Founded | 1977 |
---|---|
First season | 1977 |
Folded | 2004 |
Country | Australia |
Other club(s) from | New Zealand |
Confederation | OFC (Oceania) |
Number of teams | 42 (total) |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Last champions | Perth Glory (2nd title) |
Most championships | Marconi Stallions South Melbourne Sydney City (4 titles each) |
Most premierships | Melbourne Knights (4 titles) |
TV partners | Network Ten (1977–1979) Seven Network (1998–2000) ABC (2001) SBS (2002–2004) |
Current: Final Season (2003–04) |
The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its demise in 2004, when it was succeeded by the A-League competition run by Football Federation Australia, the successor to the Australian Soccer Association.[1][2]
During the history of the NSL the league was contested by a total of 42 teams; 41 based in Australia and one based in New Zealand. Seasons initially ran during the winter seasons, until 1989 when this was changed to the summer season. In 1984, the league was split into two conferences (Northern and Southern) to introduce more teams into the competition; the league returned to a single division in 1987. The competition was known by various names through sponsorships; these names included the Philips Soccer League, the Quit National Soccer League, Olympic Airways Soccer League, Coca-Cola Soccer League, the Ericsson Cup and the A-League.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
From the league's inaugural season to its demise in 2004, a total of 13 clubs were crowned champions through either a system of first past the post or a finals series that culminated in a grand final. The NSL was Australia's first national sporting league predating the likes of the AFL and NRL.