National Soccer League

National Soccer League
National Soccer League
Countries  Australia
 New Zealand
Founded 1977
First season 1977
Folded 2004
Number of teams 42 (total)
Last champions Perth Glory (2nd title)
Most championships Marconi Stallions
South Melbourne FC
Sydney City (4 titles each)
TV partners Seven Network & C7 Sport (1998-2002)
ABC (2000)
SBS (2002-2004)

The National Soccer League (NSL) is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004.[1] In 2005, it was succeeded by the A-League competition, run by Football Federation Australia, the successor to the Australian Soccer Association.[2] The competition was also known by various names including the Philips Soccer League,[3] Coca-Cola Soccer League,[4] Ericsson Cup[5] and briefly during the mid-1990s the A-League.

Contents

History

Pre-NSL history of interstate club competition

Competition between club sides from different states existed in various forms prior to the formation of the NSL. The petroleum company Ampol sponsored cup competitions in the various states, starting with New South Wales in 1957, with other states following in their stead.[6] Later a national Ampol Cup was conducted which continued throughout the 1960s. From 1962 until 1968 an Australia Cup was held,[7] but its ambition of becoming an FA Cup style knockout competition went unfulfilled. In the 1970s the top sides from Melbourne and Sydney played off in an end of season series,[8] but the tournament didn't seem to quite capture the legitimacy and popularity that was hoped for.

Plans for a national home and away league went back as far as 1965 for a 1967 start,[9] and were followed up by variations on the theme throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, but faced opposition variously from clubs, who deemed the notion uneconomical, and state federations who feared losing their power. Australia's qualification for the 1974 World Cup led to various discussions in 1975 and 1976, with eventually 14 teams being chosen to participate in the inaugural season of the national league.[10]

The transition from state-based leagues to a national competition was not all smooth. The Victorian Soccer Federation was reluctant for its big clubs to be involved and it appeared the dream of Alex Pongrass of St George and Frank Lowy of Hakoah Sydney for a nationwide club competition would not evolve. Little-known Mooroolbark from Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs broke the deadlock by joining the competition, bringing three other Victorian sides with it, making the national league a reality.[11]

1977–1983 Sydney dominance

The first seven seasons of the league would be dominated by Sydney clubs, with Sydney City winning four titles, and only West Adelaide SC being able to wrest the title from New South Wales. The competition at this stage was a simple first past the post. A post season finals series was played during this era but was considered more of an exhibition series rather than a legitimate game to decide the national champion, although some confusion still exists on this matter particularly amongst some Heidelberg supporters who consider the 1980 'final' as a legitimate decider.[12]

1984–1986 Conference system and shift of power

Shrinking crowds led to the radical move of introducing more teams (mainly from Victoria and New South Wales) and splitting the league into two conferences, with the winner of each division to play off in an end of year two legged final. For season 1984 the 'Australian' Conference had competing teams from New South Wales and the ACT, whilst the 'National' Conference consisted of Victorian, South Australian and Queensland clubs. For 1985 and 1986 this reverted to 'Northern' and 'Southern' Conferences. Strangely, the competition's most geographically northern sides, Brisbane Lions and Brisbane City were in the latter grouping.

This period saw South Melbourne become the first Victorian team to win the league, followed by Brunswick Juventus, and Adelaide City, all Southern conference sides. At the end of the 1986 season, the system was scrapped, and about half the teams were dumped back to their respective state leagues. The criteria used to decide who stayed and who went was based 50% on the 1986 playing record, 40% on past playing record, and 10% on crowd support.[13] The result was that only one team from outside Sydney and Melbourne, reigning champions Adelaide City, was retained.

1987–1989 Return to single division and last years of winter football

The revamped league suffered a major setback early on when Sydney City pulled out of the competition after just one round into the new season.[13] Apart from returning to a single division, the league also dispensed with finals for the 1987 season, reverting back to first past the post. Many considered this an ill-considered move, as it robbed the league of its most high profile games.[14] Finals were re-introduced from 1988, and were to remain until the league's demise. The 1989 season would be the last to be played in winter. This period saw a re-emergence of New South Wales dominance with all titles, minor premierships and runners-up being from that state.

