The National Premier Leagues Victoria, commonly known as NPL Victoria, is a semi-professional soccer league in Victoria, Australia. The league is a part of the National Premier Leagues, and is the highest level within the Victorian soccer league system, serving jointly as the second tier within the overall Australian pyramid.
Colin Campbell Watson was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.
Preston Lions Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club from Preston, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club was established in 1947 to play non-professional soccer matches against other teams in the local community until 1959, and 12 years later, they joined the Victorian Soccer Federation, the club's first season in an officially sanctioned competition. The Lions currently compete in the Victoria Premier League 1 competition, which is the third tier in the Australian soccer league system, after being promoted in 2022 from NPL 3 Victoria. The club won the Victorian Premier League in seasons 1980, 1994, 2002 and 2007.
Caroline Springs George Cross Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in Fraser Rise, a north-western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and plays in the National Premier Leagues Victoria 2, the second tier of football in Victoria, and third in Australia.
Falcons 2000 Soccer Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club based in the regional Victorian city of Morwell in Latrobe Valley, Gippsland. The club currently participates in the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, rated as a Tier 9 league.
As Morwell Falcons, the club achieved the rare feat of promotion to Tier 1 status in the National Soccer League from what is described now as the Tier 9 Latrobe Valley Soccer League, via promotions in the pyramid between 1973 and 1992.
The Dockerty Cup is an annual association football knock-out competition open to all Victorian clubs across the Victorian football league system. The tournament is named after the former president of Football Federation Victoria Harry Dockerty.
Bentleigh Greens Soccer Club is an Australian semi professional soccer club based in Cheltenham, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The club was formed in 1986, by the Greek Cypriot community and currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Victoria. Bentleigh made nationwide headlines when it became the first club below the A-League to make the semi-final of the FFA Cup in 2014. The Greens hit another milestone a year later when they claimed their first major trophy, the NPL Victoria title. In 2016, Bentleigh Greens became Victorian top-flight league premiers for the first time.
Ringwood City Soccer Club is an Australian soccer club from Ringwood, a suburb of Melbourne. The club was formed in 1953 as Wilhelmina by Dutch Australians. The club currently competes in Victorian State League Division 4 East, where it has been since 2014.
The first known St Kilda Soccer Club was an association football (soccer) club based in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. The club was founded in late 1908 and competed in the inaugural first tier league season of the Victorian soccer system in 1909, finishing second. In its existence, the club accumulated fifteen achievements within the state's tier one and tier two leagues, and the Dockerty Cup. The year of 1923 would see the club at its peak in finishing first on the ladder of the tier one league, then known as 'Metropolitan League Division One', winning the finals series grand final against league runners-up Footscray Thistle, and winning the Dockerty Cup twice.
Carlton United Football Club was an Australian association football (soccer) club based in Melbourne, founded in 1908 that presumably dissolved in late 1912. The short lived club is known for its immediate success in being the first tier one state champions of Victoria, and winning the first Dockerty Cup, both in 1909. The club would also be the first in history to go back-to-back in repeating the same feat in 1910 for both the league and the cup. The club would finish second in 1911 and third in 1912 and presumably folded prior to the 1913 season. A photograph from 1909 shows the team wearing a white shirt with a blue pocket, and blue shorts & socks.
The second known Brunswick Soccer Club was an Australian association football (soccer) club based in the inner-northern suburbs of Melbourne, presumably Brunswick. The club was founded in early 1921 and competed in the first and second-tier leagues of the Victorian state soccer system throughout its existence, until dissolving at the conclusion of the 1936 season. The club is known for winning the 1931 state championship, then known as the 'Metropolitan League Division One'.
Yarraville Football Club was an Australian association football (soocer) club based in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown. Founded on 5 March 1909 as Williamstown FC before changing its name to Yarraville FC in 1913, the short lived club flourished in what was then the newly established first tier state league of Victoria. Finishing mid table in 1909 and 1910, the club would be the first in the league's history to be champions three years in a row, finishing first on the ladder for seasons 1911–1913. The club would also win the Dockerty Cup in 1912 and 1913. Due to World War I, the 1916–1918 seasons were cancelled, being possible that the club folded within the three years no competition, not necessarily in 1915, and didn't re-establish in 1919. This club has no connection to any of the Williamstown and Yarraville soccer clubs that followed.
