Western Premier League
Founded | 1994 (reformed in 2020) |
---|---|
Country | Australia |
Number of teams | 9 |
Level on pyramid | 6 |
Current champions | Dubbo Bulls (4th title) (2020) |
Current premiers | Macquarie United (Dubbo) (1st title) (2020) |
Current: 2021 Western Premier League season |
The Western Premier League is a regional Australian association football league, comprising teams from the Central West region of New South Wales. The competition is run under the Western NSW Football body, an associate of Football NSW - a member federation of Football Federation Australia. It fits below the national A-League and NSW wide divisions including National Premier Leagues NSW, being level 6 league in the Australian league system.
History[]
The Western Premier League was founded in 1994 as the Central West Soccer League, with East Dubbo United taking out the inaugural championship, defeating Bathurst '75 on penalties 4–3 in the grand final, after the score was locked at 2-all at the end of extra-time.
The competition ran from 1994 until the end of 2012 before collapsing after Westside Panthers and Dubbo Bulls all pulled out in quick succession, leaving just three teams in the competition.[1] The competition was later revived ahead of the 2020 season, with nine teams initially entering the first WPL season in eight years,[2] later reduced to seven teams by July when the season commenced after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Format[]
The competition consists of nine teams from around the Central West region of New South Wales. Each team will play each other twice, to form a 18-round, round robin format. Five teams progress to a finals series, with the final two teams playing-off in a grand final to determine the winner, usually held at the ground of the highest-ranked team.
Current clubs and location[]
The following clubs will participate in the 2022 Western Premier League:
Club | Location | Ground[a] | Founded | Champions | Champions years |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barnstoneworth United | Orange | Sir Jack Brabham Park | 1998 | 0 | |
Dubbo Bulls | Dubbo | Hans Claven Oval Apex Oval |
2005 | 4 | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2020 |
Lithgow Workmen's | Lithgow | Marjorie Jackson Oval | 1982 | 0 | |
Macquarie United (Dubbo) | Dubbo | Hans Claven Oval Victoria Park Apex Oval |
2013 | 0 | |
Mudgee Wolves | Mudgee | Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium | 0 | ||
Orana Spurs | Dubbo | Hans Claven Oval Victoria Park |
1992 | 1 | 2001 |
Orange CYMS | Orange | Sir Jack Brabham Park | 1975 | 0 | |
Orange Waratahs | Orange | Waratah Sports Ground | 1967 | 4 | 1995, 2000, 2006, 2007 |
Panorama | Bathurst | Proctor Park | 2012 | 0 | |
Parkes Cobras | Parkes | Woodward Oval Harrison Park |
2020 | 0 |
Former clubs[]
Club | Location | Founded | Champions | Champions years | Current status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bathurst '75 | Bathurst | 1975 | 6 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005 | Bathurst District Football |
Bathurst City Red Tops | Bathurst | 0 | Bathurst District Football | ||
Bathurst City Colts | Bathurst | 0 | Disbanded | ||
Canobolas Rangers | Orange | 1 | 1999 | Orange & District Football Association | |
Cowra Wildcats | Orange | 0 | Disbanded | ||
East Dubbo United | Dubbo | 1984 | 1 | 1994 | Dubbo & District Football Association |
Lithgow City Rangers | Lithgow | 1970 | 0 | Bathurst District Football | |
Macquarie United (Bathurst) | Bathurst | 1984 | 0 | Bathurst District Football | |
Orange CYMS | Orange | 1975 | 0 | Orange & District Football Association | |
Oxford United | Bathurst | 0 | Disbanded | ||
SASS Strikers | Dubbo | 0 | Dubbo & District Football Association | ||
Westside Panthers | Dubbo | 1979 | 3 | 2004, 2008, 2009 | Dubbo & District Football Association |
Young Rebels | Young | 0 | Disbanded |
Grand final results[]
Year | Champion | Runners-up | !Score | Venue | Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
East Dubbo United | Bathurst '75 | 2–2 (4–3 on penalties) | Marjorie Jackson Oval, Lithgow | ||
Orange Waratahs | Canobolas Rangers | 1–0 | Alec Lamberton Field, Bathurst | ||