1989/90-1995/96 Birth of summer football

Attempts to shift the league towards a summer season went back into the early 1980s, but only came to pass for the 1989/90 season. The rationale for this change was simple. The league would avoid being marginalised in the media during the peak of the Australian Football League and Australian Rugby League seasons, as well as providing better playing surfaces and spectator comfort owing to the better weather.

The impetus given to the league from the switch was not enough for some clubs to remain in the league, with many clubs being relegated or being demoted back to the state leagues, including former champions Brunswick Juventus, St George and APIA Leichhardt, as well as once upon a time contenders in Heidelberg and Preston. This coincided with a renewed push by soccer authorities to force clubs to market themselves to mainstream Australia, as opposed to their own mostly migrant fan bases. This included name and logo changes, as well as the banning of ethnic flags, changes which were begrudgingly agreed to by the clubs, though in the terraces the fans generally continued to chant the old names. Marconi, South Melbourne FC, Adelaide City and the Melbourne Knights were the dominant sides of this era, with numerous titles and grand final appearances between them.

1996/97-2000/01 New clubs and attempts to enter the mainstream

From 1996 onwards the league attempted to revitalise the competition and attempt to hook into the mainstream support by finally introducing a team from Western Australia, in the form of Perth Glory, as well as other new entities which promised to deliver mainstream support, as well as being fully professional outfits as opposed to the majority of clubs and players who were only semi-professional. Among the new clubs at this time were the Collingwood Warriors, Carlton, Northern Spirit and Parramatta Power.

These clubs would have varying degrees of success on and off the field. Collingwood Warriors barely managed to last a season, while Carlton reached the grand final in its debut year, but was unable to attract a substantial fan base. Northern Spirit FC started off with record crowds, and a good debut season reaching the finals, but gradually crowds declined, and financial difficulties along with a controversial takeover by Rangers,[15] didn't help matters. They would survive until the end of the NSL, but fold thereafter. Parramatta Power failed to gather much support, placed as it was in the midst of the already crowded western Sydney soccer market, and it too would not last beyond the end of the NSL. Perth Glory became the most successful of the new mainstream entrants. High crowds and good performances throughout the NSL's last decade made Perth Glory for many observers the benchmark and role model for all future entrants to the Australian top-flight.

A then record grand final crowd of 40,000 people saw the Brisbane Strikers become the first Queensland side to win the title in season 1996/97, but it never resulted in Brisbane gaining much bigger crowds in the following seasons than they were accustomed to. South Melbourne FC won back to back titles in the late 1990s, and by also winning the 1999 Oceania Club Championship, earning the right to play in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship, where it put in some respectable performances, and a tidy sum in prize money. Wollongong Wolves became the only side from regional Australia to win the league, with their back to back titles in 1999/2000 and 2000/01. The 1999/2000 Grand Final against Perth Glory at Subiaco Oval in Perth saw a record attendance of 43,242, overtaking the 1997 figure in Brisbane and a record that would remain until the 2007 A-League Grand Final in Melbourne. The cancellation of the 2001 FIFA Club World Championship however was a major blow to the league as clubs which had seen a way of making a substantial amount of much needed money.

2001/02–2003/04 Decline and demise

After the 2001 FIFA Club World Championship was cancelled, the NSL was in great turmoil. High profile Australian players began to leave the NSL due to more enticing offers from overseas leagues.

In 1998, Soccer Australia sold the television rights for the NSL and Socceroos matches to the Seven Network in a 10 year contract that was worth $2.5 million a year. Seven bought the rights to be one of the flagships of its pay TV sport channel, C7 Sport. It also broadcast a small amount of coverage on its free-to-air network. At one point in 2000, the amount of free-to-air coverage on the NSL was only a one hour highlights package of the NSL after midnight on Wednesdays.

In 2002, C7 Sport closed after the Seven Network lost the AFL rights and pay TV networks stopped carrying the channel. The next year, Seven severed its contract in the last week of Soccer Australia's existence. This left the NSL with no TV coverage at all until SBS picked up the rights soon after.

