It’s three down, one up for LOI season

With the restructuring of the League of Ireland, it has suddenly become easier to fall out of the Premier Division and harder to get into it.

The FAI announced yesterday that, following discussions with the Premier Clubs Alliance (PCA), the 2018 season will see the SSE Airtricity League switch to a 10-team, two-division format.

It has also been confirmed that there will be no promotion-relegation play-off for the coming 2017 season, meaning that three teams will drop down and only one — the First Division champions — will be promoted for the 2018 campaign.