Football Federation Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Football Federation Tasmania is the governing body for Association football (soccer) in the Australia
n state of Tasmania
. The federation oversees leagues in Northern and Southern Tasmania, Tasmanian representative teams, and development of the sport in the state. The federation was formerly known as the Tasmanian Soccer Association until 1996, when it was renamed Soccer Tasmania. It again changed its name in March 2006, to become the Football Federation Tasmania.
The FFT sanctions all competitive football matches in Tasmania, either directly in the case of its own leagues, or indirectly, as is the case with local regional junior associations. The FFT also trains and appoints match officials in accordance with FIFA
guidelines. The FFT governs the state's two major domestic leagues, the Northern Premier League
, and the Southern Premier League
, and organises and runs all of the Tasmanian association football cup competitions. The FFT (then known as Tasmanian Soccer Association) was also responsible for the organisation and administration of the Tasmanian State League
, which was a statewide championship played between 1978 and 1999. It is also responsible for selecting and managing the men's Tasmania official football team, as well as women's and youth representative sides.
Football Federation Tasmania is a member of the Football Federation Australia
, which is in turn a member of the Asian Football Confederation
, and the world governing body FIFA
.
, and has its headquarters at the Hobart Showground
s, having relocated there in 2007 from its previous headquarters at King George V ("KGV" or "KG5") Soccer Park in Glenorchy
. Despite this, FFT still has administrative offiices there, and KGV Park remains a major venue for the sport in Tasmania.
All of Tasmania's major football teams are members of the Football Federation Tasmania, and the FFT organise the only FIFA
sanctioned competitive leagues in the State. These are the Northern Premier League
, and the Southern Premier League
. The winners of the northern and southern competitions usually play an annual one-off grand final
to determine the winner of the Tasmanian football championship
. This has sometimes been a two-legged match, but this is not always the case. A hierarchy of league divisions operates in both the south and the north for senior men and women, and aged based divisions operate for juniors. SATIS, (The Sports Association of Tasmanian Independent Schools), also runs a league for Independent schools, and although not affiliated with FFT, does so in accordance with FFT rules and with their sanctioning. The FFT ran a statewide competition known as the Tasmanian State League
, featuring sides from both the north and south of the state from 1978 until 1999, when it discontinued due to financial problems. There has been suggestions a statewide league could recommence in the future, although no firm plans have been announced by the FFT. The FFT also runs all of the Tasmanian association football cup competitions. Although some players are offered expenses by their clubs and might therefore be considered semi-professional
, all clubs in Tasmania remain amateur
.
Football Federation Tasmania owns and continues to operate the ground at King George V Park. At present, there is no dedicated rectangular football stadium located within Tasmania, although the topic has caused much recent debate amongst fans of the game within the state, many of whom feel it is essential if Tasmania is to eventually succeed in its bid to locate an A-League
side in Tasmania. Venues such as North Hobart Oval
, and the Domain Athletic Centre
have been suggested as possible venues which could be converted into a dedicated home venue for football in Tasmania. Most of the other grounds that are used for FFT competitions either belong to clubs themselves, or to local government authorities, who provide facilities for association football, and allow competitive matches to be played there. An example of such a venue is Wentworth Park
.
during the colonial period, but was never as popular as rugby
or cricket
, and the advent of Australian rules football
in the mid-nineteenth century, soon saw that code surpass both rugby and football in popularity within the island colony. The code was generally referred to as British Association Football, to distinguish it from Rugby, and Australian rules, which soon became known locally as 'football' or 'footy'. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of the word "association", often credited to former England captain Charles Wreford-Brown. It is not clear when the term 'soccer' came into common use in Tasmania, but by the early twentieth century is was the more common term.
The first recorded organised match in Tasmania took place between seamen from the Royal Navy
and merchant vessels, who formed a team in 1898, and challenged the soldiers from the Tasmanian Military Forces
garrison at Anglesea Barracks. The match was played on the Queens Domain
, and sparked a renewed local interest in the sport. In 1900, Englishman Reverend Fred Taylor established a league competition between three newly formed sides. They were Trinity, (representing the University of Tasmania
's Christ College), the Gunners (the soldiers from Anglesea Barracks) and Sandy Bay
(army volunteers). The involvement
of the Tasmanian and later Commonwealth Military Forces in the Second Boer War
led to a suspension of football in the colony. It wasn't until 1910, when two friends JJB Honeysett and Norm Vincent, who were both keen players, decided to reintroduced competitive matches. They created the state's first league
involving teams from both north and south, and they also established a North vs South match, played annually almost continuously since that time, except for brief suspensions during the First World War and the Second World War. The newly formed South Hobart Soccer Club
took on Westralia at the "Association Ground", Washington Street, South Hobart in the first match of the new league, winning 4–1.
A rise in the number of migrants arriving in Tasmania following the First World War saw the popularity of the sport grow, and the Tasmanian football championship
resumed in 1919. That season saw South Hobart Soccer Club
begin a remarkable run in which the won the state championship a record five years in a row. Although four-in-a-row has since been done twice, by Caledonians
(1955–58), and White Eagles
(1988–91), South Hobart's record has never been broken. Football remained healthy in Tasmania for the next twenty years, although it continued to play second-fiddle to Australian rules football in terms of overall popularity. South Hobart
and Sandy Bay
enjoyed much success, winning seven titles each in the inter-war years.
