Ulster Senior League (men's hockey)

Formation

At a Special General Meeting of the Union held on 15 October 1897 in the Royal Avenue Hotel, Belfast, the clubs present resolved to form the Ulster Senior League. Eight teams participated in the first season: Antrim, Ards, Cliftonville, King's (Liverpool) Regiment, Lisburn, North Down, North Staffordshire Regiment and Ulster

Current composition of the Senior League

In 2016-17, 19 clubs will start the Ulster Senior League season.

Early format

From its formation until 1953 entry to the Ulster Senior League could only be obtained by application to the Ulster Hockey Union. The applicant club would then have to be successful in a vote amongst the Senior Clubs. The size of the Senior League varied between seven competing clubs in the 1900s to as many as eighteen in the late 1920s. With eighteen teams it was necessary to play the league in two pools with the winners of the pools playing a Test Match to decide that year's league champions.

1953 reorganisation

In 1953 the eight team Senior League amalgamated with the eight team Qualifying League. There was no realignment of teams at this time, the only difference was the renaming of the two leagues as Senior League Section A (the old Senior League) and Senior League Section B (the old Qualifying League). Teams did not change Sections during this period and no teams were promoted or relegated to or from the Senior League.

At the end of each league season the winner of Section A played the winner of Section B in a Test Match to decide the winner of the Keightley Cup. The loser of the Test Match was awarded the Ireland's Saturday Night Cup. During this period the trophy was always won by the Section A winner.

1958 reorganisation

Prior to the start of the 1957-58 season, the Council of the Ulster Branch made a controversial decision. Portrush, who had finished bottom of Section A in 1956-57 were demoted to Section B. Parkview, the winners of Section B in 1956-57, were moved to Section A. This signalled the intention of the League to move to Promotion and Relegation. A report was commissioned by the Council of the Ulster Branch to establish new league structures.

The report and debate lead to the league reorganising to allow for promotion and relegation prior to the start of the 1958-59 season. There were eight teams in each league section. A Qualifying League in two sections provided two lower rungs for the league, with a further Intermediate section below that. The formation of the sections again proved controversial, as some clubs were not placed in the section that their previous seasons standing would merit. In particular, it was reported that Saintfield (Intermediate A) had finished above four clubs in 1957-58 that were placed in Qualifying B.

1969 reorganisation

At the end of the 1968-69 season the Senior League expanded from eight to ten teams and was renamed as Senior League Section 1. The remaining six Qualifying League 'A' were joined by the top four teams from Qualifying 'B' to form a ten team league known as Senior League Section 2. All remaining club first teams were entered in the Intermediate League. In season 1975-76 Section 2 was increased to 12 teams.

Membership of the two Senior League Sections at the start of the 1969-70 season was as follows

2001 reorganisation

In 2001 Section 1 was reduced to eight teams, and was renamed as the Premier League. Section 2 remained with twelve teams and was renamed as Senior 1. The Intermediate League was renamed as Senior 2, with all remaining teams placed in this section.

The top three teams in the Premier League at the end of the season qualify for the All-Ireland Club Championship.

2015 reorganisation

The top four teams departed for the new Irish Hockey League (IHL) and the league reduced from three divisions to two. The League champions now qualify for the Provincial Play-offs where they compete for promotion to the IHL.

Trophies

Winners of the Premier League are awarded the Keightley Cup.

Winners of Senior 1 are awarded the Ireland's Saturday Night Cup.

Winners of Senior 2 are awarded the Cliftonville Cup.

2015-16 on

Key:

1 - 2015-16 Instonians promoted to Irish Hockey League after winning the Provincial Play-offs.

2010-11 to 2014-15

Key:

1 - 2014-15 Banbridge along with Annadale, Cookstown and Lisnagarvey joined the Irish Hockey League for the 2015-16 season.

2 - 2014-15 No relegation due to restructuring.

3 - 2014-15 North Down, Portadown, Raphoe and South Antrim promoted.

4 - 2014-15 Armagh, Ballynahinch, Cliftonville and Newcastle promoted. (Ballymena, Down, Newcastle, Parkview and Saintfield were relegated to the Junior League.)

5 - 2008-09 Raphoe were not relegated due to increase in number of teams in premier league to ten.

6 - 2008-09 North Down were also promoted to enable increase of premier league to ten teams.

2000-01 to 1969-70

Key:

1 - 2000-01 Bangor won Section 2 but lost a Promotion Playoff

2 - 1997-98 South Antrim were runners-up and gained promotion when Holywood '87 folded.

3 - 1996-97 Promotion and relegation suspended.

4 - 1978-79 Belfast YMCA won League after 3-1 victory in Test Match against Instonians.

5 - 1977-78 Promotion and relegation between Section 1 and 2 suspended because of Ireland's participation in the Hockey World Cup in Argentina.

6 - 1969-70 Promotion and relegation between Section 1 and 2 suspended.

1968-69 to 1957-58

KEY

1 - 1967-68 Old Bleach(Qual. A) folded after this season. As a result, East Antrim were not relegated. In addition Holywood(Int. A) folded.

2 - 1965-66 Lissara renamed as Crossgar at the end of this season.

3 - 1964-65 Lisnagarvey won League after Test Match with Cliftonville

4 - 1964-65 Lisburn Old Boys renamed as Friends School Old Boys at the end of this season.

5 - 1963-64 Montalto withdrew from League during season. No relegation from Qualifying B.

1956-57 to formation

1956-57

1955-56 Belfast YMCA (Won Test Match against Parkview)

1954-55 Lisnagarvey (Won Test Match against Parkview)

1953-54 Lisnagarvey (Won Test Match against Down)

1952-53 Lisnagarvey

1951-52 Lisnagarvey

1950-51 Lisnagarvey

1949-50 Lisnagarvey (Won Test Match 1-0 v Parkview)

1948-49 Parkview (Won Test Match 2-1 after extra time v Antrim)

1947-48

1946-47

1945-46

1944-45 Lisnagarvey

1943-44

1942-43

1941-42

1940-41

1939-40

1938-39 Lisnagarvey

1937-38 Lisnagarvey

1936-37 North Down

1935-36 North Down

1934-35 North Down

1933-34 Lisnagarvey (Won Test Match 3-1 v North Down) (2 section Senior League)

1932-33 North Down

1931-32 North Down

1930-31 Cliftonville

1929-30 Antrim

1928-29 Cliftonville

1927-28 Antrim

1926-27 Antrim

1925-26 Banbridge (Won Test Match 3-2 v Lisnagarvey)

1924-25 Lisnagarvey

1923-24 East Antrim (Won Test Match 4-3 v Banbridge)

1922-23

1921-22

1920-21 Antrim (Won Test Match 3-1 v Banbridge)

1919-20

1918-19 Not Played

1917-18 Not Played

1916-17 Not Played

1915-16 Not Played

1914-15 Not Played

1913-14 Banbridge

1912-13 Banbridge

1911-12 Queen's University

1910-11 Banbridge

1909-10 Banbridge (after a Test Match)

1908-09 Banbridge (after a Test Match)

1907-08 Antrim

1906-07 Cliftonville (after a Test Match)

1905-06 Malone

1904-05 Antrim (after a Test Match)

1903-04 Banbridge

1902-03 Antrim

1901-02 Banbridge

1900-01 Antrim

1899-00 North Down

1898-99

1897-98 Antrim