Capital Premier League (ACT)

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Capital Premier League
ACT
Founded1967(56 years ago) (1967)
(as Division 2)
2019(4 years ago) (2019)
(as NPL2)
2022(1 year ago) (2022)
(as Capital Premier League)
CountryFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
State Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg ACT
Flag of New South Wales.svg NSW
Confederation AFC
Number of teams 8
Level on pyramid 3
Promotion to NPL ACT 1
Domestic cup(s) Australia Cup
Federation Cup
Current champions Tuggeranong United
(2022)
Current premiers Tuggeranong United
(2022)
Website Capital Premier League
Current: 2022 season

The Capital Premier League (formerly known as NPL ACT 2 or simply NPL2) is an association football competition contested by clubs affiliated to Capital Football. The league is the second highest level (level 2) competition in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region. It is a 2nd tier in ACT Capital Football and sits in Level 3 in the overall Australian league system. Prior to 2019, the league was known as the Capital League and was the top division of the ACT State League system and National Premier Leagues Capital Football 2.

Contents

History

Established in 1967 as Division 2 the level 2 division in the ACT has been competed every year except a three-year gap between 1984 and 1986, The league has been renamed three times prior to 2019 with the original Division 2 title changed to State League One in 1992 before becoming the Capital League in 2013. [1]

1 August 2018, Capital Football announced a major overhaul of the local football structure with the top two divisions (level 1 and 2) linked with the introduction of promotion and relegation between the top two men's divisions. The top two leagues were re-branded from NPL Capital Football and the Capital League to NPL1 and NPL2. [2]

3 August 2018, a group of current NPL clubs in the ACT raised concerns regarding the structure changes and the introduction of promotion and relegation. In particular the concern around governances was raised by Woden-Weston president Steve Rohan-Jones. While Canberra Olympic coach, Frank Cachia, raised the issues around juniors and the sustainability of an inter-state team if it gets relegated. [3]

31 August 2018, Capital Football opened the application process for interested teams to apply to join the NPL1 and NPL2 leagues. [4]

28 September 2018, Capital Football announced the successful applications for teams for the 2019 NPL season. NPL1 would consist of nine teams with seven teams selected for NPL2. Out of the ten teams that competed in the 2018 Capital League season, seven teams were successful in gaining NPL2 status while three teams, Narrabundah FC, Monaro Panthers reserves, and Canberra Olympic reserves were all unsuccessful. The bottom team of NPL1 in 2019 would be relegated to NPL2 for the 2020 season but no team from NPL2 would be promoted to even the two leagues to eight teams each. [5]

Narrabundah FC lodged an official appeal supported by a number of other Capital Football affiliated clubs. [6] Narrabundah's appeal was successful, and on 8 November 2018 Capital Football released a new declaration of leagues for the 2019 NPL level that included Narrabundah FC as an NPL2 participant. [7]

15 November 2018, NSW regional club, Wagga City Wanderers, announced it was transferring from NSW State League to Capital Football and would join the NPL2 and NPLW leagues. [8] This move resulted in both NPL1 and NPL2 leagues having nine teams each for the 2019 season. [9]

Format

The regular season runs between April and September each year and consists of 16 rounds with four matches played each round and one team sitting out a bye. Each team plays each other twice (home and away) and sits out two byes over the course of the season. The top four teams qualify for the finals series (finals). The team that finishes first in the league standings is crowned league premiers and, from 2020, will be promoted to NPL1. [10]

Finals is run over three weeks with the major (1 vs 2) and minor (3 vs 4) semi-finals held in the first week. The winner of the major semi-final progresses to the grand final in week 3 and the loser progresses to the preliminary final in week 2. The winner of the minor semi-final progresses to the preliminary final and the loser is eliminated.

Clubs

The inaugural season of NPL Capital Football 2 was originally planned to only have seven clubs, as published by Capital Football on 1 August 2018. After a successful appeal by Narrabundah a revised declaration of clubs for NPL level was released by Capital football on 8 August 2018 that increased the number of clubs from seven to eight. In November 2018, Wagga City Wanderers announced the club was leaving Football NSW and switching affiliation to Capital Football so the club's first grade team was added to NPL2 to bring the overall number up to nine (equal numbers with NPL1).

Eight of the inaugural season clubs were members of the previous ACT level two league (Capital league) in the previous season (2018). All nine inaugural season clubs were making their first appearance in the National Premier Leagues system, having previously competed in NSW and ACT State League systems.

