The 2026-27 Irish League season is set to begin as scheduled this weekend after three proposals put forward by the Northern Ireland Football League were overwhelmingly approved at an extraordinary general meeting [EGM] on Tuesday night.
The EGM was called by NIFL to try and prevent the new Irish Premiership and Championship seasons being delayed.
For the meeting to take place, 90% of the 47 member clubs had to agree to its staging, and for much of Tuesday it appeared that that quorum may not be reached.
In the event, the required percentage was reached and subsequently the vast majority of clubs voted with NIFL, well in excess of the 75% required.
The three proposals discussed and passed were The Approval of League Restructuring, the Adoption of League Rules (2025/26) and the Approval of Competition Rules (2026/27).
The member clubs are made up of representatives from men’s and women’s Premiership clubs, Championship clubs and those in the Premier Intermediate League last season.
Should an agreement not have been reached, the scheduled start of the season could have been in doubt.
In the top division, Cliftonville’s hosting of Crusaders in a north Belfast derby is set to kick off the opening weekend of the 2026-27 season on Friday, while Strabane Athletic face Institute in the second tier.