The sport was again suspended for the duration of the Second World War, but once again post-war migration saw the game revived. The new migrants came increasingly to Tasmania from southern and eastern European nations such as Italy
, Greece
, Czechoslovakia
, Poland
and Yugoslavia
, and for many of these new arrivals, football was the most popular past time. The post-war revival of the 1950s was a boom time for football in Tasmania. Player numbers rose sharply, and many new clubs were formed, merged and folded. It was in the early 1950s that the State Soccer Council was created to oversee the rapidly expanding popularity of the game in Tasmania. This period is often nostalgically referred to as the 'golden era' of Tasmanian football, and even featured visiting professionals from leagues such as Italy's Serie A
, making guest appearances for clubs like Hobart Juventus
. The old pre-war powerhouses South Hobart
and Sandy Bay
were pushed aside, and migrant-community based teams Caledonians
, Olympia
, and Launceston Juventus
began to dominate competitions. Caledonians
were almost unstoppable in the 1950s, winning six titles
, including four-in-a-row between 1955 and 1958.
In the early 1960s, the State Soccer Council was renamed as the Tasmanian Soccer Association. This period saw the migrant communities grow to a size where their traditional rivalries from Europe began to influence the game in Australia, including in Tasmania. Although the new wave brought a new style and flair to the game, it also sometimes tarnished its reputation as those rivalries descended into occasional violence. The older clubs struggled for success, but the 1960s saw Olympia
and Launceston Juventus
play off against each other for the Tasmanian football championship
on four occasions, Olympia getting the best of their northern opponents on three of them. The early 1970s saw the rise of Hobart Juventus
, who won four state titles between 1969 and 1973, including a staggering 13–5 aggregate score over Riverside Olympic
in the two-legged final of 1973. The 1976 State Championship play-off between Rapid
and Launceston Juventus
proved to be an all-time classic. The first leg finished 3-2 in favour of Rapid, but a 4-3 home win for Launceston Juventus saw the two-legged final finish 6-6 on aggregate, and go to penalties. The ensuing penalty shootout was an incredible 12-11 sudden death win to Rapid. This era also saw the rise of Glenorchy Croatia
, who were crowned state champions three times in the 1970s.
With the game's popularity in ascendancy, the Tasmanian Soccer Association instituted a new Tasmanian State League
in 1978, replacing the north-south champions play-off with a league of regular competition between the best sides in both the north and south. White Eagles
, a side which primarily consisted of players of Polish Australian
extraction, began to announce themselves as a new power within the state at this time. They won their first state title winning the final play-off in 1977 against Devonport City
, and repeated that success by winning the first State League title the following year. For the first four seasons, the state title was simply awarded to the team finishing in first place. However players and fans missed the north-south play-off final, and financial problems began to cloud some teams in the State League. In 1982 it was temporarily suspended, reverting to northern and southern leagues with a play-off between each winner to determine the state champions. Hobart Juventus
dominating this period, winning their first title in 1973 after a ten year drought, and going on to win three-in-a-row between 1983 and 1985. The State League resumed in 1988, and White Eagles
announced themselves as the State's finest in the late 1980s, winning four-in-a-row between 1988 and 1991, and only losing seven league matches in the four seasons. In the 1989 season they went undefeated, and won the league by a massive 15 points.
The 1990s failed to produce a side capable of dominating the leagues in the way the previous two decades had, with six different teams being crowned Tasmanian champions. But it was a period of great change for the code within all of Australia, including Tasmania. The violence that plagued matches between rival ethnically based football teams across the country had become widespread, with flares thrown into crowds of rival supporters on several occasions. The situation was damaging the reputation of the game across the country, and stunting both the development of the game, and the progress of the Socceroos on the world stage. Soccer Australia
decided measures had to be taken, and outlawed ethnic affiliations for football clubs. This affected clubs across the country including in Tasmania. In 1997, a major re-branding effort was introduced to the game across the country. The Tasmanian Soccer Association was renamed Soccer Tasmania, and they obliged member-clubs to distance themselves from their traditional ethnic roots. In the south, Glenorchy Croatia
(Croatian
) became Glenorchy Knights
, Olympia
(Greek
) became Hobart Olympic
, White Eagles
(Polish
) became New Town Eagles
, Hobart Juventus
(Italian) became Hobart Zebras
, and Caledonians
(British Australian) became West Hobart Lions
. Northern clubs were also affected, with Launceston Juventus
(Italian) becoming Launceston Zebras
, and then changing again to Launceston City FC
, and Launceston Croatia
(Croatian
) becoming Western Suburbs Knights
, and then Prospect Knights FC
.
The first decade of the 21st century saw football grow well in Tasmania. player numbers continued to rise, particularly in junior divisions. Football Federation Australia'a
efforts to rebrand the game, along with the Socceroos qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
helped bolster the popularity of the sport within Tasmania. New Town Eagles
had undoubtedly been the dominant club in Tasmania from the late 1980s until the start of the 21st century, racking up seven state titles between 1988 and 1998, but the new decade saw a shift in power, with University
winning a long awaited first state title in 1999, and repeated it 2001.
