each other three times.
It would also allow NIFL to confirm the title, European berths and relegation on the pitch.
Other options thought to be on the table wouldn’t see a ball kicked.
One is to ratify the table as it stands after 31 games, with Linfield – four points clear of Coleraine at the top – named champions and bottom club Institute relegated.
An alternative is to rewind the season to reflect the table after 22 games (teams having played each other home and away), with Cliftonville, Linfield and Glentoran making up the top three.
However, in the event of a 22 game resolution, the Reds wouldn’t be declared champions and the league would only be used to determine European qualification.
The final option is to declare the season null and void with no champions, no relegation and the top three – Linfield, Coleraine and Crusaders – nominated for Europe.
A number of clubs are in favour of sharing the European prize money in the event of a null and void season, but it is understood this option isn’t on the table.
The IFA would have to seek special dispensation from UEFA and president Martin said: “It would be an unlikely situation and we have no intention of discussing it with UEFA.”
When the season was suspended in March, Linfield led Coleraine by four points at the summit, with Institute three points adrift of Warrenpoint at the bottom.
The IFA remains committed to concluding the Irish Cup by earlyaugust, with Coleraine and Ballymena, and Glentoran and Cliftonville due to meet in the semi-finals.