Cliftonville’s hopes of a domestic treble are over after the club was stripped of its 2026 Women’s League Cup title for fielding two ineligible players in the final.
Beaten finalists Glentoran lodged a complaint with the Northern Ireland Football League after their 4-0 defeat in the July showpiece at Seaview. That complaint has now been upheld, with Glentoran awarded a 3-0 victory in place of the original result. Cliftonville have additionally been fined £500.
The NIFL Competitions Committee found that the two players had not been correctly registered in accordance with the competition regulations. In its statement, the committee also acknowledged and thanked Cliftonville Ladies for its openness, integrity and full co-operation throughout the investigation.
The ruling overturns what Cliftonville had believed was their fourth successive title in the competition. Caitlin McGuinness scored twice in the final, with her sister Kirsty and Danielle Maxwell also on the scoresheet in the 4-0 win.
Cliftonville and Glentoran are due to meet again in the Women’s Irish Cup final at Windsor Park on 24 October. The north Belfast side goes into that game having already won the league by nine points ahead of their cross-city rivals.