Current Clubs

As of the 2023 Capital Football season , there are 8 clubs competing in the CPL.

2023 CPL
ClubLocationStateHome groundsFoundedJoined league 2021 Position
ANU FC Acton ACTANU Willows Oval196220193rd
Belconnen United McKellar ACT McKellar Park 197020238th *Relegated from NPL1 2022
Brindabella Blues Calwell ACTEverlast Enclosed199020194th
Canberra White Eagles Phillip ACT Woden Park 199220195th
Canberra Juventus Ainslie ACTAinslie Fields19532023
Queanbeyan City Queanbeyan NSWHigh Street Oval196620192nd
Wagga City Wanderers Wagga Wagga NSWGissing Oval201420196th
Yoogali SC Griffith NSWSolarMad Stadium201420207th

Former Premier League or NPL 2 clubs

ClubLocationStateHome groundFoundedLast season
Narrabundah FC Narrabundah ACTNarrabundah 219762021
Riverina Rhinos Griffith NSWSolarMad Stadium20142020
Southern Tablelands United Goulburn NSWCookbundoon 220172019
Tuggeranong United Greenway ACTGreenway Enclosed19762022
Weston-Molonglo FC Waramanga ACTWaramanga Playing Fields19712022

Honours

Capital Premier League seasons (2022–)

SeasonRegular seasonFinalsTeam promoted to NPL1
League PremiersLeague Runners-UpChampionsScoreFinalists
2022 Tuggeranong United Queanbeyan City Tuggeranong United 2–1 (AET) Brindabella Blues

NPL2 seasons (2019–2021)

A snapshot of the NPL Capital Football 2 seasons since its inauguration in 2019. [1]

SeasonRegular seasonFinalsTeam promoted to NPL1
League PremiersLeague Runners-UpChampionsScoreFinalists
2019 Canberra White Eagles O'Connor Knights ANU FC 5–1 O'Connor Knights
2020 No Premier declared. Wagga City Wanderers 2–2 (5-4 ( p ))Yoogali SC
2021 O'Connor Knights ANU FC not held.1 O'Connor Knights

Notes:

1 ACT finals series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. [11]

NPL2/Capital Premier League all-time record

Premierships
ClubPremiershipsYears
Canberra White Eagles 12019
O'Connor Knights 12021
Tuggeranong United 12022
Championships
ClubChampionshipsYears
ANU FC 12019
Wagga City Wanderers 12020
Tuggeranong United 12022

Pre-NPL Honours

Pre-NPL seasons (1967–2018)

A snapshot of each ACT division two season between 1967 and 2018 before being aligned with the NPL in 2019. [1]

