Irish Intermediate League
The Irish Intermediate League was a Northern Irish football competition for teams of intermediate status, which also included reserve sides of senior teams. The league ran from 1915 until 1954.
| Organising body | Irish Football Association | 
|---|---|
| Founded | 1915 | 
| Abolished | 1954 | 
| Region | |
| Most successful club(s) | Crusaders (9 titles) | 
History
    
It began in 1915 after the amalgamation of the Irish Junior League and Irish Senior Reserve League,[1][2] and ran until 1954, when the majority of the remaining clubs applied to join the Irish League B Division, which had been formed in 1951.[3][4] Until the introduction of the Irish League B Division it was the second tier of the Northern Ireland football league system.[5]
The tournament also ran a cup tournament for members of the league, the McElroy Cup.[6]
List of champions
    
- 1915–16 Glentoran II*
 - 1916–17 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1917–18 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1918–19 Glentoran II*
 - 1919–20 Glentoran II*
 - 1920–21 Brantwood
 - 1921–22 Dundela
 - 1922–23 Crusaders
 - 1923–24 Dunmurry
 - 1924–25 Brantwood
 - 1925–26 Crusaders
 - 1926–27 Crusaders
 - 1927–28 Willowfield
 - 1928–29 Crusaders
 - 1929–30 Glentoran II*
 - 1930–31 Crusaders
 - 1931–32 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1932–33 Crusaders
 - 1933–34 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1934–35 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1935–36 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1936–37 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1937–38 Crusaders
 - 1938–39 Crusaders
 - 1939–40 Linfield Swifts*
 - 1940–41 Bangor Reserves*
 - 1941–42 Aircraft United
 - 1942–43 Bangor Reserves*
 - 1943–44 Bangor Reserves*
 - 1944–45 Dundela
 - 1945–46 Linfield Swifts*
 - 1946–47 Dundela
 - 1947–48 Brantwood
 - 1948–49 Crusaders
 - 1949–50 Dundela
 - 1950–51 Dundela
 - 1951–52 Brantwood
 - 1952–53 Larne
 - 1953–54 Brantwood
 
NB - * denotes reserve teams of senior clubs
Performance by club
    
| Team | No. of wins | Winning years | 
|---|---|---|
| Crusaders | 9 | 1922–23, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1948–49 | 
| Belfast Celtic II* | 7 | 1916–17, 1917–18, 1931–32, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37 | 
| Dundela | 5 | 1921–22, 1944–45, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1950–51 | 
| Brantwood | 5 | 1920–21, 1924–25, 1947–48, 1951–52, 1953–54 | 
| Glentoran II* | 4 | 1915–16, 1918–19, 1919–20, 1929–30 | 
| Bangor Reserves* | 3 | 1940–41, 1942–43, 1943–44 | 
| Linfield Swifts* | 2 | 1939–40, 1945–46 | 
| Aircraft United | 1 | 1941–42 | 
| Willowfield | 1 | 1927–28 | 
NB - * indicates reserve team
List of McElroy Cup winners
    
- 1915–16 Glentoran II*
 - 1916–17 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1917–18 Glentoran II*
 - 1918–19 Distillery II*
 - 1919–20 Cliftonville Olympic*
 - 1920–21 Distillery II*
 - 1921–22 St Mary's
 - 1922–23 Belfast United
 - 1923–24 St Mary's
 - 1924–25 Brantwood / Dunmurry (shared)
 - 1925–26 Linfield Rangers
 - 1926–27 Dunmurry
 - 1927–28 Broadway United
 - 1928–29 Linfield Swifts*
 - 1929–30 Crusaders
 - 1930–31 Newington Rangers
 - 1931–32 Crusaders
 - 1932–33 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1933–34 Summerfield / Glentoran II* (shared)
 - 1934–35 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1935–36 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1936–37 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1937–38 Linfield Swifts*
 - 1938–39 Glentoran II*
 - 1939–40 Linfield Swifts*
 - 1940–41 Ards II*
 - 1941–42 Ballyclare Comrades*
 - 1942–43 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1943–44 Belfast Celtic II*
 - 1944–45 Linfield Swifts*
 - 1945–46 Dundela / Linfield Swifts* (shared)
 - 1946–47 Bangor Reserves
 - 1947–48 Crusaders
 - 1948–49 Larne
 
NB - * denotes reserve teams of senior clubs
Performance by club
    
| Team | No. of wins | Winning years | 
|---|---|---|
| Belfast Celtic II* | 7 | 1916–17, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1943–44 | 
| Linfield Swifts* | 5 | 1928–29, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1944–45, 1945–46 (shared) | 
| Glentoran II* | 4 | 1915–16, 1917–18, 1933–34 (shared), 1938–39 | 
| Crusaders | 3 | 1929–30, 1931–32, 1947–48 | 
| Distillery II* | 2 | 1918–19, 1920–21 | 
| St Mary's | 2 | 1921–22, 1922–24 | 
| Dunmurry | 2 | 1924–25 (shared), 1926–27 | 
| Cliftonville Olympic* | 1 | 1919–20 | 
| Belfast United | 1 | 1922–23 | 
| Linfield Rangers | 1 | 1925–26 | 
| Broadway United | 1 | 1927–28 | 
| Newington Rangers | 1 | 1930–31 | 
| Ards II | 1 | 1940–41 | 
| Ballyclare Comrades | 1 | 1941–42 | 
| Bangor Reserves* | 1 | 1946–47 | 
| Larne | 1 | 1948–49 | 
| Brantwood | 1 | 1924–25 (shared) | 
| Summerfield | 1 | 1933–34 (shared) | 
| Dundela | 1 | 1945–46 (shared) | 
NB - * indicates reserve team
References
    
- "Association Football - Amalgamation of local leagues". Belfast News-Letter. 24 April 1915. p. 3.
 - "Field & Pavilion - News About Clubs And Players". Daily Record. 15 June 1915. p. 2.
 - "Intermediate League likely to end soon". Belfast Telegraph. 15 June 1954. p. 10.
 - ""Jaymac" sums up Larne's hopes in new season". Larne Times. 12 August 1954. p. 2.
 - "Irish Intermediate league". Irish Football Club Project. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
 - "McElroy Cup". Irish Football Club Project. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2019.