The consequent lack of sponsorship meant the league fell into even further decline which lead to its eventual demise at the end of the 2003-04 season. Highlights were few and far between, but Sydney Olympic re-emerged as a genuine leading club for the first time in a decade, winning its second title, and Perth Glory went on to win the last two titles of the NSL, after previously having lost two grand finals.

The birth of Adelaide United, as a quickly formed replacement of Adelaide City who withdrew just before the start of the final NSL season, was perhaps the sole major highlight of this era, as they put in good performances, but most importantly, registered crowds which had not been seen in Adelaide since the heyday of Adelaide City and West Adelaide.

The league in 2003-04 was won by Perth Glory after a 1-0 win against Parramatta Power on April 4, 2004, almost 27 years to the day that the national competition began. Nik Mrdja had the honor of scoring the last goal in the NSL, a 98th minute golden goal to seal the championship for Perth. After this, national competition went into recess for a year and a half. In November 2004, 8 teams, including 5 from the now defunct NSL, formed the A-League, the revamped national competition. The first competition began on the 26th of August 2005, ending the long recess.

Competition format

The competition structure changed many times throughout the NSL's history. From its inception in 1977 until 1983, it was simply a matter of first past the post. However a compromise format was devised between the traditional first past the post and the Australian system of finals. In 1978, 1979 (two-legged Grand Final), 1980 and 1982 a finals series was conducted but the winner of the Grand Final didn't determine who won the title. From 1984 until 1986, the league introduced more teams split into two conferences (1984 – Australian Conference, New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory clubs and National Conference, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland; 1985 and 1986 – Northern Conference, New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory clubs and Southern Conference for the rest) with 12 teams in each. The top five in each division would qualify for the playoffs, with the winner of each of the divisional playoffs playing off in a two-legged Grand Final. In 1987, the league dumped 11 teams, scrapped the split divisions, and the championship system reverted to first past the post.

In 1988 the league re-introduced a finals system, with the top five sides qualifying for the playoffs. In season 1992/93, the league increased the finalists to six. This system was used for the rest of the league's duration, except for season 2002/03 when the top six sides played a further series of home and away games against each other, with the top two playing off in the Grand Final.

The NSL also used a variety of point systems throughout its history. From 1977 until season 1991/92, teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for draw, and none for a loss. The exceptions to this were 1979, in which wins by four goals or more were awarded a bonus point, and 1983, in which three points were awarded for a win. From season 1992/93 onwards three points were awarded for a win, except for season 1994/95. In that season, four points were awarded for a win, with games ending in draws, being decided by penalty shootouts at the end of the game. The winner of the shootout received two points, the loser one point.