Bathurst '75 | Macquarie United (Bathurst) | 3–0 | Waratah Sports Ground, Orange | ||
Bathurst '75 | Orange CYMS | 1–0 | Alec Lamberton Field, Bathurst | ||
Bathurst '75 | Orange Waratahs | 3–0 | Waratah Sports Ground, Orange | ||
Canobolas Rangers | Orange CYMS | 3–0 | Jack Brabham Park, Orange | ||
Orange Waratahs | Orange CYMS | 3–1 | Waratah Sports Ground, Orange | ||
Orana Spurs | East Dubbo United | 2–1 | Lady Cutler Oval, Dubbo | ||
Bathurst '75 | Westside Panthers | 3–2 | Lady Cutler Oval, Dubbo | ||
Bathurst '75 | Canobolas Rangers | 0–0 (5–4 on penalties) | Alec Lamberton Field, Bathurst | ||
Westside Panthers[3] | Bathurst '75 | 1–0 | Lady Cutler Oval, Dubbo | ||
Bathurst '75[4] | Dubbo Bulls | 1–0 | Alec Lamberton Field, Bathurst | ||
Orange Waratahs | Bathurst '75 | 0–0 (6–5 on penalties) | Alec Lamberton Field, Bathurst | ||
Orange Waratahs[5] | Bathurst '75 | 1–0 | Alec Lamberton Field, Bathurst | ||
Westside Panthers[6] | Bathurst '75 | 3–3 (3–1 on penalties) | Lady Cutler Oval, Dubbo | ||
Westside Panthers | Orange Waratahs | 3–3 (5–4 on penalties) | Jack Brabham Park, Orange | ||
Dubbo Bulls[7] | Orange Waratahs | 1–1 (5–4 on penalties) | Lady Cutler Oval, Dubbo | ||
Dubbo Bulls[8] | Westside Panthers | 3–1 | Lady Cutler Oval, Dubbo | ||
Dubbo Bulls[9] | Orange Waratahs | 3–1 | Waratah Sports Ground, Orange | ||
Dubbo Bulls | Macquarie United (Dubbo) | 2–1 | Apex Oval, Dubbo | ||
Performance by club[]
There are seven clubs who have won the Western Premier League title.
Teams in bold compete in the Western Premier League as of the 2022 season.
Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years | Runners-up years |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bathurst '75 | 6 | 5 | 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005 | 1994, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
Orange Waratahs | 4 | 4 | 1995, 2000, 2006, 2007 | 1998, 2009, 2010 2012 |
Dubbo Bulls | 4 | 1 | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2020 | 2005 |
Westside Panthers | 3 | 2 | 2004, 2008, 2009 | 2002, 2011 |
Canobolas Rangers | 1 | 2 | 1999 | 1995, 2003 |
East Dubbo United | 1 | 1 | 1994 | 2001 |
Orana Spurs | 1 | 0 | 2001 | |
Orange CYMS | 0 | 3 | 1997, 1999, 2000 | |
Macquarie United (Bathurst) | 0 | 1 | 1996 | |
Macquarie United (Dubbo) | 0 | 1 | 2020 |
Lower grades[]
Reserve Grade[]
- 1994 - Lithgow Workmen's
- 1995 - Canobolas Rangers
- 1996 - Bathurst '75
- 1997 - Bathurst '75
- 1998 - Bathurst '75
- 1999 - Canobolas Rangers
- 2000 - East Dubbo United
- 2001 - Bathurst '75
- 2002 - Bathurst ' 75
- 2003 - Orange Waratahs
- 2004 - Orana Spurs
- 2005 - Orange Waratahs
- 2006 - Bathurst '75
- 2007 - Canobolas Rangers
- 2008 - Orange Waratahs
- 2009 - Westside Panthers
- 2010 - Dubbo Bulls
- 2011 - Orange Waratahs
- 2012 - Dubbo Bulls
Under 18s[]
- 1995 - Canobolas Rangers
- 1996 - Cowra Wildcats
- 1999 - Lithgow City Rangers
- 2001 - Dubbo SASS
- 2002 - Dubbo SASS
- 2003 - Orana Spurs
- 2004 - Bathurst '75
- 2005 - Orange Waratahs
- 2006 - Dubbo Bulls
- 2007 - Westside Panthers
- 2008 - Westside Panthers
- 2009 - Orana Spurs
- 2010 - Lithgow Workmen's
- 2011 - Dubbo Bulls
- 2012 - Dubbo Bulls
References[]
- ^ Home ground is based on venues used for 2021 season.
- ^ Western Premier League's 2020 revival all but confirmed in Western Advocate 2 February 2020
- ^ Western Premier League officially confirmed to return in 2020 in Western Advocate 17 February 2020
- ^ Panthers pounce on championship in Daily Liberal 12 September 2004
- ^ Football flashback: Bathurst '75 defeat Dubbo Bulls to win 2005 Western Premier League grand final in Western Advocate 9 June 2020
- ^ Sugden seals successive titles in Central Western Daily 9 September 2007
- ^ Panthers celebrate four titles in Daily Liberal 1 October 2008
- ^ Bull's win six years in making in Daily Liberal 14 September 2010
- ^ Bulls win back-to-back titles in premier league in Daily Liberal 4 September 2011
- ^ Three in a row for Dubbo FC in Daily Liberal 28 August 2012
- ^ Western Premier League season abandoned due to COVID lockdown in Daily Liberal, 26 August, 2021
External links[]
- Soccer leagues in New South Wales