Format for 2018 League confirmed

The format for next season’s SSE Airtricity League has been announced.
With 36 league games in the Premier Division season, next season will start on Friday, February 16th whilst the First Division season with 27 league games will kick-off a week later on Friday, February 23rd.
The President’s Cup will be contested by Dundalk and Cork City and will take place on Sunday, February 11th at Oriel Park.
In the First Division, where Finn Harps will be playing, the 2nd/3rd/4th placed clubs will go into the promotion/relegation play-offs at the end of the season. The team which finishes fourth will play the team which finishes third and the winner of that tie will face the team which finishes second. The winner of that tie will then play the team which finishes ninth in the Premier Division in the final promotion/relegation play-off, with all play-offs played over two legs.
The champions of the First Division will be guaranteed automatic promotion to the Premier Division where they will replace the team which finishes 10th in the top tier.
The mid-season break will take place from Saturday, June 16th to Thursday, June 28th and there are no midweek league fixtures scheduled in the First Division.
The Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup Final is set for Sunday, November 4th at the Aviva Stadium. The EA SPORTS Cup Final will take place on Saturday, September 15th.
Due to a reconfiguration of the UEFA competitions, the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League will begin a week later, and at the same time, on the week beginning Monday, July 9th.
The 2018 SSE Airtricity League Fixture List will be released at 12.00 noon on Tuesday, December 19th.