Despite not having won a state title since 1959, at the end of the century South Hobart SC
were still the most successful team in Tasmania with 11 titles, although they were being rapidly caught by Hobart Zebras
(Juventus), who had won their ninth title in 1993. The oldest surviving club in Tasmania were relieved to add a twelfth title in 2002, the first in 43 seasons. The southern dominance in the Tasmanian football championship
was challenged briefly by Devonport City FC
(2003, 2004) and Somerset FC
(2006, 2007) who both won two titles each in the 2000s. Glenorchy Knights
were crowned state champions in 2005, and Clarence United
became state champions for the first time in their history in 2009. South Hobart took the title in 2008, to extend their tally to 13, and ensuring they remain the most successful club of all time in Tasmania.
In 2009 Hobart Olympic
took the decision to revert to their ethnically affiliated name of 'Olympia', adding the epithet
'Warriors', and adopted a new logo featuring a Spartan warrior
's helmet to further celebrate the Greek Australian
heritage. This decision was made ahead of the club's fiftieth anniversary celebrations, and taken with the full blessing of Football Federation Tasmania.
matches are sometimes hosted by the FFT in Tasmanian venues, and these do generate gate revenue for both the clubs involved and the FFT. The FFT had very few commercial assets and relies on commercial sponsorship to cover most operation expenditure. Matches in Tasmania are not televised and do not receive radio broadcast coverage, and therefore do not generate rights revenues.
, but were unsuccessful. More recently, in 2008, a taskforce was established to investigate the possibility of a Tasmanian side joining the new A-League
national competition. With the approval of Football Federation Tasmania, the taskforce put together a proposal to found a new team to be known as Tasmania United FC
.
-based A-League
association football club.
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...
n state of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. The federation oversees leagues in Northern and Southern Tasmania, Tasmanian representative teams, and development of the sport in the state. The federation was formerly known as the Tasmanian Soccer Association until 1996, when it was renamed Soccer Tasmania. It again changed its name in March 2006, to become the Football Federation Tasmania.
The FFT sanctions all competitive football matches in Tasmania, either directly in the case of its own leagues, or indirectly, as is the case with local regional junior associations. The FFT also trains and appoints match officials in accordance with FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
guidelines. The FFT governs the state's two major domestic leagues, the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League (Tasmania)
The Tasmania North Premier League is the highest level of association football competition in Northern Tasmania. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League and is controlled by the Football Federation Tasmania , the state's governing body...
, and the Southern Premier League
Southern Premier League (Tasmania)
The Tasmania South Premier League is, jointly with the Tasmania North Premier League, the highest level association football competition in Tasmania. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League and is controlled by the Football Federation Tasmania...
, and organises and runs all of the Tasmanian association football cup competitions. The FFT (then known as Tasmanian Soccer Association) was also responsible for the organisation and administration of the Tasmanian State League
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
, which was a statewide championship played between 1978 and 1999. It is also responsible for selecting and managing the men's Tasmania official football team, as well as women's and youth representative sides.
Football Federation Tasmania is a member of the 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...
, which is in turn a member of the Asian Football Confederation
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
, and the world governing body FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
.
Overview
Football Federation Tasmania is a member of Football Federation AustraliaFootball 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...
, and has its headquarters at the Hobart Showground
Hobart Showground
The Royal Hobart Showgrounds is the site of the Royal Hobart Show and many other smaller events including a Market on the grounds every Sunday. The Royal Hobart Showground is located 10 km north of Hobart, between the junction to Brooker Highway/Goodwood Road and the Main Road in Glenorchy.-Royal...
s, having relocated there in 2007 from its previous headquarters at King George V ("KGV" or "KG5") Soccer Park in Glenorchy
Glenorchy, Tasmania
Glenorchy is a business district and suburb in the northern part of greater Hobart, capital of the state of Tasmania, Australia. The land was originally used for agriculture but is now a largely suburban, working-class area...
. Despite this, FFT still has administrative offiices there, and KGV Park remains a major venue for the sport in Tasmania.
All of Tasmania's major football teams are members of the Football Federation Tasmania, and the FFT organise the only FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
sanctioned competitive leagues in the State. These are the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League (Tasmania)
The Tasmania North Premier League is the highest level of association football competition in Northern Tasmania. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League and is controlled by the Football Federation Tasmania , the state's governing body...
, and the Southern Premier League
Southern Premier League (Tasmania)
The Tasmania South Premier League is, jointly with the Tasmania North Premier League, the highest level association football competition in Tasmania. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League and is controlled by the Football Federation Tasmania...
. The winners of the northern and southern competitions usually play an annual one-off grand final
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
to determine the winner of the Tasmanian football championship
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
. This has sometimes been a two-legged match, but this is not always the case. A hierarchy of league divisions operates in both the south and the north for senior men and women, and aged based divisions operate for juniors. SATIS, (The Sports Association of Tasmanian Independent Schools), also runs a league for Independent schools, and although not affiliated with FFT, does so in accordance with FFT rules and with their sanctioning. The FFT ran a statewide competition known as the Tasmanian State League
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
, featuring sides from both the north and south of the state from 1978 until 1999, when it discontinued due to financial problems. There has been suggestions a statewide league could recommence in the future, although no firm plans have been announced by the FFT. The FFT also runs all of the Tasmanian association football cup competitions. Although some players are offered expenses by their clubs and might therefore be considered semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
, all clubs in Tasmania remain amateur
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
.
