Monday 1 September 2014

Countdown To The 2014/15 Season in NIHL North & South

There are just 5 days to go until the 2014/15 NIHL season commences and we aim to bring you the best photos, match reports and news items covering the world’s fastest team sport - and featuring all 4 divisions in NIHL North & South.

In the North 1 Moralee Conference, we have 7 teams battling it out for the league title – the same teams as last year with the exception of Telford Titans who have folded. They will play each other twice at home and twice away which means a 24 match regular season.  The top 4 will then meet in a play off weekend to be staged at Solway in April.

Solway, Blackburn and Billingham are also playing in the EIHA Challenge Cup competition where they will be pitched in a group with 5 teams from the EPL. 

The North 2 Laidler Conference has all 8 teams from last season and 2 new ones in the shape of Bradford Bulldogs and a Telford NIHL Tigers side, which is being run as part of the Tigers EPL set up. The 10 teams will play each other twice at home and twice away making for a 36 game regular season schedule, although the EIHA has given permission for some games to be played for double points.

The top four teams will meet in a play-off weekend at Solihull in April and all four will – supposedly -  gain promotion to the Moralee Conference for the following season, with the bottom two from North 1 being relegated.

South 1 has 10 teams this season – the 9 from last time with the addition of Oxford City Stars who won promotion from South 2 – in a 36 game regular season.  The top South 1 teams will meet their Southern EPL counterparts in the Challenge Cup and there will also be end of season play offs for the top 8 in the division.

South 2 has 11 teams this time around and they are split into west and east conferences.  Each team plays the other teams in its own conference twice at home and twice away and the conference winners will play off to decide the overall South 2 champions.  There will also be a South 2 cup competition played in 2 qualifying groups with semi-finals and final.

SO there is much to look forward to over the coming months. Check back here on Mondays for our weekend updates!

If YOU would like us to feature YOUR match photos, game reports and NIHL news items, drop us a line to find out how: EMAIL

Photo:  N1 Blackburn Hawks beat N2 Widnes Wild 7-1 in a pre-season challenge match. (Photo by John Milton – www.eventog.uk)