Association football in New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Association football in New South Wales describes the sport
of association football (or soccer as it is also known) being played and watched by people in the state of New South Wales
in Australia
.
Association football in New South Wales
is organised and managed on a state level by two separate governing bodies; Football NSW and Northern New South Wales Football
which are affiliated at a national level to Football Federation Australia
.
It is a popular participation and spectator sport
in New South Wales and the state historically has had a large influence on association football in Australia. It has the most registered football players in the country, with over 200,000 registered FNSW players and nearly 50,000 Northern NSW players, compared with around 150,000 in other states combined. It also has the most teams in the A-League
.
by Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC associated womens teams.
Football which is run by each association, and Representative or Semi-Pro Football which is run by Football NSW.
In 2008 there will be a shake-up of the whole New South Wales Men's, Women's and Youth competitions. There will be a restructuring of the youth teams so they're aligned with their Senior Clubs. There will be also a restructuring of the Men's Senior competitions including new teams added to the NSW Premier League and a new Promotion/Relegation system.
16 of the associations also have teams in the Metropolitan League (11's & 12's boys). Some also act as Feeder associations or give their backing certain semi-pro or Representative clubs.
In order for a SYL club to be promoted to PYL, that club's 1st grade team has to win the NSW Super League. Relegation from PYL to SYL depends on a combination of the club championship between 1st grade, U/20, and U/18. Promotion and relegation between SYL and YL1 is based purely on the Club Championship where the bottom placed club is relegated and the top placed club is promoted.
After the 18's players usually progress into senior men's football, with their clubs 20's or First Grade team.
The Youth Women competitions caters for the ages of 12's to 16's. Here is a description of the system:
Top New South Wales competitions:
which is made of 8 teams from the Newcastle
and Hunter Valley areas is the premier Northern NSW League.
is a league extending from Iluka to Macksville with over 5000 registered players. It contains the two largest clubs on the north coast of NSW, Woolgoolga F.C. and Northern Storm F.C. (each with over 400 registered players).
.
Baulkham Hills Kookaburra's are defending champions after taking the title in a close affair in 2007. An extra time winner sealing the victory. Although Baulkham Hills were lucky to finish the match with 11 men after their right back was lucky to escape a second yellow.
NSWIS=
The NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS), located at Sydney Olympic Park, operates men's and women's soccer programs. The men's program is aimed at identifying and nurturing talented 15 and 16 year olds across the state, while the women's program is an individual skills based program for identified U20 and Senior athletes.
External links=
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of association football (or soccer as it is also known) being played and watched by people in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Association football in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
is organised and managed on a state level by two separate governing bodies; Football NSW and Northern New South Wales Football
Northern New South Wales Football
Northern New South Wales Football is the governing body for football of the northern zone of New South Wales, Australia. It is a member of the national governing body, the Football Federation of Australia.-NBN State Football League:...
which are affiliated at a national level to Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
.
It is a popular participation and spectator sport
Spectator sport
A spectator sport is a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. For instance, Tennis, Rugby, F-1, baseball, basketball, cricket, football , and ice hockey are spectator sports, while hunting or underwater hockey typically are not...
in New South Wales and the state historically has had a large influence on association football in Australia. It has the most registered football players in the country, with over 200,000 registered FNSW players and nearly 50,000 Northern NSW players, compared with around 150,000 in other states combined. It also has the most teams in the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
.
A-League
Three of the ten teams in the A-League are based in New South Wales: , and .W-League
NSW is represented in the national women's W-LeagueW-League
The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
by Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC associated womens teams.
State teams
New South Wales sends teams to the annual national youth competitions in the form of New South Wales Metropolitan and New South Wales Country (run by Football NSW) and Northern New South Wales (run by Northern NSW Football).Defunct National Soccer League
New South Wales had many different teams in the NSL over the years. NSW usually had at least the first or second most clubs in the league and also got many premierships over the years. There is a list below of clubs from NSW that participated in the NSL and are still running today in NSW competitions.- A.P.I.A. Leichhardt TigersA.P.I.A. Leichhardt TigersAPIA Leichhardt Tigers Football Club, also known as APIA Tigers and Sydney Tigers, is an Australian football club based in Sydney, Australia. The club was formed in 1954, known as APIA Leichhardt, by Italian Australians...
- Blacktown City DemonsBlacktown City DemonsBlacktown City FC, formerly The Demons, are an Australian football club based in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. The club was formed in 1953 as Toongabbie Soccer Club and changed their name to Blacktown City in 1979...