Football Federation Tasmania owns and continues to operate the ground at King George V Park. At present, there is no dedicated rectangular football stadium located within Tasmania, although the topic has caused much recent debate amongst fans of the game within the state, many of whom feel it is essential if Tasmania is to eventually succeed in its bid to locate an 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...
side in Tasmania. Venues such as North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
, and the Domain Athletic Centre
Domain Athletic Centre
The Domain Athletic Centre is one of the premier athletics facilities in Tasmania, Australia, and is located on the Queens Domain in the capital city of Hobart. it is home to the Briggs Track Classic the Tasmanian round of the Australian Athletics Tour....
have been suggested as possible venues which could be converted into a dedicated home venue for football in Tasmania. Most of the other grounds that are used for FFT competitions either belong to clubs themselves, or to local government authorities, who provide facilities for association football, and allow competitive matches to be played there. An example of such a venue is Wentworth Park
Wentworth Park, Tasmania
Wentworth Park is the home ground of Clarence United, but is used by other teams in other sports such as hockey, rugby, touch football, and Ultimate Frisbee tournaments. In the summer it is used as a cricket ground...
.
History
Association football was first played in TasmaniaTasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
during the colonial period, but was never as popular as rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
or cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, and the advent of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
in the mid-nineteenth century, soon saw that code surpass both rugby and football in popularity within the island colony. The code was generally referred to as British Association Football, to distinguish it from Rugby, and Australian rules, which soon became known locally as 'football' or 'footy'. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of the word "association", often credited to former England captain Charles Wreford-Brown. It is not clear when the term 'soccer' came into common use in Tasmania, but by the early twentieth century is was the more common term.
The first recorded organised match in Tasmania took place between seamen from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and merchant vessels, who formed a team in 1898, and challenged the soldiers from the Tasmanian Military Forces
Colonial forces of Australia
Until Australia became a Federation in 1901, each of the six colonial governments was responsible for the defence of their own colony. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 25 British regiments served in the Australian colonies...
garrison at Anglesea Barracks. The match was played on the Queens Domain
Queens Domain
The Queens Domain, also known as The Domain to locals, is a small hilly area of bushland just north-east of the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, alongside the Derwent River...
, and sparked a renewed local interest in the sport. In 1900, Englishman Reverend Fred Taylor established a league competition between three newly formed sides. They were Trinity, (representing the University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
's Christ College), the Gunners (the soldiers from Anglesea Barracks) and Sandy Bay
Sandy Bay FC
Sandy Bay Soccer Club was a football club which represented Sandy Bay in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League from 1922 until its demise in 1953...
(army volunteers). The involvement
Military history of Australia during the Second Boer War
The military history of Australia during the Boer War is complex, and includes a period of history in which the six formerly autonomous British Australian colonies federated to become the Commonwealth of Australia...
of the Tasmanian and later Commonwealth Military Forces in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
led to a suspension of football in the colony. It wasn't until 1910, when two friends JJB Honeysett and Norm Vincent, who were both keen players, decided to reintroduced competitive matches. They created the state's first league
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
involving teams from both north and south, and they also established a North vs South match, played annually almost continuously since that time, except for brief suspensions during the First World War and the Second World War. The newly formed South Hobart Soccer Club
South Hobart SC
South Hobart Football Club is an association football club which plays in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
took on Westralia at the "Association Ground", Washington Street, South Hobart in the first match of the new league, winning 4–1.
A rise in the number of migrants arriving in Tasmania following the First World War saw the popularity of the sport grow, and the Tasmanian football championship
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
resumed in 1919. That season saw South Hobart Soccer Club
South Hobart SC
South Hobart Football Club is an association football club which plays in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
begin a remarkable run in which the won the state championship a record five years in a row. Although four-in-a-row has since been done twice, by Caledonians
Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club
Kingborough Lions are an Australian professional football club based in Kingston, Tasmania.They play in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League....
(1955–58), and White Eagles
New Town Eagles
Newtown Eagles Football Club is a football club which represents New Town in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(1988–91), South Hobart's record has never been broken. Football remained healthy in Tasmania for the next twenty years, although it continued to play second-fiddle to Australian rules football in terms of overall popularity. South Hobart
South Hobart SC
South Hobart Football Club is an association football club which plays in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
and Sandy Bay
Sandy Bay FC
Sandy Bay Soccer Club was a football club which represented Sandy Bay in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League from 1922 until its demise in 1953...
enjoyed much success, winning seven titles each in the inter-war years.
The sport was again suspended for the duration of the Second World War, but once again post-war migration saw the game revived. The new migrants came increasingly to Tasmania from southern and eastern European nations such as Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and for many of these new arrivals, football was the most popular past time. The post-war revival of the 1950s was a boom time for football in Tasmania. Player numbers rose sharply, and many new clubs were formed, merged and folded. It was in the early 1950s that the State Soccer Council was created to oversee the rapidly expanding popularity of the game in Tasmania. This period is often nostalgically referred to as the 'golden era' of Tasmanian football, and even featured visiting professionals from leagues such as Italy's Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, making guest appearances for clubs like Hobart Juventus
Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras is an Australian Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. It competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania....
