1977 National Soccer League

Last updated

National Soccer League
Season 1977
Dates2 April — 26 September 1977
Champions Eastern Suburbs
1st title
Matches played182
Goals scored498 (2.74 per match)
Top goalscorer Dixie Deans
(16 goals) [1]
Best goalkeeper Allan Maher
(12 clean sheets)
Biggest home win Adelaide City 10–3 Mooroolbark
(5 September 1977)
Biggest away win Fitzroy United 1–8 Marconi Fairfield
(20 June 1977)
Highest scoringAdelaide City 10–3 Mooroolbark
(5 September 1977)
Longest winning run6 matches
Fitzroy United
Longest unbeaten run17 matches
Eastern Suburbs
Longest winless run12 matches
Mooroolbark
Longest losing run5 matches
Brisbane Lions
Highest attendance15,000
South Melbourne 2–3 St George-Budapest
(13 June 1977)
Lowest attendance300
Mooroolbark 1–3 Adelaide City
(5 June 1977)
Total attendance706,009
Average attendance3,901
1978 →

The 1977 National Soccer League season was the first season of the National Soccer League of Australia. The league was not only the first national soccer league in Australia but the first of any of the forms of football in Australia. Clubs predominantly joined from the top leagues in each state, with the exception of Tasmanian and Western Australia, and Canberra City forming in 1977 to join the league. The inaugural champions were Eastern Suburbs.

Contents

Background

Attempts had been made to start a national league several times during the 1960s and 1970s, however it wasn't until 1975 that the talk became serious. In April 1975, nine clubs from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia agreed to form a national league in either 1976 or 1977. Frank Lowy, president of Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs and Alex Pongrass, St George-Budapest president led a concerted effort to bring in teams from Victoria over objections from the state association. Eventually, four Victorian clubs joined with the addition of a team from the Australian Capital Territory. [2] [3]

Teams

Stadiums and locations

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Adelaide City Adelaide Olympic Sports Field 5,000
Brisbane City Brisbane Perry Park 5,000
Brisbane Lions Brisbane Perry Park 5,000
Canberra City Canberra
Queanbeyan 		Manuka Oval
Seiffert Oval 		16,000
15,000
Fitzroy Melbourne Olympic Park Stadium 18,500
Footscray Melbourne Middle Park 18,000
Marconi Sydney Marconi Stadium 9,000
Mooroolbark Melbourne Middle Park
Esther Park
Wembley Park		18,000
?
?
South Melbourne Melbourne Middle Park 18,000
St George Sydney Sydney Sports Ground
Marconi Stadium 		35,000
9,000
Eastern Suburbs Sydney Sydney Sports Ground 35,000
Sydney Olympic Sydney Sydney Sports Ground
Wentworth Park 		35,000
10,000
Western Suburbs Sydney Sydney Sports Ground
Englefield Stadium		35,000
?
West Adelaide Adelaide Hindmarsh Stadium 16,500