- Canterbury-Marrickville
- Marconi StallionsMarconi StallionsThe Marconi Stallions Football Club is an Australian football club located in Sydney, Australia. The club won the National Soccer League title a record four times, along with South Melbourne FC and Sydney City SC...
- Newcastle Rosebud United
- Parramatta EaglesParramatta EaglesParramatta Eagles are an Australian football club that played in the National Soccer League and later the New South Wales Premier League. Due to various levels of mismanagement at the club it was demoted at the end of 2006...
- St George SaintsSt George SaintsThe St. George Saints Football Club are an Association football club based in the St. George region of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The club plays its home games at St. George Stadium, after playing a brief stint at Belmore Sports Ground in the 2007-08. The St...
- Sydney OlympicSydney Olympic FCSydney Olympic Football Club is an Australian football club that plays in the NSW Premier League. It competed in the National Soccer League from 1977 until the league's demise in 2004, having won the championship in 1989–90, 2001–02, the League Cup in 1980, the minor premiership in 2002–03 and the...
- Sydney UnitedSydney UnitedSydney United Football Club are an Australian football club from Sydney, Australia, established in 1957 by Croatian Australians in the area...
- Wollongong WolvesWollongong WolvesThe South Coast Wolves Football Club is an Australian Association football club based in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia currently playing in the NSW Premier League.The club was formed in 2009 as a not for profit organisation, run and owned by the community since the financial...
Football NSW Competitions
In the main the Youth and Senior competitions are divided into two sections: Club or AmateurFootball which is run by each association, and Representative or Semi-Pro Football which is run by Football NSW.
Youth/Senior - Amateur
These are the branches and associations that make up all of Football NSW's youth and senior, women and men Amateur competitions around the state. Each of the associations run their own competitions for various age groups.16 of the associations also have teams in the Metropolitan League (11's & 12's boys). Some also act as Feeder associations or give their backing certain semi-pro or Representative clubs.
Associations
- Albury Wodonga Football Association
- Bankstown District Amateur Football Association
- Bathurst District Soccer
- Blacktown & District Soccer Football Inc.
- Canterbury & Dist. Soccer Football Association
- Central Coast Football
- Dubbo & District Soccer Association
- Eastern Suburbs Football Association
- Eurobodalla Football Association
- Far South Coast Soccer Association
- Gladesville-Hornsby Football Association
- Granville & Districts Soccer Football Association
- Griffith & District Amateur Soccer Association
- Highlands Soccer Association Inc.
- Illawarra Football Association
- Illawarra Junior Football Association
- Ku-Ring-Gai & District Soccer Association
- Lachlan Amateur Soccer Association
- Macarthur Districts Soccer Football Association
- Manly Warringah Football Association
- Mitchell District Soccer Association
- Nepean Districts Soccer Football Association
- North West Sydney Women's Soccer
- Orange & District Soccer Association
- Parkes & District Amateur Soccer Association Inc.
- Shoalhaven District Soccer Association Inc.
- South West Slopes Soccer Association
- Southern Districts Soccer Football Association
- Southern Tablelands Football Association
- St George Soccer Football Association Inc
- Sutherland Shire Junior SFA Inc.
- Sydney Amateur Football League Inc.
- Wagga Wagga & District Soccer Association
- West Plains Soccer Association
Youth - Representative
The Youth Men's Representative system which is run by Football NSW caters for the ages between 11's and 18's. It is divided into to 2 main stages, the Metropolitan League and the Youth Leagues. After that they are catered by the Senior Men's competitions. Here is a description of the system:- Metropolitan League - 11's and 12's. The Metropolitan League is an Association-based competition for 11's & 12's boys. The 16 Associations in the competition are divided equally into 2 conferences based on location.
- Northern Conference
- Southern Conference
- Youth Leagues - 13's, 14's, 15's, 16's and 18's.The Youth leagues which cater for the ages 13–18 are seen as the best football a youth player can get in New South Wales. The PYL (Premier Youth League) is the most prestigious, then the SYL (Super Youth League) and finally the YL1 (Youth League Division 1). There is a relegation system between the leagues for the clubs based on the Club Championship.
In order for a SYL club to be promoted to PYL, that club's 1st grade team has to win the NSW Super League. Relegation from PYL to SYL depends on a combination of the club championship between 1st grade, U/20, and U/18. Promotion and relegation between SYL and YL1 is based purely on the Club Championship where the bottom placed club is relegated and the top placed club is promoted.
After the 18's players usually progress into senior men's football, with their clubs 20's or First Grade team.