Former clubs

Team Also known as Years Participating Current Status
Adelaide City Adelaide Juventus
Adelaide City Zebras
Adelaide City Giants
Adelaide (City) Force
1977-2002/03 South Australian Super League
Adelaide United 2003/04 A-League
A.P.I.A. Leichhardt Leichhardt Strikers 1979-1991/1992 New South Wales Premier League as Sydney Tigers
Blacktown City 1980–1981
1984–1986
1989-1989/90
New South Wales Premier League
Brisbane City Azzurri
Brisbane City Gladiators
1977–1986 Brisbane Premier League
Brisbane Lions Hollandia 1977–1986
1988
A-League as Brisbane Roar
Brisbane Strikers Brisbane United 1991/92-2003/04 Queensland State League
Brunswick Juventus Brunswick Pumas
Melbourne BUSC
Melbourne Zebras
1984–1988
1993/94-1994/95
Victorian Premier League as Whittlesea Zebras
Canberra City Canberra City Arrows
Canberra City Olympians
1977–1986 ACT Premier League
Canberra Cosmos 1995/96-2000/01 Defunct
Canterbury-Marrickville Canterbury-Marrickville Olympic 1986 New South Wales Premier League as West Sydney Berries
Carlton S.C. 1997/98-2000/01 Defunct
Collingwood Warriors 1996/1997 Defunct
Football Kingz Auckland Kingz 1999/01-2003/04 Defunct; A-League 2005–07 as New Zealand Knights
Footscray JUST Footscray Eagles
Melbourne City JUST
1977–1989 Defunct
Green Gully Green Gully Ajax 1984–1986 Victorian Premier League
Heidelberg United Fitzroy United
Heidelberg Alexander
1977–1987,
1989,
1990/91-1994/95
Victorian Premier League
Inter Monaro 1985–1986 Defunct
Marconi Stallions Marconi Fairfield
Marconi-Datsun Leopards
1977-2003/04 New South Wales Premier League
Melbourne Knights Essendon Lions
Melbourne Croatia
Melbourne CSC
1984-2003/04 Victorian Premier League
Mooroolbark Mooroolbark United 1977 Victorian Provisional League One South-East
Morwell Falcons Gippsland Falcons
Eastern Pride
1992–2001 Defunct
Newcastle Breakers Newcastle BHP Breakers 1991/92-1999/00 Defunct
Newcastle KB United Newcastle United
Newcastle KB Raiders
1978–1984 Defunct
Newcastle Rosebud United Adamstown Rosebuds 1984–1986 NBN State Football League as Adamstown Rosebuds
Newcastle United Jets Newcastle United 2000/01-2003/04 A-League
Northern Spirit 1998/99-2003/04 Defunct
Parramatta Eagles FC Melita 1984,
1989/90-1994/95
New South Wales Winter Super League
Parramatta Power FC 1999/00-2003/04 Defunct
Penrith City 1984–1985 Defunct
Perth Glory 1996/97-2003/04 A-League
Preston Lions Preston Rams
Preston Makedonia
1981-1992/93 Victorian State League Division 1
South Melbourne South Melbourne Hellas
South Melbourne Gunners
South Melbourne Lakers
1977-2003/04 Victorian Premier League
St George Saints St George Budapest 1977–1980,
1982-1990/91
New South Wales Winter Super League
Sunshine George Cross 1984-1990/91 Victorian Premier League as Sunshine Georgies
Sydney City Eastern Suburbs Hakoah
Sydney City Slickers
1977–1987 NSW Conference League South
Sydney Olympic Pan-Hellenic
Sydney Olympians
UTS Olympic
Olympic Sharks
1977–1979
1981-2003/04
New South Wales Premier League
Sydney United Sydney Croatia
Sydney CSC
Sydney United Pumas
1984-2003/04 New South Wales Premier League
West Adelaide West Adelaide Hellas
West Adelaide Hawks
(West) Adelaide Sharks
1977–1986
1989/90
1991/92-1998/99
South Australian State League
Western Suburbs 1977–78 amalgamated in 1978 with APIA Leichhardt
Wollongong Macedonia Wollongong United
Illawarra Lions
1990/91 Illawarra Premier League
Wollongong Wolves Wollongong City 1981–1986
1988-2003/04
New South Wales Premier League

