Northern Ireland

A two-part Northern Ireland football update. Sion Swifts have withdrawn from the Sports Direct Women’s Premiership with immediate effect, opting instead to enter the NIWFA Championship, with the NI Football League confirming the remaining nine-team Premiership season will continue as planned while it assesses the impact on fixtures and cup competitions. Elsewhere, Cliftonville’s Danielle Maxwell was named the 2023 Premiership Player of the Year after scoring 14 goals in 17 league games for the runners-up, including a decisive double in the County Antrim Cup final win over Crusaders. The 21-year-old, capped by Northern Ireland, has since moved up a level, joining Barclays Women’s Championship side Blackburn Rovers, and used her award to highlight the league’s growing attendances and media coverage.