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsRelegation
1 Eastern Suburbs (C)26131125228+2437
2 Marconi Fairfield 2615744221+2137
3 Fitzroy United 2612864134+732
4 Adelaide City 2612775031+1931
5 Western Suburbs 2611783829+929
6 St George-Budapest 2671453935+428
7 West Adelaide 2681083832+626
8 Footscray JUST 2696113639−324
9 Brisbane Lions 2695122741−1423
10 Brisbane City 2686123035−522
11 South Melbourne 2678112735−822
12 Sydney Olympic 2677122538−1321
13 Canberra City 2657142239−1717
14 Mooroolbark (R)2655163161−3015Relegation to the 1978 Victoria Metropolitan League Three
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away ADE BRC BRL CAN FIT FOO MAR MOO SOU STG SYC SYO WSA WST
Adelaide City —1–20–02–01–04–11–0 10–3 2–01–11–23–02–21–2
Brisbane City 1–0—3–10–11–11–30–13–12–01–10–03–01–00–1
Brisbane Lions 1–12–1—0–12–12–01–12–12–01–10–40–21–44–0
Canberra City 1–12–01–2—0–10–11–01–40–22–20–04–01–30–3
Fitzroy 1–03–24–12–0—2–01–82–05–21–21–32–00–02–2
Footscray 3–42–14–23–01–3—3–41–02–20–02–21–00–12–1
Marconi Fairfield 0–41–00–10–00–01–0—1–03–00–01–10–02–13–0
Mooroolbark 1–31–10–13–21–22–22–3—2–41–02–21–11–10–2
South Melbourne 0–00–11–01–11–10–21–22–0—2–30–01–11–22–0
St George-Budapest 0–23–20–02–01–22–21–35–11–1—1–13–31–01–1
Eastern Suburbs 6–13–12–02–11–14–32–43–00–12–2—2–01–12–1
Sydney Olympic 3–14–01–02–23–10–00–21–20–22–00–0—0–40–3
West Adelaide 1–33–35–10–01–11–00–11–20–22–01–30–4—0–3
Western Suburbs 0–00–03–03–10–10–01–15–02–03–23–40–21–1—
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: OzFootball.net
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals [4]
1 Flag of Scotland.svg Dixie Deans Adelaide City16
2 Flag of England.svg Terry Smith Eastern Suburbs14
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Murray Barnes Eastern Suburbs12
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Kosmina West Adelaide
5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gary Cole Fitzroy United11
6 Flag of England.svg Geoff Morris Brisbane Lions10
7 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Branko Buljevic Fitzroy United9
Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg Graham Norris Western Suburbs
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Nyskohus Adelaide City
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Sharne Marconi Fairfield

Hat-tricks

PlayerForAgainstResultDateRef
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Murray Barnes Eastern SuburbsAdelaide City6–1 (H)7 May 1977 [5]
Flag of England.svg Terry Smith Eastern SuburbsBrisbane Lions4–0 (A)5 June 1977 [6]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ernie Campbell MarconiFitzroy8–1 (A)20 June 1977 [7]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Murray Brisbane LionsWestern Suburbs4–0 (H)25 July 1977 [8]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Ollerton South MelbourneMooroolbark4–2 (A)29 August 1977 [9]
Flag of Scotland.svg Dixie Deans Adelaide CityMooroolbark10–3 (H)5 September 1977 [10]
Flag of Scotland.svg Dixie Deans Adelaide CityFootscray4–3 (A)12 September 1977 [11]

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheets
1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Maher Marconi Fairfield12
2 Flag of England.svg Terry Eaton Western Suburbs11
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Blasby Fitzroy United9
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roger Romanowicz Adelaide City
5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gary Meier Sydney Olympic8
6 Flag of Scotland.svg Dennis Boland Footscray JUST7
Flag of Argentina.svg Osvaldo Borzi Brisbane City
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Reilly South Melbourne
9 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Martyn Crook West Adelaide6
Flag of New Zealand.svg Phil Dando Brisbane Lions

Awards

AwardNameClub
Player of the Year Jimmy Rooney Marconi
Young Player of the Year John Kosmina West Adelaide
Coach of the Year Rale Rasic Marconi

Source: [12]

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References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Striker made his point" . The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "National Soccer!" . The Sun-Herald. 6 April 1975. Retrieved 27 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Mossop, Brian (10 July 1976). "National Soccer of 14 clubs" . The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "1977 National Soccer League Top Goalscorers". OzFootball. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  5. ↑ Curran, Brian (8 May 1977). "Barnes hits form with three goals" . The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "'Supermac' spot on for new club" . The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 June 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "City hit back for top spot" . The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 June 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Footscray's star guests clinch it" . The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 July 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Marconi and East head Soccer table" . The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 August 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Thirteen-goal Soccer spree - Deans hits four" . 5 September 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Upset by 'basement' team" . The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 September 1977. Retrieved 21 May 2020– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Rooney's award". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 1977. p. 27. Retrieved 12 December 2022.

General references

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