. The old pre-war powerhouses South Hobart
South Hobart SC
South Hobart Football Club is an association football club which plays in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
and Sandy Bay
Sandy Bay FC
Sandy Bay Soccer Club was a football club which represented Sandy Bay in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League from 1922 until its demise in 1953...
were pushed aside, and migrant-community based teams Caledonians
Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club
Kingborough Lions are an Australian professional football club based in Kingston, Tasmania.They play in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League....
, Olympia
Hobart Olympic
Olympia F.C. Warriors is one of four football clubs that represents Hobart in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams.Olympia F.C...
, and Launceston Juventus
Launceston City FC
Launceston City is an Australian football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. It competes in the Northern Premier League run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania and has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.The junior club is run as the "Westside...
began to dominate competitions. Caledonians
Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club
Kingborough Lions are an Australian professional football club based in Kingston, Tasmania.They play in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League....
were almost unstoppable in the 1950s, winning six titles
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
, including four-in-a-row between 1955 and 1958.
In the early 1960s, the State Soccer Council was renamed as the Tasmanian Soccer Association. This period saw the migrant communities grow to a size where their traditional rivalries from Europe began to influence the game in Australia, including in Tasmania. Although the new wave brought a new style and flair to the game, it also sometimes tarnished its reputation as those rivalries descended into occasional violence. The older clubs struggled for success, but the 1960s saw Olympia
Hobart Olympic
Olympia F.C. Warriors is one of four football clubs that represents Hobart in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams.Olympia F.C...
and Launceston Juventus
Launceston City FC
Launceston City is an Australian football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. It competes in the Northern Premier League run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania and has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.The junior club is run as the "Westside...
play off against each other for the Tasmanian football championship
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
on four occasions, Olympia getting the best of their northern opponents on three of them. The early 1970s saw the rise of Hobart Juventus
Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras is an Australian Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. It competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania....
, who won four state titles between 1969 and 1973, including a staggering 13–5 aggregate score over Riverside Olympic
Riverside Olympic
Riverside Olympic Football Club, is a football club which represents Launceston in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields 30 teams across all junior divisions....
in the two-legged final of 1973. The 1976 State Championship play-off between Rapid
Rapid FC
Rapid Soccer Club was a Football Club which represented Kingston in the Tasmanian. Rapid was highly successful during its life winning the state championship 4 times, and the southern premiership 5 times as well.-Honours:...
and Launceston Juventus
Launceston City FC
Launceston City is an Australian football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. It competes in the Northern Premier League run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania and has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.The junior club is run as the "Westside...
proved to be an all-time classic. The first leg finished 3-2 in favour of Rapid, but a 4-3 home win for Launceston Juventus saw the two-legged final finish 6-6 on aggregate, and go to penalties. The ensuing penalty shootout was an incredible 12-11 sudden death win to Rapid. This era also saw the rise of Glenorchy Croatia
Glenorchy Knights
Glenorchy Knights Football Club is a football club which represents Glenorchy in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
, who were crowned state champions three times in the 1970s.
With the game's popularity in ascendancy, the Tasmanian Soccer Association instituted a new Tasmanian State League
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
in 1978, replacing the north-south champions play-off with a league of regular competition between the best sides in both the north and south. White Eagles
New Town Eagles
Newtown Eagles Football Club is a football club which represents New Town in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
, a side which primarily consisted of players of Polish Australian
Polish Australian
Poland has been a source country of immigrants to Australia, in particular in the post-war period. Immigration from Poland has long tapered off, with Polish Australian population now part of the mainstream Australian community.-Demography:...
extraction, began to announce themselves as a new power within the state at this time. They won their first state title winning the final play-off in 1977 against Devonport City
Devonport City FC
Devonport City Football Club, or the "Strikers" is a football club which represents Devonport in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
, and repeated that success by winning the first State League title the following year. For the first four seasons, the state title was simply awarded to the team finishing in first place. However players and fans missed the north-south play-off final, and financial problems began to cloud some teams in the State League. In 1982 it was temporarily suspended, reverting to northern and southern leagues with a play-off between each winner to determine the state champions. Hobart Juventus
Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras is an Australian Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. It competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania....
dominating this period, winning their first title in 1973 after a ten year drought, and going on to win three-in-a-row between 1983 and 1985. The State League resumed in 1988, and White Eagles
New Town Eagles
Newtown Eagles Football Club is a football club which represents New Town in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
announced themselves as the State's finest in the late 1980s, winning four-in-a-row between 1988 and 1991, and only losing seven league matches in the four seasons. In the 1989 season they went undefeated, and won the league by a massive 15 points.
