| National Soccer League (australia) |
Article Index for National |
Website Links For National |
Information AboutNational Soccer League (australia) |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT NATIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE | |
| australian football soccer competitions | |
| sports leagues in australia | |
|
STRUCTURE The competition structure changed many times throughout the NSL's history. In later years it comprised a regular season followed by a knock-out cup competition played by the top 6 teams, with the championship decided by a Grand Final, though other systems were occasionally used. This structure is similar to that of Major League Soccer in the United States , and to the major leagues of other popular football codes in Australia. HISTORY The competition commenced in 1977 , 3 years after the Socceroos played in their first World Cup. Many of the clubs formed from various European migrant communities, and drew much of their support base from them, despite edicts from the governing body in the 1990s forcing the clubs to drop national or ethnic names and logos. The league was described as "semi-professional", with many players holding down day jobs and earning salaries considerably lower than those in the AFL or major Rugby League clubs, let alone those of the best-known players in Europe. The league and clubs struggled financially for many years. The league's administration was widely regarded as incompetent. There had been talk of a Super League -style break away competition while the league itself was on the verge of collapse. The 2003/2004 season grand final, played on 4th April 2004 between Parramatta Power and Perth Glory , was the final game of the National Soccer League. Perth Glory won the game 1-0 in extra time. A new league — the Hyundai A-League — commenced in August 2005. It comprises eight teams competing in a triple round robin tournament followed by a top-four playoff and grand final. The administrators of the sport hope the new competition will usher in a new era of professionalism and development for the sport in Australia. 2003-04 Teams
PREVIOUS TEAMS
CHAMPIONS IN PREVIOUS SEASONS
TOTAL NSL CHAMPIONSHIPS EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|