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The Irish League is the second oldest national league in the world, being formed a week earlier than the Scottish Football League. Only the Football League in England is older. The Irish League was originally formed as the football league for all of Ireland in 1890 (although most of its member clubs were in fact based in the north), but became the league for Northern Ireland in 1921 after Partition , with a separate league and association (the Football Association of the Irish Free State - now called the Football Association Of Ireland ) - being formed for the Irish Free State (now the Republic Of Ireland ) in the south and west. In 2003, the Irish Football Association took charge of Northern Ireland's national league with the creation of the Irish Premier League (IPL). The Irish Football League retained a separate existence, but controlling only two feeder leagues: the First Division and Second Division. In 2004, the IFA took over control of the remaining IFL divisions and renamed them as the IFA Intermediate League First Division and Second Division, effectively winding up the Irish Football League Ltd as a separate organisation after 114 years. The IPL contains sixteen teams, the First Division twelve teams, and the Second Division has eleven teams. At the end of the season, the bottom team in the IPL is relegated to the First Division and replaced by the top team in the First Division. The team that finishes second-from-bottom in the IPL plays a play-off match against the second-placed First Division team to determine which team will play in the IPL in the following season. (This is assuming that the First Divisions teams involved meet the IPL entry criteria: if not, they cannot be promoted.) Two teams are relegated from the First Division and replaced by two promoted teams from the Second Division. The IFL's records from its days in operation as the league for all of Ireland still stand as the records for Northern Ireland (as is the case for the Northern Ireland National Football Team ). The 2005/06 season is nearing completion. Linfield have won the championship, with Glentoran runners-up. Ards have been relegated, and Crusaders promoted from the First Division. The promotion and relegation play-off will be between Donegal Celtic and Institute . CLUBS IN MEMBERSHIP (2005-2006) LIST OF CHAMPIONS Performance by club Notes
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