Sports Direct Premiership: Cliftonville open season at home to Portadown while champions Larne host Loughgall

CHAMPIONS Larne will begin the defence of their Sports Direct Premiership crown against Loughgall on August 10.

The Inver Park men will be going for a hat-trick of titles and will host Dean Smith’s side, who finished ninth last season.

Irish Cup winners Cliftonville, who finished third in last year’s campaign, will start their season against newly-promoted Portadown at Solitude.

League Cup winners and League and Irish Cup runners-up Linfield will travel to Ballymena United on the opening day. The Braidmen defeated Institute in the promotion/relegation play-off to earn another season in the top flight.

The remaining games will see Glentoran play host to Crusaders, Coleraine travel to Dungannon to play the Swifts and Carrick Rangers take on Glenavon at home.

All of the fixtures are subject to change, including as a result of TV coverage arrangements and European commitments from various teams.

The second round includes Larne’s trip to Crusaders, Glenavon’s hosting of Cliftonville and Portadown’s first home game back in the big time when Glentoran come to Shamrock Park.

The first midweek round of games will be the following matchday, which will take place on the week of August 20, with east Antrim rivals Carrick Rangers and Larne playing at Loughview Leisure Arena.

The first north Belfast derby of the season between Crusaders and Cliftonville will take place on the week of August 24.

September 17 sees the first re-run of the Irish Cup final when Cliftonville take on Linfield at Solitude, before the return fixture on October 26 at Windsor Park.

The first meeting of Belfast’s ‘Big Two’, Linfield and Glentoran, takes place at Windsor Park on October 5.

Other derby dates include Carrick against Larne on October 12, Ballymena hosting Coleraine on October 19, Cliftonville at home to Crusaders on November 2, the Glens playing Linfield at home and Portadown host the Lurgan Blues of Glenavon on November 23.

St Stephen’s Day promises to be a tasty affair full of the traditional festive derbies, with Crusaders hosting Cliftonville at Seaview, Coleraine playing Ballymena United at the Showgrounds, Dungannon Swifts welcoming Loughall to Stangmore, the return of the Mid Ulster derby of Glenavon and Portadown at Mourneview, the big two of Glentoran and Linfield at the Oval and the east Antrim derby of Larne and Carrick Rangers at Inver Park.

The pre-split fixtures draw to a close on March 22, with the last round including the Reds facing Carrick at home, Linfield travelling to Dungannon Swifts, Glenavon against reigning champions Larne and the Belfast derby of Glentoran and Crusaders.

The league will then split into the top and bottom six with the Premiership season ending on April 26.

Sports Direct Premiership first round fixtures

(Saturday August 10, 3pm*)

Ballymena United v Linfield

Carrick Rangers v Glenavon

Cliftonville v Portadown

Dungannon Swifts Coleraine

Glentoran v Crusaders

Larne v Loughgall

*Subject to change