Legend: BOLD = first league or finals title a club secures

SeasonCompetitionRegular seasonFinals
League PremiersLeague Runners-UpChampionsScoreFinalists
1967Division Two Inter Monaro KosciuskoInter Monaro1–0RAAF
1968Division TwoSeason standings & results unknown
1969Division TwoSeason standings & results unknown
1970Division TwoSeason standings & results unknown
1971Division TwoSeason standings & results unknown
1972Division TwoSeason standings & results unknown
1973Division Two Queanbeyan Macedonia ANU FCNo Finals Series held
1974Division Two ANU FC Belconnen United No Finals Series held
1975Division TwoSeason standings & results unknown
1976Division TwoSeason standings & results unknown
1977Division TwoCanberra UnitedANU FCCanberra United3–1ANU FC
1978Division TwoQueanbeyan MacedoniaRMCQueanbeyan Macedonia3–1RMC
1979Division Two Kambah United Concordia PhillipConcordia Phillip2–1Kambah United
1980Division TwoPolonia White EaglesJAT UnitedPolonia White Eagles2–1Canberra North
1981Division Two Croatia Deakin UnknownCanberra North3–2Croatia Deakin
1982Division Two Cooma FC RMCUnknown Finals Series results
1983Division TwoRMCNarrabundahUnknown Finals Series results
No Division 2 league run between 1984 and 1986
1987Division TwoWeston Creek Canberra City ANU FC1–0Weston Creek
1988Division TwoQueanbeyan MacedoniaCanberra CityQueanbeyan MacedoniaUnknownANU FC
1989Division Two ADFA ANU FC Downer Olympic 3–0ADFA
1990Division TwoDowner OlympicCondorsQueanbeyan Macedonia3–1Condors
1991Division TwoADFAQueanbeyan MacedoniaADFA4–1Condors
1992State League OneLatin AmericaUnknown University of Canberra UnknownLatin America
1993State League OneQueanbeyan CityUnknownUnknown Finals Series results
1994State League One Canberra White Eagles ANU FCANU FCUnknownCanberra White Eagles
1995State League OneQueanbeyan CityANU FCQueanbeyan CityUnknown score and losing team
1996State League OneANU FCBurns FCCooma FC2–1ANU FC
1997State League OneCapital City SunsCooma FCBurns FC2–1Capital City Suns
1998State League OneSeason standings & results unknown
1999State League One O'Connor Knights UnknownUnknown score and winning teamO'Connor Knights
2000State League OneUnknown league standingsANU FC1–0Canberra White Eagles
2001State League OneCooma FCUnknownCooma FCUnknown score and losing team
2002State League OneCooma FCCanberra OlympicUCU Pumas1–0Canberra City
2003State League OneO'Connor KnightsCanberra CityCanberra White Eagles2–1O'Connor Knights
2004State League OneCanberra White EaglesANU FCCanberra White Eagles2–0ANU FC
2005State League OneANU FCQueanbeyan CityANU FC4–1Queanbeyan City
2006State League OneQueanbeyan CityTuggeranong UnitedQueanbeyan City1–0Tuggeranong United
2007State League OneCooma FCSouthern TablelandsCanberra White Eagles3–1Cooma FC
2008State League OneSouthern TablelandsCooma FCCanberra White Eagles3–2Narrabundah
2009State League OneCanberra White EaglesSouthern TablelandsCanberra White Eagles1–0Cooma FC
2010State League OneCanberra White EaglesQueanbeyan CityQueanbeyan City1–0Canberra White Eagles
2011State League OneCanberra White EaglesO'Connor KnightsCanberra White Eagles5–1ANU FC
2012State League OneCanberra White EaglesQueanbeyan CityCanberra White Eagles2–1Queanbeyan City
2013 Capital LeagueCanberra White Eagles (Group A)
Narrabundah (Group B)
ANU FC (Group A)
Queanbeyan City (Group B)
Narrabundah0–0
(5–3)
Queanbeyan City
2014 Capital LeagueANU FCCanberra White EaglesWeston Molongo2–0ANU FC
2015 Capital LeagueMonaro PanthersANU FCANU FC1–1 (4–3)Canberra White Eagles
2016 Capital LeagueANU FCCanberra White EaglesANU FC6–3Queanbeyan City
2017 Capital LeagueANU FCO'Connor KnightsANU FC5–1O'Connor Knights
2018 Capital LeagueQueanbeyan CityCanberra White EaglesANU FC6–1Canberra White Eagles

Pre-NPL all-time record

Pre-NPL era Division 2 honours since 1967 till 2018, prior to the transition to NPL in 2019.

Premierships
ClubPremiershipsYears
Canberra White Eagles
7
1994, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Queanbeyan City
7
1973, 1978, 1988, 1993, 1995, 2006, 2018
ANU FC
6
1974, 1996, 2005, 2014, 2016, 2017
Cooma FC
4
1982, 2001, 2002, 2007
ADFA Vikings
2
1989, 1991
Monaro Panthers
2
1967, 2015
O'Connor Knights
2
1999, 2003
Burns FC
1
1977
AIS
1
1992
Balkan
1
1956
Burns FC
1
1984
Canberra FC
1
1981
Canberra Olympic
1
1990
Capital City Suns
1
1997
Latin America
1
1992
Narrabundah FC
1
2013
Polonia White Eagles
1
1980
RMC
1
1983
Southern Tablelands
1
2008
Tuggeranong United
1
1979
Weston Molongo FC
1
1987
Championships
ClubChampionshipsYears
ANU FC
8
1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Canberra White Eagles
7
2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
Queanbeyan City
5
1978, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2006
Burns FC
2
1977, 1997
Cooma FC
2
1996, 2001
UCU Pumas
2
1992, 2002
ADFA Vikings
1
1991
Canberra North
1
1981
Canberra Olympic
1
1989
Concordia Phillip
1
1979
Monaro Panthers
1
1967
Narrabundah FC
1
2013
Polonia White Eagles
1
1980
Weston Molongo FC
1
2014

See also

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References

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