National Soccer League
The National Soccer League ( NSL short ) from 1977 until it was replaced by the A -League in 2004, the highest division in the Australian professional football. In the history of the NSL league competition occurred under different sponsor names. Among other things, these were Philips Soccer League, Coca -Cola Soccer League, Cup and Ericsson in the 90's A-League took the game operation shortly under the name instead.
History
Football competitions in front of the NSL
Even before the founding of the National League Soccer football competitions were held. The specialized petroleum company Ampol competitions sponsored already in the 1950s in Australian football. This began in 1957 in New South Wales, followed up by more and more states and territories. Later, a national Ampol Cup was launched, which was maintained until the 60s. From 1962 to 1968 Australia Cup was carried out, which should resemble the style of the English FA Cup. But the expectations were too differentiated and so the cup competition was canceled in 1968. In the 1970s, another Cup was launched, in which the top clubs from Melbourne and Sydney collided at season's end. But even this kind of cup competition took no popularity among the viewers.
Initial plans for the development of a national football league created in 1965. Two years later, the game operation was started. From the 60s through to the early 1970s was followed by further variations in the structure of the league, which largely resulted that clubs regarded the system as inefficient and lost state federations of power. The qualification of the Australian national team for the World Cup 1974, 1975 and 1976 for further discussion about a league education with 14 participating football clubs.
The transition from one state league at a national competition but also brought problems and difficulties. Thus came by the Football Federation Victoria, the objection that only the big clubs would establish in the league. This led almost to the fact that no league foundation had taken place. So it was mainly due to the small and rather unknown Mooroolbark FC, that the establishment of a national league but still came. Then three more clubs from Victoria could be included in the League Association. Thus, the National Soccer League was founded.
1977-1983: Dominance of Sydney
A year later, in 1977, the Erstaustragung took place. In the first seven seasons mostly shone clubs from Australia's largest city, Sydney. Noteworthy here is the performance of the Sydney City SC, who was allowed to take four times the champion title in itself (1977, 1980, 1981 and 1982 ) and twice was runner-up (1978 and 1983). Other masterpieces in the years 1977 to 1983 were the West Adelaide SC (1978), the Marconi Stallions (1979 ) and the St. George Saints FC (1983).
1984-1986: League division and change of power
The falling attendances led to the 1983 season for receiving several teams (mainly from New South Wales and Victoria) as well as for subsequent division of the league into two divisions. At the end of each year the winners of each division playing in a final against each other. As of the 1984 season played competing teams from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in the Australian Conference. Teams from Queensland, South Australia, but also some teams from Victoria then played in the National Conference. Champion in the 1984 season was the South Melbourne FC, followed by Brunswick Juventus (1985 ) from Brunswick, Victoria and Adelaide City (1986).
At the end of the 1986 season, the league system was abolished and about half of the teams have been moved to their respective leagues ( organized by state ). The decisions of who should remain in the league and who does not have met 50% of the performances of soccer clubs in the 1986 season. Another 40 % consisted of the run of play of each team and the remaining 10% were attributed to the support includes. The reigning champions Adelaide City has been retained.
1987-1989: Liga merger and the end of the " winter soccer ball "
The newly created League suffered immediately after the first round of the championship a major setback when it was announced that the Sydney City SC had to be removed from the game operation of the NSL. Then was abandoned in the league on the final end of the season. Only a year later, the Grand Final was played but again and existed until the dissolution of the League. The 1989 season was the last one that was held in the winter rhythm. From the 1989/90 season is set to summer mode. APIA Leichhardt (1987) and Marconi Stallions (1988 and 1989 ): In the season 1987-1989 the following teams were Australian champions.
1990-1996: Beginnings of the " summer soccer ball "
Attempts to convert the schedule of the Australian football to the summer time, began in the early 80s. The actual changeover followed but only in the season 1989 / 90th The reason for this change was simple. The League wanted to prevent that football sports in the media stand as a " fringe group ". In addition to the popular Australian Sports Australian Football and Australian Rugby League and their football highlights should serve as a diversion. It should also increase the convenience and popularity among viewers due to the better weather in the summer.
This pulse of the league does not use all football clubs to secure their whereabouts in the NSL and so several clubs from the league were " banished " or demoted in the respective leagues of their state. Among them were clubs like the former Australian champion APIA Leichhardt, Brunswick Juventus and the St. George Saints FC. Later clubs such as Heidelberg United and the Preston Lions fell victim to the conversion.
This sparked a renewed dispute with the football associations who wanted to force the teams to present themselves as "true Australians " and to strengthen not only the fan base that was propagated from migrants. The overall concept of the associations included the name and logo changes to the respective clubs and the prohibition of ethnic flags and banners, which related to, for example, to people of a different race. Furthermore, you put it on the fan chant lot of value and also emphasized there chants against other races from the repertoire.
The best teams at that time were the Marconi Stallions, South Melbourne FC, Adelaide City and the Melbourne Knights, who all won numerous titles and finals occurred in the Grand for publication.
In the first season of " summer soccer ball, " the Sydney Olympic FC Australian champion, followed by South Melbourne FC (1990/ 91) and Adelaide City (1991 /92). For the fourth time in club history, the Marconi Stallions Australian champions were in the 1992/93 season call. This success is managed in the entire history of the NSL only three clubs. The other two next to the Marconi Stallions were the Sydney City SC and Adelaide Ciy. Master of the season 1993 /94 Adelaide Ciy, followed by the Melbourne Knights, who won the title in the seasons 1994/95 and 1995/96.