Champions

Year Champion Runner up Score Venue Crowd
1977[16] Sydney City Marconi Stallions No Grand Final held
1978[17] West Adelaide Sydney City No Grand Final held
1979[18] Marconi Stallions Heidelberg United No Grand Final held
1980[19] Sydney City Heidelberg United No Grand Final held
1981[20] Sydney City South Melbourne No Grand Final held
1982[21] Sydney City St George No Grand Final held
1983[22] St George Sydney City No Grand Final held
1984[23] South Melbourne Sydney Olympic 4–2 agg. over two legs Olympic Park
St. George Stadium
10,000
11,221
1985[24] Brunswick Juventus Sydney City 2–0 agg. over two legs St. George Stadium
Olympic Park
2,491
7,560
1986[25] Adelaide City Sydney Olympic 3–2 agg. over two legs Hindmarsh Stadium
Parramatta Stadium
12,232
14,032
1987[26] APIA Leichardt Preston Lions No Grand Final held
1988 Marconi Stallions Sydney United 2–2 (5–4 on penalties) Parramatta Stadium 17,064
1989 Marconi Stallions Sydney Olympic 1–0 Parramatta Stadium 23,387
1989/1990 Sydney Olympic Marconi Stallions 2–0 Parramatta Stadium 26,353
1990/1991 South Melbourne Melbourne Knights 1–1 (5–4 on penalties) Olympic Park 21,338
1991/1992 Adelaide City Melbourne Knights 0–0 (4–2 on penalties) Olympic Park 15,463
1992/1993 Marconi Stallions Adelaide City 1–0 Parramatta Stadium 13,376
1993/1994 Adelaide City Melbourne Knights 1–0 Olympic Park 13,790
1994/1995 Melbourne Knights Adelaide City 2–0 Hindmarsh Stadium 15,573
1995/1996 Melbourne Knights Marconi Stallions 2–1 Olympic Park 14,258
1996/1997 Brisbane Strikers Sydney United 2–0 Lang Park 40,446
1997/1998 South Melbourne Carlton S.C. 2–1 Olympic Park 16,000
1998/1999 South Melbourne Sydney United 3–2 Olympic Park 15,194
1999/2000 Wollongong Wolves Perth Glory 3–3 (7–6 on penalties) Subiaco Oval 43,242
2000/2001 Wollongong Wolves South Melbourne 2–1 Parramatta Stadium 13,402
2001/2002 Sydney Olympic Perth Glory 1–0 Subiaco Oval 42,735
2002/2003 Perth Glory Sydney Olympic 2–0 Subiaco Oval 38,111
2003/2004 Perth Glory Parramatta Power 1–0 Parramatta Stadium 9,630

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Winning Years
Sydney City
4
3
1977, 1980, 1981, 1982
Marconi Stallions
4
3
1979, 1988, 1989, 1992–93
South Melbourne FC
4
2
1984, 1990–91, 1997–98, 1998–99
Adelaide City
3
2
1986, 1991–92, 1993–94
Sydney Olympic
2
4
1989–90, 2001–02
Melbourne Knights
2
3
1994–95, 1995–96
Perth Glory
2
2
2002–03, 2003–04
Wollongong Wolves
2
0
1999-00, 2000–01
St. George
1
1
1983
Brisbane Strikers
1
0
1996–97
APIA Leichhardt
1
0
1987
Brunswick Juventus
1
0
1985
West Adelaide
1
0
1978
Sydney United
0
3
1988, 1996–97, 1998–99
Heidelberg United
0
2
1979, 1980
Preston Lions
0
1
1987
Carlton SC
0
1
1997-98
Parramatta Power
0
1
2003-04

Competition timeline

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/NSL.shtml
  2. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/museum/index.php/en/timeline/178-timeline-of-australian-football-1951-2009
  3. ^ http://ozfootball.net/museum/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=178:timeline-of-australian-football-1951-2009&catid=44:timeline-of-australian-football&Itemid=75
  4. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBgvIvI8lek
  5. ^ http://www.scoretank.com.au/champ.cgi?champ=47
  6. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1961NightCup.html
  7. ^ http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/auscuphist.html
  8. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC/1972InterChampT.html
  9. ^ Hay, 2006, The World Game Downunder, pp 199
  10. ^ Hay, 2006, The World Game Downunder, pp 120
  11. ^ Hay, 2006, The World Game Downunder, pp 121–122
  12. ^ Heidelberg United SC – History
  13. ^ a b Thompson, 2006, One Fantastic Goal, pp 263
  14. ^ Thompson, 2006, One Fantastic Goal, pp 263–264
  15. ^ http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Rangers-buy-remaining-Northern-Spirit.2250559.jp
  16. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1977/NSLTable.html
  17. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1978/NSLTable.html
  18. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1979/NSLTable.html
  19. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1980/NSLTable.html
  20. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1981/NSLTable.html
  21. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1982/NSLTable.html
  22. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1983/NSLTable.html
  23. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1984/Playoff.html
  24. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1985/Playoff.html
  25. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1986/Playoff.html
  26. ^ http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1987/NSLTable.html

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