Motion for Sunday football passed at Irish FA AGM

BBC News

5 hours ago

A motion to approve Sunday football in Northern Ireland has been approved at the Irish FA's annual general meeting. The proposal, brought forward by the Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL], gained a 76% majority on Monday with chief executive Gerard Lawlor believing it is a necessary step in efforts to improve standards of the competition."The NIFL Board holds firm in its belief that being professional is more than a label, it is a standard we must reach and uphold in every sense," he said."The landscape of professional football is changing rapidly throughout the world, and Northern Ireland must evolve with it, or risk being left behind."We are pleased with the outcome and look forward to further engagement and implementation with our member clubs."The proposal will only apply to NIFL competitions, which are the three men's top divisions, the Women's Premiership and their respective League Cup competitions.The Irish FA's rules stated "no match shall be played within Northern Ireland on a Sunday unless the two participating clubs and competition organisers agree to do so".An amendment to this was first proposed by NIFL two years ago but was rejected by a large majority.On that occasion, NIFL had proposed an amendment by saying it "shall not apply to matches played under the auspices" of the governing body.This time, the motion for Sunday football was put forward with the caveat that Irish League clubs had the option to opt in or out through their participation agreement.The amendment means matches in the top three flights of football in Northern Ireland, which come under NIFL's jurisdiction, could be played on any day of the week."The data is clear: traditional Saturday afternoon attendances are in decline. We must recognise this and respond accordingly," NIFL CEO Gerard Lawlor posted on X , externalahead of Monday's AGM."This is not a debate of tradition versus change, it is about responding to reality with a forward-thinking approach."The flexibility offered by this proposal allows for fixtures to be played on Wednesday or Thursday evenings, creating new opportunities for increased visibility, enhanced commercial value, and improved fan engagement."Sunday football has become a more regular occurrence across Northern Ireland in recent years. Last season, Larne played a number of Irish Premiership matches on a Sunday after they qualified for the Uefa Conference League and their European fixtures were played on a Thursday night.NIFL have also hosted the BetMcLean Cup final on a Sunday for the past four years, and the decider of the women's competition was played on Sunday as Cliftonville defeated Glentoran.In addition to this, a number of Women's Premiership matches have also taken place on a Sunday in recent seasons.Those who oppose Sunday football in Northern Ireland have often cited religious reasons, and concerns about attendance numbers by going up against big Premier League matches which are televised on a Sunday.