1997-2001: accession of new clubs
As early as the 1996/97 season they tried to breathe a little more life to the competition. Therefore, a football team from Western Australia, it was decided to include in the league. Perth Glory from the capital of Western Australia was founded. The concept was to give the football within the league more professionalism and to make the most of the players that were only semi-professionals before, ordinary professional football player. Other newly founded football clubs that were involved in the period from the mid to late 90's also this half of the NSL are, among others: Carlton SC, Collingwood Warriors SC, Northern Spirit FC and Parramatta Power.
These new associations were different to celebrate their successes. While the Collingwood Warriors just managed to a season in the league to keep the Carlton SC came in his debut year to the Grand Final, where they lost to the South Melbourne FC 2-1. Despite this success, managed the club does not establish a constructive fanbase. Another success was also the Northern Spirit FC celebrate the finals reached in his debut season, but could not establish properly in subsequent seasons. Financial problems crept in, as well as the increasingly Will the audience as well as their absence in big games. To ensure the schedule of the Association of the Club was incorporated into the 2002/03 season for a short time from the Scottish club Glasgow Rangers. The association filed finally at the time as well as the NSL was disbanded a season on. Also new is the club Parramatta Power came mostly not about the mid-table addition. The greatest successes of the newly founded clubs could Perth Glory recorded. Many spectators and constant performances helped the club regarded as the benchmark for a number of other clubs.
In the Grand Final of the 1996/97 season the Brisbane Strikers won before a crowd of over 40,000 visitors in the Lang Park with a 2-0 win over Sydney United 's first and only league title of a NSL club from the state of Queensland. In both the 1997/98 season the champion trophy went to the South Melbourne FC, the 1999 in Oceania Club Championship also secured the title and thus qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2000. There, the club was the last of the group dropped out after three defeats in three games from the competition. From 1999/2000 to 2000/ 01 was the master of the NSL Wollongong Wolves.
The cancellation of the FIFA Club World Cup 2001 was the National Soccer League at the beginning of the new millennium, another setback. The Australian clubs in this tournament a great way looked at this, some clubs to get major money for the whereabouts. Because of the cancellation, they then had to fall back on the tried and tested overseas trading players.
2002-2004: decline and dissolution of the League
With the transfer of many important players overseas, the disastrous for the league deal with the commercial broadcasting company Seven Network and the resulting withdrawal of some sponsors of the gradual demise of the National Soccer League followed. In the 2001 / 02 season, the champion was named after the Grand Final for the second time in the club's history Sydney Olympic. In the last two seasons before the final dissolution of the National Soccer League, the championship went to Perth Glory. Notable in the last years of existence League was the creation of Adelaide United as a replacement for Adelaide City, who had retired from the game operation of the NSL.
After the complete dissolution of the National Soccer League in 2004, followed in the second half of 2005, the establishment of the A-League, in the three former NSL clubs were represented. Adelaide United, Newcastle United Jets and Perth Glory tried the " reboot ".
Competition format
The competitive structure of the National Soccer League changed their story several times. From its founding in 1977 to 1983 it was not sure if it would get through the NSL ever. Everything depended on the majority vote. At the end of the elections they came up with the compromise to keep a league that can boast both European elements, as well as Australian structures ( Grand Finals ).
Although 1978 and 1979 (this still return game), as well as 1980 and 1982 Grand Finals were conducted, one could not find out who has won the title at the end. In the season 1982-1984, there was a recording of several teams in the game mode. Subsequently, the league was divided into two Conferences. 1984, these were in the Australian Conference clubs from New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. In the National Conference, however, played clubs from Queensland, South Australia and sporadically teams from Victoria against each other. In the seasons 1985 and 1986 the Conferences have been renamed in North and South Conference, after which the teams from the Australian Conference in the North Conference play, and continued the teams from the other states and territories their gaming operations in the South Conference. Each of the two divisions could have a total of twelve teams, with the five bestplatziertesten teams of each division qualified for the playoffs. The winners of the parallel playoffs had to earn the chance to win the championship in the next Grand Final. At the end of the 1986 season, the two divisions were abolished again, converted to a single league and more than half of the teams in their respective leagues (ordered by state ) " deported ". The number of teams in the NSL was reduced to eleven participating teams. The change was also the reason why the Grand Final of the 1987 season turned out.
As of the 1988 season they reintroduced the final. The teams that were placed in the table of rank 1 to 5, had the chance in the finals to earn the championship title after completing his playoff. From the season 1992/93 the number of finalists for the playoffs rose to six. This system was up to the dissolution of the National Soccer League, with the exception of the 2002/ 03, carried out. In the season 2002/ 03, the situation was such that the teams in home and away matches clashed and the first and second place in the Grand Final and was able to measure was allowed to play for the title.
In the history of the NSL, there were also a variety of systems, the distribution of points. From 1977 until the 1991/92 season, two points for a win and one point for a draw were awarded. For a defeat, there was usually no point. The exceptions in the seasons to 1991/92 were in 1979, when in games won with a goal difference of four goals or more, an extra point was awarded. Another exception was in 1983, when a win three points were counted. From the 1992/93 season was the neugeregelte distribution points are used. With the exception of the 1994/95 season, in a victory for the four points were awarded. If it was tied after regular time, the game was decided by penalty kicks, where the winner gets two points and one of the losers.