1977 National Soccer League
Season | 1977 |
---|---|
Dates | 2 April — 26 September |
Matches played | 182 |
Goals scored | 498 (2.74 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Dixie Deans (16)[1] |
Biggest home win | Adelaide City 10–3 Mooroolbark (5 September 1977) |
Biggest away win | Fitzroy United 1–8 Marconi Fairfield (20 June 1977) |
Highest scoring | Adelaide City 10–3 Mooroolbark (5 September 1977) |
1978 → |
The 1977 National Soccer League season was the first season of the National Soccer League of Australia. The league was not only the first national soccer league in Australia but the first of any of the forms of football in Australia. Clubs predominantly joined from the top leagues in each state, with Canberra City forming in 1977 to join the league. The inaugural champions were Eastern Suburbs.
Background[]
Attempts had been made to start a national league several times during the 1960s and 1970s, however it wasn't until 1975 that the talk became serious. In April 1975, nine clubs from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia agreed to form a national league in either 1976 or 1977. Frank Lowy, president of Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs and , St George-Budapest president led a concerted effort to bring in teams from Victoria over objections from the state association. Eventually, four Victorian clubs joined with the addition of a team from the Australian Capital Territory.[2][3]
Teams[]
Stadiums and locations[]
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
Adelaide City | Adelaide | Olympic Sports Field | 5,000 |
Brisbane City | Brisbane | Perry Park | 5,000 |
Brisbane Lions | Brisbane | Perry Park | 5,000 |
Canberra City | Canberra Queanbeyan |
Manuka Oval Seiffert Oval |
16,000 ? |
Fitzroy | Melbourne | Olympic Park Stadium | 18,500 |
Footscray | Melbourne | Middle Park | 18,000 |
Marconi | Sydney | Marconi Stadium | 9,000 |
Mooroolbark | Melbourne | Middle Park Esther Park Wembley Park |
18,000 ? ? |
South Melbourne | Melbourne | Middle Park | 18,000 |
St George | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground Marconi Stadium |
35,000 9,000 |
Eastern Suburbs | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground | 35,000 |
Sydney Olympic | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground Wentworth Park |
35,000 ? |
Western Suburbs | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground Englefield Stadium |
35,000 ? |
West Adelaide | Adelaide | Hindmarsh Stadium | 16,500 |
League table[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Eastern Suburbs (C) | 26 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 52 | 28 | +24 | 37 | League Champions |
2 | Marconi | 26 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 42 | 21 | +21 | 37 | |
3 | Fitzroy | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 41 | 34 | +7 | 32 | |
4 | Adelaide City | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 50 | 31 | +19 | 31 | |
5 | Western Suburbs | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 29 | |
6 | St George | 26 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 39 | 35 | +4 | 28 | |
7 | West Adelaide | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 38 | 32 | +6 | 26 | |
8 | Footscray | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 36 | 39 | −3 | 24 | |
9 | Brisbane Lions | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 27 | 41 | −14 | 23 | |
10 | Brisbane City | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 35 | −5 | 22 | |
11 | South Melbourne | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 27 | 35 | −8 | 22 | |
12 | Sydney Olympic | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 25 | 38 | −13 | 21 | |
13 | Canberra City | 26 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 22 | 39 | −17 | 17 | |
14 | Mooroolbark (R) | 26 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 31 | 61 | −30 | 15 | Relegation to the 1978 Victoria Metropolitan League Three |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated
Results[]
Season statistics[]
Scoring[]
Hat-tricks[]
Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Eastern Suburbs | Adelaide City | 6–1 (H) | 7 May 1977 | [4] |
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Eastern Suburbs | Brisbane Lions | 4–0 (A) | 5 June 1977 | [5] |
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Marconi | Fitzroy | 8–1 (A) | 20 June 1977 | [6] |
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Brisbane Lions | Western Suburbs | 4–0 (H) | 25 July 1977 | [7] |
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South Melbourne | Mooroolbark | 4–2 (A) | 29 August 1977 | [8] |
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Adelaide City | Mooroolbark | 10–3 (H) | 5 September 1977 | [9] |
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Adelaide City | Footscray | 4–3 (A) | 12 September 1977 | [10] |
Awards[]
Award | Name | Club |
---|---|---|
Player of the Year | Jimmy Rooney | Marconi |
U-21 Player of the Year | John Kosmina | West Adelaide |
Coach of the Year | Rale Rasic | Marconi |
References[]
Footnotes[]
- ^ "Striker made his point". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Soccer!". The Sun-Herald. 6 April 1975. Retrieved 27 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Mossop, Brian (10 July 1976). "National Soccer of 14 clubs". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Curran, Brian (8 May 1977). "Barnes hits form with three goals". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Supermac' spot on for new club". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 June 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "City hit back for top spot". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 June 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Footscray's star guests clinch it". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 July 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Marconi and East head Soccer table". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 August 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Thirteen-goal Soccer spree - Deans hits four". 5 September 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Upset by 'basement' team". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 September 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
General references[]
- National Soccer League (Australia) seasons
- 1977 in Australian soccer
- 1977 in Oceanian association football leagues