The 1990s failed to produce a side capable of dominating the leagues in the way the previous two decades had, with six different teams being crowned Tasmanian champions. But it was a period of great change for the code within all of Australia, including Tasmania. The violence that plagued matches between rival ethnically based football teams across the country had become widespread, with flares thrown into crowds of rival supporters on several occasions. The situation was damaging the reputation of the game across the country, and stunting both the development of the game, and the progress of the Socceroos on the world stage. Soccer 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...
decided measures had to be taken, and outlawed ethnic affiliations for football clubs. This affected clubs across the country including in Tasmania. In 1997, a major re-branding effort was introduced to the game across the country. The Tasmanian Soccer Association was renamed Soccer Tasmania, and they obliged member-clubs to distance themselves from their traditional ethnic roots. In the south, Glenorchy Croatia
Glenorchy Knights
Glenorchy Knights Football Club is a football club which represents Glenorchy in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(Croatian
Croatian Australian
Croatia has been a source of migrants to Australia, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2006, 128,051 persons resident in Australia identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry.- History :...
) became Glenorchy Knights
Glenorchy Knights
Glenorchy Knights Football Club is a football club which represents Glenorchy in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
, Olympia
Hobart Olympic
Olympia F.C. Warriors is one of four football clubs that represents Hobart in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams.Olympia F.C...
(Greek
Greek Australian
Greeks are the seventh-largest ethnic group in Australia, after those declaring their ancestry simply as "Australian". In the 2006 census, 365,147 persons declared having Greek ancestry, either alone or in conjunction with another ethnicity....
) became Hobart Olympic
Hobart Olympic
Olympia F.C. Warriors is one of four football clubs that represents Hobart in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams.Olympia F.C...
, White Eagles
New Town Eagles
Newtown Eagles Football Club is a football club which represents New Town in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(Polish
Polish Australian
Poland has been a source country of immigrants to Australia, in particular in the post-war period. Immigration from Poland has long tapered off, with Polish Australian population now part of the mainstream Australian community.-Demography:...
) became New Town Eagles
New Town Eagles
Newtown Eagles Football Club is a football club which represents New Town in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
, Hobart Juventus
Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras is an Australian Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. It competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania....
(Italian) became Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras is an Australian Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. It competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania....
, and Caledonians
Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club
Kingborough Lions are an Australian professional football club based in Kingston, Tasmania.They play in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League....
(British Australian) became West Hobart Lions
Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club
Kingborough Lions are an Australian professional football club based in Kingston, Tasmania.They play in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League....
. Northern clubs were also affected, with Launceston Juventus
Launceston City FC
Launceston City is an Australian football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. It competes in the Northern Premier League run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania and has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.The junior club is run as the "Westside...
(Italian) becoming Launceston Zebras
Launceston City FC
Launceston City is an Australian football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. It competes in the Northern Premier League run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania and has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.The junior club is run as the "Westside...
, and then changing again to Launceston City FC
Launceston City FC
Launceston City is an Australian football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. It competes in the Northern Premier League run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania and has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.The junior club is run as the "Westside...
, and Launceston Croatia
Prospect Knights FC
Prospect Knights FC, is an Australian football club from Prospect, Tasmania formed from the merger of Western Suburbs and Launceston Croatia Soccer Clubs, which represents Prospect Vale and the wider Launceston community in the Northern Premier League. The club also fields a women’s team, Under...
(Croatian
Croatian Australian
Croatia has been a source of migrants to Australia, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2006, 128,051 persons resident in Australia identified themselves as having Croatian ancestry.- History :...
) becoming Western Suburbs Knights
Prospect Knights FC
Prospect Knights FC, is an Australian football club from Prospect, Tasmania formed from the merger of Western Suburbs and Launceston Croatia Soccer Clubs, which represents Prospect Vale and the wider Launceston community in the Northern Premier League. The club also fields a women’s team, Under...
, and then Prospect Knights FC
Prospect Knights FC
Prospect Knights FC, is an Australian football club from Prospect, Tasmania formed from the merger of Western Suburbs and Launceston Croatia Soccer Clubs, which represents Prospect Vale and the wider Launceston community in the Northern Premier League. The club also fields a women’s team, Under...
.
The first decade of the 21st century saw football grow well in Tasmania. player numbers continued to rise, particularly in junior divisions. Football Federation Australia'a
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...
efforts to rebrand the game, along with the Socceroos qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
helped bolster the popularity of the sport within Tasmania. New Town Eagles
New Town Eagles
Newtown Eagles Football Club is a football club which represents New Town in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
had undoubtedly been the dominant club in Tasmania from the late 1980s until the start of the 21st century, racking up seven state titles between 1988 and 1998, but the new decade saw a shift in power, with University
University of Tasmania SC
University Soccer Club is a football Club which represents the University of Tasmania in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams women's teams.-Home Ground:...
winning a long awaited first state title in 1999, and repeated it 2001.
Despite not having won a state title since 1959, at the end of the century South Hobart SC
South Hobart SC
South Hobart Football Club is an association football club which plays in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
were still the most successful team in Tasmania with 11 titles, although they were being rapidly caught by Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras
Hobart Zebras is an Australian Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. It competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania....
