Association football in Tasmania

Association football (soccer) in Tasmania is organised by Football Federation Tasmania. Football Federation Tasmania is a member of the Football Federation Australia (FFA) which controls the sport at a national level in Australia. While Association football is very popular in terms of participation (particularly youth participation), it is not as large as Australian rules football in terms of either spectator attendances or financial support.

International competition

Only one international match has been hosted in Tasmania, a club friendly at North Hobart Oval in 1957. Although the match was an Australia XI team vs Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC [cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/1957B.html|title=Socceroo B internationals, 1957|publisher= [http://www.ozfootball.net ozfootball.net] |accessdate=2007-12-29] , some sources incorrectly list it as a full international (Australia v Hungary). [Austadiums|78|North Hobart Oval]

In 1993 Japanese J-League side Nagoya Grampus Eight who at the time featured former England striker Gary Lineker toured Australia, training in Tasmania for a month, and playing a friendly against the senior Tasmanian state side. The Japanese side won the game 3-0.

Football Federation Australia CEO Ben Buckley met with Football Federation Tasmania representatives in October 2007 to outline FFA's strategic plan for the game. Buckley stated that a FIFA World Cup qualifier match in Tasmania was a possibility.cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,22575203-13222,00.html|title=Tasmania could get qualifer|publisher=The Mercury|date=2007-10-13|accessdate=2007-12-29]

National competition

Tasmanian teams

Tasmania has never had a team in either the former National Soccer League or the A-League. A proposal for an NSL team began in February 2004, but was halted by the imminent disbandment of the league. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/02/06/1039037.htm|title=Tasmania seeks NSL team|publisher=ABC News|date=2004-02-06|accessdate=2008-06-08] Since the formation of the A-League, Tasmania has been cited as a future expansion proposition. [cite news|url=http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/65860,tasmania-wants-aleague-bid.aspx|title=Tasmania wants A-League bid|publisher=FourFourTwo|date=2007-11-27|accessdate=2007-12-29] In March 2008, a Tasmanian Football Taskforce was formed by a group of Tasmanian businessmen to investigate the formation of an A-League team. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/19/2193662.htm?section=sport|title=Tasmanian national soccer team push|date=2008-03-19|accessdate=2008-05-31|publisher=ABC News] [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23626990-13222,00.html|title=Tassie A-League hope|publisher=The Mercury|date=2008-05-01|accessdate=2008-05-31]

Football Federation Tasmania sends male and female youth teams to national talent carnivals held annually. In November 2008, a Tasmanian youth team will play friendly matches against A-League National Youth League teams from ALeague SFC, ALeague MV and ALeague AU. [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23765114-13222,00.html|title=A-League on agenda for youth|publisher=The Mercury|date=2008-05-27|accessdate=2008-05-31]

Visiting teams

A National Soccer League game was held in Launceston, Tasmania in 2002 between Perth Glory and Melbourne Knights at Aurora Stadium. The match was a 1-1 draw and attracted a crowd of 5324 fans [cite web|url=http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20012002/Round20.html|title=2001/2002 National Soccer League - Round 20 results] .

An A-League pre-season cup game was played in Launceston between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United on 16 July 2006 at the same venue [cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=10536&pageid=2055|title=A-League Report, Melbourne v Adelaide 16 July 2006|publisher=A-League|date=2006-07-17|accessdate=2007-12-29] with Adelaide getting a 1-0 win, watched by a crowd of 6,834. A 2007 repeat of the Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United pre-season cup fixture saw 8,061 at Aurora Stadium [cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=18481|title=A-League Report, Melbourne v Adelaide 15 July 2007|publisher=A-League|date=2007-07-16|accessdate=2007-12-29] . The result in 2007 was a 1-1 draw between the teams.

Local leagues and clubs

The numerous local clubs which play in local competitions are all amateur, with most clubs having multiple teams in male, female and junior competitions.

League system

There has been no statewide league run in Tasmania since 1999 (The State league began in 1978 and ran until 1981, before recommencing in 1988 and running until 1999). Tasmania has separate senior male leagues in both the north and south of the state, each of which comprises a number of graded divisions. A play off between the Northern and Southern Premier League winner determines the Tasmanian champions. This has been the way the State Champions have been determined every year since 1910, with the exception of the State League years, when the winner of that competition was automatically crowned as champions. Women's and junior competitions are also run at both ends of the state by Football Federation Tasmania.

In October 2006, it was reported that FFT has plans for a new statewide league competition. It is expected the league will have no more than six teams, and will be run during summer. [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,20513429-5006522,00.html|title=Moves afoot for statewide competition|date=2006-10-02|publisher=The Mercury|accessdate=2006-12-29]

Cup competitions

tate wide cups

There are male and female statewide knock-out cups (similar to the FA Cup) run annually with clubs from Northern and Southern Leagues. The male knockoutcup is named the Milan Lakoseljac cup. The competition is as the name would suggest being a one legged (home or away) knock out cup (no group rounds). The competition consists of qualification rounds involving the weaker teams (from the lower divisions) who then are joined in the main rounds by the higher ranked teams.

Pre-Season Cups

In the South pre-season cups are also run along graded lines (similar to the divisions of the regular season) known as the Summer Cup. This is a less prestigious title and is used mainly for preparation for the regular season. Similar cups are run in the North and North West known as the Steve Hudson Cup and North West Summer Cup respectively however the Steve Hudson Cup is organised by the Launceston Soccer Club as a private venture . It has never been organised by Football Federation Tasmania. ( See furthernotes under Steve Hudson Cup.)

Youth Cup Competitions

The Main cup competitions for the Youth and Junior age groups arre the Festival Cup held at Wentworth Park, Howrah and the Launceston Tournament (formally known as the Mano Cup) held at "Churchill Park" Launceston.

ignificant trophies

List of clubs

=Northern Premier League clubs=

*Devonport City
*Somerset
*Burnie United
*Ulverstone
*Launceston City
*Riverside Olympic
*Northern Rangers
*Launceston United
*Prospect Knights

Junior Northern Clubs

*Deloraine JSC
*George Town JSC
*Launceston JSC
*North Launceston JSC
*NTCSL
*Riverside Olympic JSC
*Southern Raiders JSC
*Westside Devils JSC [http://www.launcestoncity.com/ Official Website]

=Southern Premier League clubs=

*Glenorchy Knights
*University (of Tasmania)
*South Hobart
*Hobart Zebras
*Hobart Olympic
*Metro Claremont
*New Town Eagles
*Kingborough Lions
*Clarence United
*Taroona

Other Southern clubs

*Nelson United [http://free.hostdepartment.com/N/NelsonUtd/ Official Website]
*BeachSide HSC
*Dominic Old Scholars Association (DOSA)
*Kingston Cannons
*Huon Valley
*Christian United
*Barnsoneworth [http://www.users.bigpond.com/barnstoneworth Official Website]
*Hobart United cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,20386839-5006522,00.html|title=Taroona promoted|date=2006-09-11|publisher=The Mercury (Tasmania)]

References

External links

* [http://www.footballfedtas.com.au/ Football Federation Tasmania]
* [http://www.ntjsa.org.au/ Northern Tasmanian Junior Soccer Association]