NIFL Charity Shield


The Northern Ireland Football League Charity Shield is the national association football super cup in Northern Ireland. It has been held on an occasional basis since its inauguration in 1992. It pits together the previous campaign's NIFL Premiership champions and Irish Cup winners, providing the opening match of the Irish League season.
Dungannon Swifts are the current holders, after they defeated Linfield 5–3 on penalties in the 2025 edition to win the competition for the first time.

Sponsorship

sponsored the competition between 1992 and 1994, and Wilkinson Sword were sponsors from 1998 until 2000, both of whom also sponsored other competitions in Irish League football. The proceeds from the 2014 and 2015 editions were donated to the Northern Ireland Hospice.

Format

The Shield is held in early August as a single match. In the 1992 and 1993 editions, the trophy was shared between the two competing sides for six months when both matches finished level at full-time. However, the rules were later changed to ensure an outright winner. In the 2014 edition, a penalty shoot-out was used to determine the winner when the match ended level after 90 minutes, without extra time being played.

Results

Key:
Title was shared after match finished in a draw
pens.Scores level after extra time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.
pens.Scores level after full time. A penalty shootout was required to determine the winner.

YearDateWinnerScoreRunner-upVenueAttendanceRef
19928 AugustGlenavon
Glentoran
1–1Windsor Park, Belfast2,000
199310 AugustBangor
Linfield
1–1Windsor Park, Belfast
19943 AugustLinfield2–0BangorWindsor Park, Belfast
19988 AugustCliftonville1–0GlentoranThe Oval, Belfast2,000
19998 AugustPortadown2–1GlentoranMourneview Park, Lurgan2,000
20005 AugustLinfield2–0GlentoranWindsor Park, Belfast10,500
20142 AugustCliftonville 0 – 0 Ballymena UnitedSolitude, Belfast
20151 AugustGlentoran1–0CrusadersSolitude, Belfast
201630 JulyGlenavon1–0CrusadersMourneview Park, Lurgan
20175 AugustLinfield3–1ColeraineThe Oval, Belfast
20226 AugustCrusaders2–0LinfieldWindsor Park, Belfast
20231 JulyCrusaders2–0LarneInver Park, Larne
20245 JulyLarne2–1CliftonvilleInver Park, Larne
20254 JulyDungannon Swifts 0 – 0 LinfieldWindsor Park, Belfast

Performance by club