The Gibson Cup
Contested since the league's founding era in 1890, the Gibson Cup is one of the oldest prizes in world football — and the trophy this site is named after.
1890
League founded
One of the oldest national leagues in world football — the Gibson Cup its prize
57
Linfield league titles
A world record haul — no club anywhere has won more national championships
26
Pat Hoban's golden boot
Top scorer of the 2025/26 season for Glentoran — four of them penalties
2023
Larne's breakthrough
The Inver Reds became the league's first brand-new champions in a generation
80
Big Two dominance
Linfield and Glentoran own 80 of the 125 league titles ever contested
24/25
Larne make Euro history
First Irish League club ever to reach the league phase of a European competition
0-0
Charity Shield 2026
Larne beat Coleraine on penalties in the curtain-raiser — the new season's first silverware
10
Linfield Premiership titles
Most top-flight titles won under the Premiership era format — separate from their 57 all-time league titles. League records.
759
Jamie Mulgrew — record Premiership appearances
The most Premiership appearances by any player in Irish League history. League records.
215
Joe Gormley — record Premiership scorer
The most goals scored by any player in the Premiership era. League records.
191,138
Total Premiership attendance 25/26
Averaging 1,241 fans per match across the season. Sofascore.
All-time league titles
Linfield · last 2024/2557
Glentoran23
Belfast Celtic14
Crusaders7
Cliftonville5
Portadown4
Glenavon3
Larne · last 2025/263
Coleraine · last 1973/741
Includes clubs no longer in the Premiership — Belfast Celtic, long since out of the league, and Glenavon, relegated in 2025/26. A club missing from this list has no figure recorded here, which is not the same as never having won.
Roll of honour · last 12 seasons
Only in the Irish League · six true stories
Seventh with 53 points
Carrick Rangers finished 7th in 2025/26 with 53 points — seven more than 6th-place Dungannon Swifts on 46, and level with 5th-place Cliftonville. The split had locked them into the bottom six, and no points total could get them out.
NIFL Premiership final table, 2025/26
Armagh invented the penalty
The penalty kick was invented by William McCrum, a goalkeeper for Milford in County Armagh during the Irish League's first season. He proposed it in 1890, and the game's lawmakers passed it into the Laws in 1891 — every spot kick ever taken traces back to this league.
Irish FA / IFAB historical record
First out of the European Cup on away goals
Glentoran were the first club knocked out of the European Cup on away goals, in 1967/68 — the rule's first season in that competition, though it was already in use in the Cup Winners' Cup and the Fairs Cup. The Glens drew 1-1 with Benfica at the Oval and 0-0 in Lisbon. Benfica went all the way to the final.
European Cup records, 1967/68
Quit the league, beat Scotland
Belfast Celtic resigned from the league in April 1949 — then beat Scotland 2-0 in New York that May, one of the great forgotten results in Irish football. Their old ground, Celtic Park, is now a shopping centre.
Belfast Celtic historical record
A world record in blue
Linfield's 57 league titles are a world record — no club in any country has won more national championships. Their 1921/22 campaign remains the only seven-trophy season in football history.
Linfield FC honours record
Older than Scotland's
The Irish League was founded in 1890, a week before Scotland's — making it the second-oldest national league on earth. Only England's Football League predates it.
League historical record, 1890
Season Archive
Champions Linfield · 57th title · 85 pts
Irish CupDungannon Swifts
Promoted inPortadown
RelegatedLoughgall (22 pts)
›Carrick Rangers survived the relegation play-off against Annagh United.
›Larne, the defending champions, made history by reaching the Conference League league phase — an Irish League first.
Verified season snapshots — the full 25/26 record lives on the Table tab.
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Results updated 22 Oct, 4.23pm
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