(Juventus), who had won their ninth title in 1993. The oldest surviving club in Tasmania were relieved to add a twelfth title in 2002, the first in 43 seasons. The southern dominance in the Tasmanian football championship
Tasmanian football championship
The Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
was challenged briefly by Devonport City FC
Devonport City FC
Devonport City Football Club, or the "Strikers" is a football club which represents Devonport in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(2003, 2004) and Somerset FC
Somerset FC
Somerset Football Club, also known as the "Sharks", is a football Club which represents Somerset in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(2006, 2007) who both won two titles each in the 2000s. Glenorchy Knights
Glenorchy Knights
Glenorchy Knights Football Club is a football club which represents Glenorchy in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
were crowned state champions in 2005, and Clarence United
Clarence United
Clarence United Football Club is a football club based in the City of Clarence, Tasmania. The club currently participates in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League, at present, the highest level of football in Southern Tasmania. The club also has women's teams and teams in all junior divisions...
became state champions for the first time in their history in 2009. South Hobart took the title in 2008, to extend their tally to 13, and ensuring they remain the most successful club of all time in Tasmania.
In 2009 Hobart Olympic
Hobart Olympic
Olympia F.C. Warriors is one of four football clubs that represents Hobart in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams.Olympia F.C...
took the decision to revert to their ethnically affiliated name of 'Olympia', adding the epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
'Warriors', and adopted a new logo featuring a Spartan warrior
Hoplite
A hoplite was a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek city-states. Hoplites were primarily armed as spearmen and fought in a phalanx formation. The word "hoplite" derives from "hoplon" , the type of the shield used by the soldiers, although, as a word, "hopla" could also denote weapons held or even...
's helmet to further celebrate the Greek Australian
Greek Australian
Greeks are the seventh-largest ethnic group in Australia, after those declaring their ancestry simply as "Australian". In the 2006 census, 365,147 persons declared having Greek ancestry, either alone or in conjunction with another ethnicity....
heritage. This decision was made ahead of the club's fiftieth anniversary celebrations, and taken with the full blessing of Football Federation Tasmania.
Principles
- John Boulous – Chief Executive Officer
- Steve Payne - Coaching and Development Manager
- Robert Freke - Referee Development Manager
- Dale Itchins - Special Projects Officer
- Michael McKenna - Administration Manager
- Leila Freke - Youth Competitions Officer
- Leila Freke - Registrations Officer
- Alan Firth - Finance Officer
- Michele Green - Finance Officer
- Anthony Alexander - Southern Development Officer
- Kurt Reynolds - Northern Development Officer
Board of directors
As of 2010.- Sean Collins (President)
- Damien Bones
- Peter Best
- Tony Spruce
- Mark Gaetani
- Michael McIntyre
- John Jackson
Finances
Attendance at football matches in Tasmania is steady, but very low, and generates very little operational income. Likewise, merchandising and catering are not profitable. Most matches do not charge gate admissions. Some events, such as cup finals, do charge admission, but low demand results in prices being kept low. A-LeagueA-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...
matches are sometimes hosted by the FFT in Tasmanian venues, and these do generate gate revenue for both the clubs involved and the FFT. The FFT had very few commercial assets and relies on commercial sponsorship to cover most operation expenditure. Matches in Tasmania are not televised and do not receive radio broadcast coverage, and therefore do not generate rights revenues.
Southern clubs
- Beachside Football ClubBeachSide HSCBeachSide FC is a football club that play in the beachside suburb of Sandy Bay in Hobart. The teams colours are green, black and white...
(formerly known as Howrah Soccer Club and Beachside HSC) - Clarence United Football ClubClarence UnitedClarence United Football Club is a football club based in the City of Clarence, Tasmania. The club currently participates in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League, at present, the highest level of football in Southern Tasmania. The club also has women's teams and teams in all junior divisions...
(formerly Clarence Phoenix, Phoenix, Phoenix Rovers, Phoenix Lauderdale Rovers, Phoenix Clarence Lauderdale United) - Glenorchy Knights Football ClubGlenorchy KnightsGlenorchy Knights Football Club is a football club which represents Glenorchy in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(formerly Glenorchy Croatia, Croatia) - Hobart Olympic Football ClubHobart OlympicOlympia F.C. Warriors is one of four football clubs that represents Hobart in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams.Olympia F.C...
(formerly The Grecians, Olympia, Hobart Olympia, Hobart Olympic) - Hobart United Football ClubHobart UnitedHobart United Football Club is a Football Club that plays out of Hobart, Tasmania. As well as a senior team the club also have a reserve team and regularly field youth or women's teams. Hobart United plays their home games at Pontville Oval in Brighton, Tasmania...
(1947–1950; 2002–Current) - Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club (formed by merger of Kingborough United and West Hobart Lions)
- Metro Football ClubMetro ClaremontMetro FC is a football club formed in 1941 in the northern suburb of Claremont, Hobart, Tasmania. They play at North Chigwell oval. It has a range of teams for all ages and genders playing in competitions run by the Football Federation Tasmania. Its teams range from under 7s right through to seniors...
(formerly Metro Claremont) - Nelson Eastern Suburbs Football Club
- New Town Eagles Soccer ClubNew Town EaglesNewtown Eagles Football Club is a football club which represents New Town in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(formerly White Eagles) - Northern Suburbs DOSA Soccer ClubDominic Old Scholars Association (DOSA) SCDominic Old Scholars Association Soccer Club is an Association Football club based in Glenorchy, Tasmania. The club has 4 senior teams with the highest playing in Division 1 and competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania. Its home ground is Tolosa...