The Melbourne Thistle Football Club was an Australian Anglo-Celtic backed association football (soccer) club based in Melbourne, presumably in the suburb of Albert Park. The club was founded in 1912 and spent most of its existence in the first division league of the Victorian soccer system. The club won seven titles within the state's tier one and tier two leagues, including the Dockerty Cup three times.
The 1909 Victorian soccer season was the first competitive season of soccer in the Australian state of Victoria, under association of the governing body, Football Victoria. The season consisted of one league made up of six district teams from Melbourne that was known as the 'Amateur League'. This league season is recognized as being the first season of first-tier Victorian state soccer that is now formally recognized as National Premier Leagues Victoria. Carlton United were crowned as the inaugural premiers. The calendar season also saw the commencement of the Dockerty Cup, in which Carlton United defeated St Kilda 2–1, making United first club in the state's history to achieve both respective accolades in the same season.
The 1911 Victorian soccer season was the third competitive season of soccer in the Australian state of Victoria, under association with the governing body of Football Victoria. The season consisted of the third instalment of the Dockerty Cup, and one premiership league then known as the 'Amateur League'. This league season is recognized as being the third season of first tier Victorian state soccer that is now formally known as the National Premier Leagues Victoria.
The Savoia Soccer Club was an Australian association football (soccer) club based in Melbourne during the 1930s. The club is believed to have been the first in the state of Victoria to have been founded by Italian migrants. The club is also known to have been one of few sporting organisations to have been dissolved by the state authorities in Australia due to the fact that Fascist Italy was a member of the Axis Powers during World War II, Australia's enemy at the time. The club is believed to have been based at Royal Park in Parkville, and former club members later assisted in the establishment of Victoria's most successful Italian sporting club 'Brunswick Juventus' in 1948. In late 1996 the club split and is now Brunswick Juventus Junior FC and Moreland Zebras Juventus FC respectively.
The 1915 Victorian soccer season was the seventh competitive season of soccer in the Australian state of Victoria, under association with the governing body of Football Victoria. It would be the last season of soccer prior to what be a three-year hiatus of soccer due to World War I in which approximately ninety percent of registered players were enlisted in the Australian Defence Force prior to the 1916 season, with at least forty percent of the players registering in April during the season. Two leagues were contested, being 'Victorian Division 1' and 'Victorian Division 2' that is now recognized as the NPL & NPL 2 respectively. The calendar season also saw the seventh tournament of the Dockerty Cup, in which Melbourne Thistle were crowned winners.
The 1919 Victorian soccer season was the eighth competitive season of soccer in the Australian state of Victoria, under association with the governing body of Football Victoria. It would be the first season of soccer following a three-year hiatus due to World War I in which approximately ninety percent of registered players were enlisted in the Australian Defence Force prior to the 1916 season. Only 'Victorian Division 1' was contested. The calendar season also saw the eighth tournament of the Dockerty Cup, in which Footscray Thistle were crowned winners after defeating the newly established Windsor 2–0.
Footscray Thistle Football Club was an Anglo-Celtic backed association football (soccer) club from Melbourne, Australia. Throughout its existence, the club participated in the Football Victoria state league system, where it spent twenty-two of its twenty-four seasons in the Victorian State First Tier league, now the National Premier Leagues Victoria. As of the 2020 season, Footscray is still regarded as one of the most successful Victorian clubs, with five first tier premierships, one conference premiership one championship and four Dockerty Cups.
The 1920 Victorian soccer season was the ninth competitive season of soccer in the Australian state of Victoria, under association with the governing body of Football Victoria. Only two conferences of the 'Victorian Division 1' were contested, which as of 2021 season is recognized as the NPL. The calendar season saw the ninth installment of the Dockerty Cup, but in the first time in its history the competition was abandoned shortly before the grand final, in which Albert Park was to verse Northumberland and Durham United.