-
- Premier Youth League http://www.nswpl.com.au/index.php?id=78
- Super Youth League http://www.footballnsw.com.au/index.php?id=71
- Youth League Division One http://www.footballnsw.com.au/index.php?id=81
The Youth Women competitions caters for the ages of 12's to 16's. Here is a description of the system:
- "Arrive Alive" Girls Youth League - 12's, 14's, 16's
- Premier Girls Youth League
- Super Girls Youth League.
Senior - Semi-Pro & Representative
These are the Senior Men's and Women's competitions. The NSW Premier League is widely believed to be second in Australia only to the A-League while the Women's Premier League is also widely thought of as the best women's competition in Australia since the demise of the women's national league. Many of the Senior Men's competitions below are semi-professional.Senior Men's
All Senior Men's teams are linked with their counterparts of Under 20's, Under 18's and all Open Age competitors.Top New South Wales competitions:
- NSW Premier League (12 Teams)
Premier League
- NSW Super League (12 Teams)
Super League
- NSW State League Division One (12 Teams)
Division One
- NSW State League Division TwoNSW State League Division TwoThe New South Wales State League Division Two is the fourth-highest level of men's Association football in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted by Football NSW, the organising body of football in New South Wales....
(14 teams)
Division Two
Senior Women's
Both Women's leagues cater for the Under 21's age groups and Open Age Groups. SoccerNSW Senior Women's Competitions (in descending order in terms of significance)- "Arrive Alive" Women's Premier League
- 8 Teams
- "Arrive Alive" Women's Super League
- 11 Teams
NBN State Football League
The NBN State Football LeagueNBN State Football League
The Northern New South Wales State Football League, or as it is more commonly known as the NBN State Football League for sponsorship purposes, is the premier association football league in the Hunter Valley and Newcastle region. It is governed by Northern New South Wales Football...
which is made of 8 teams from the Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and Hunter Valley areas is the premier Northern NSW League.
North Coast Football
North Coast FootballNorth Coast Football
North Coast Football is an association football competition on the north coast of New South Wales extending from Iluka in the north to Macksville in the south. The association was established in its current form in 2005, having previously been known as the separate entities of Holiday Coast Soccer...
is a league extending from Iluka to Macksville with over 5000 registered players. It contains the two largest clubs on the north coast of NSW, Woolgoolga F.C. and Northern Storm F.C. (each with over 400 registered players).
Other Leagues
Other leagues that fall under the category of Northern New South Wales Football include Hunter Valley Football, Macquarie Football, Newcastle Football, Northern Inland Football, Football Mid North Coast and Football Far North CoastFootball far north coast
Football Far North Coast is the governing body controlling Association Football on the Far North Coast of New South Wales, Australia...
.
The McDonalds Cup
The Waratah Cup (known as "McDonalds" cup due to sponsorship reasons) is a state wide "FA Cup" style knockout competition open to men's teams from the NSW Premier, Super, Division 1 and Conference Leagues as well as local Association men's teams.Johnny Warren Cup
The Johnny Warren Cup is the pre-season tournament for the NSW Premier League. The teams are divided into two pools with the winner of each pool contesting the finalThe State Robertson & Cullinan Cups
The SRC Cups competition is open to Association club teams. The following age catergories have cup competitions:- Male 12-14-16-18-21-All Age & O35
- Female 12-14-16-18 & All Age.
Baulkham Hills Kookaburra's are defending champions after taking the title in a close affair in 2007. An extra time winner sealing the victory. Although Baulkham Hills were lucky to finish the match with 11 men after their right back was lucky to escape a second yellow.
Harry Williams Cup
Named after Harry Williams, the former Socceroo and only indigenous man to represent Australia at the World Cup, The Harry Williams Cup aims to unearth Australia’s next crop of indigenous football stars with a four day tournament open to Boys in the Under 12, 14 and 16 age categories. The Indigenous teams play against school and association based club sides with all indigenous sides accommodated during the tournament on-site.Frank Broughton Cup
The Frank Broughton Cup is open to Grade 11 Association Representative teams and InviteesCentenary Cup
The Centenary Cup is open to Grade 12 Association Representative teams and InviteesChampion of Champions
The Champion of Champions tournament is an annual tournament run throughout late September and October. The champion side from each association's division 1 in each age group is entered in a cup competition to determine an overall amateur champion for the year within the state.NSWIS=
The NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS), located at Sydney Olympic Park, operates men's and women's soccer programs. The men's program is aimed at identifying and nurturing talented 15 and 16 year olds across the state, while the women's program is an individual skills based program for identified U20 and Senior athletes.
External links=