- South Hobart Soccer ClubSouth Hobart SCSouth Hobart Football Club is an association football club which plays in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
- Taroona Football ClubTaroona SCTaroona Football Club is a football club which represents Taroona in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.Hobart United played a two-legged play-off vs Taroona, the division 1 champions, following their last placed finish in this years Southern Premier League...
- Tilford Zebras Football ClubHobart ZebrasHobart Zebras is an Australian Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. It competes in competitions run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania....
(formerly Juventus, Hobart Juventus, Hobart Zebras) - University Soccer ClubUniversity of Tasmania SCUniversity Soccer Club is a football Club which represents the University of Tasmania in the Tasmanian Southern Premier League.The club also fields teams women's teams.-Home Ground:...
- Woodbridge Soccer Club (formerly Woodbridge Whalers Soccer Club)
- Southern FC (formerly Christian United)
- Kingston Cannons
- Huon Valley
- Barnstoneworth
Northern clubs
- Burnie UnitedBurnie United FCBurnie United Football Club is a football Club which represents Burnie in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
- Devonport City Soccer ClubDevonport City FCDevonport City Football Club, or the "Strikers" is a football club which represents Devonport in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(formerly Devonport, Devonport Rovers, Strikers) - Launceston United Soccer ClubLaunceston FCLaunceston United Soccer Club, is a football club which represents Launceston in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League. It should not be mistaken with the fellow Launceston team, Launceston City....
(formerly Matric) - Launceston CityLaunceston City FCLaunceston City is an Australian football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. It competes in the Northern Premier League run by the governing body Football Federation Tasmania and has over 100 registered players across senior, women and social leagues.The junior club is run as the "Westside...
(formerly Launceston Juventus, Launceston Zebras) - Northern Rangers Football ClubNorthern RangersNorthern Rangers Football Club is a football club which represents Launceston in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
- Prospect KnightsProspect Knights FCProspect Knights FC, is an Australian football club from Prospect, Tasmania formed from the merger of Western Suburbs and Launceston Croatia Soccer Clubs, which represents Prospect Vale and the wider Launceston community in the Northern Premier League. The club also fields a women’s team, Under...
(formerly Launceston Croatia, Western Suburbs, Western Knights) - Riverside OlympicRiverside OlympicRiverside Olympic Football Club, is a football club which represents Launceston in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields 30 teams across all junior divisions....
- Somerset Soccer ClubSomerset FCSomerset Football Club, also known as the "Sharks", is a football Club which represents Somerset in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League.The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams....
(Sharks) - Ulverstone Soccer ClubUlverstone FCUlverstone Football Club, is a football club which represents Ulverstone in the Tasmanian Northern Premier League. The club also fields teams in all junior divisions, as well as women's teams...
Statewide
- Tasmanian association football cup competitions
- Tasmanian football championshipTasmanian football championshipThe Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
(defunct) - Tasmanian State LeagueTasmanian football championshipThe Tasmanian association football championship has been decided using three different formats; a short lived statewide league, a playoff between Northern and Southern league Champions and lastly a statewide finals system with top teams from Northern and Southern leagues.-The Tasmanian Statewide...
(defunct)
Southern competitions
- Southern Premier League (Tasmania)Southern Premier League (Tasmania)The Tasmania South Premier League is, jointly with the Tasmania North Premier League, the highest level association football competition in Tasmania. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League and is controlled by the Football Federation Tasmania...
- Premier Reserves League
- Under 19 Premier League
- Division One
- Division One Reserves
- Division Two
- Division Three
- Division Four
- Women's Premier League
- Women's Division One
- Women's Division Two
Northern competitions
- Northern Premier League (Tasmania)Northern Premier League (Tasmania)The Tasmania North Premier League is the highest level of association football competition in Northern Tasmania. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League and is controlled by the Football Federation Tasmania , the state's governing body...
- Premier Reserves League
- Division One
- Women's Premier League
Representative football
Although they do not participate in any regular competitions, Football Federation Tasmania from time to time do select a Tasmania official football team, which represents the state. It comprises the best Tasmanian players, some of whom have historically played inter-state or in the national league. The Tasmanian side normally only play matches against visiting mainland or touring international sides.National competitions
The old Tasmanian Soccer Association had attempted to gain membership of the now defunct National Soccer LeagueNational Soccer League
The National Soccer League 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...
, but were unsuccessful. More recently, in 2008, a taskforce was established to investigate the possibility of a Tasmanian side joining the new 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...
national competition. With the approval of Football Federation Tasmania, the taskforce put together a proposal to found a new team to be known as Tasmania United FC
Tasmania United FC
The Tasmanian A-League Bid, under the working name of Tasmania United FC, was a proposed Tasmania-based A-League association football club...
.
Tasmania United
Tasmania United FC is the working name for the proposed TasmaniaTasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
-based 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...
association football club.
See also
- Alison Alexander (2006). The Companion to Tasmanian History.
- Chris Hudson (1998). A century of soccer, 1898–1998 : a Tasmanian history.