National Football League (South Africa)

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National Football League
Founded1959
Folded1977
CountryFlag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg  South Africa
Most championships Highlands Park (8 titles)

The National Football League (NFL) was the first professional association football league in South Africa, established in 1959. [1] At first the NFL received stiff opposition from the SAFA, the amateur governing body which controlled the major football grounds in the county. The SAFA was a member of FIFA at the time.

Contents

Initially, only two areas of South Africa were represented - Transvaal and Durban - but gradually the league became more geographically representative. The teams that joined the league in 1959 were-Transvaal (9 teams)-Rangers, Germiston Callies, Arcadia Shepherds, Benoni United, Randfontein, Pretoria City, Brakpan United, Johannesburg City & Southern Park. Natal (3 teams)-Durban City, Durban United & Maritzburg Celtic. The League kicked-off on 4 July 1959 (only one round was played).

A promotion play-off for the Champions of the various State Leagues was introduced in 1962, and the league spread to Cape Town (1962), Bloemfontein (1963) and Port Elizabeth (1964). An NFL Division II was established in 1969, with the Champions promoted to Division I. [2] [3] The league was competitive during the apartheid era, and only white players were allowed to participate. However a few NFL teams traveled to neighboring countries to play friendlies.1961 Durban City beat a multi-racial Salisbury Combined XI 8-2 at the Glamis Stadium. An NFL XI lost to a Rhodesian XI 2-6, at the Raylton Sports ground. Germiston Callies played a non-white team, Black Pirates in Maseru, Lesotho. 25 February 1961.

However, black players did participate in the competition. The first to do so was Vincent Julius, he represented Arcadia Shepherds in 1976 versus Highlands Park. Highlands Park protested Julius' presence but the NFL allowed him to play. The South African Home Office took no action having been convinced by Arcadia Shepherds that the story would be told all around the world and cast the ruling party in a bad light.

When NFL folded after 18 years in 1977, it was superseded by a non-racial league. In practical terms, a merger happened between NFL (for whites) and NPSL (for blacks), to become the new common NPSL.

Winners

YearWinnersRunners-upThird place
1959 Durban City (1) Rangers Johannesburg Durban United
1960 Highlands Park (1) Durban City Germiston Callies
1961 Durban City (2) Highlands Park Germiston Callies
1962 Highlands Park (2) Southern Suburbs Durban City
1963 Addington (1) Highlands Park Durban City
1964 Highlands Park (3) Durban City Durban United
1965 Highlands Park (4) Cape Town City Durban City
1966 Highlands Park (5) Port Elizabeth City Durban United
1967 Port Elizabeth City (1) Highlands Park Cape Town City
1968 Highlands Park (6) Durban United Powerlines
1969 Durban Spurs (2*) Powerlines Highlands Park
1970 Durban City (3) Cape Town City Maritzburg
1971 Hellenic (1) Cape Town City Durban City
1972 Durban City (4) Hellenic Berea Park
1973 Cape Town City (1) Highlands Park Hellenic
1974 Arcadia Shepherds (1) Cape Town City Maritzburg
1975 Highlands Park (7) Hellenic Maritzburg
1976 Cape Town City (2) Highlands Park Wits University
1977 Highlands Park (8) Lusitano Durban United

Source: [4]

TeamTitlesYears
Highlands Park
8
1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1975, 1977
Durban City
4
1959, 1961, 1970, 1972
Durban Spurs
2
1963, 1969
Cape Town City
2
1973, 1976
Port Elizabeth City
1
1967
Hellenic
1
1971
Arcadia Shepherds
1
1974

Individual Honours

YearPlayer of the YearFootballer of the YearForeign Player of the YearTop Scorer
1959 Rocco Smith (Benoni United)N/AN/A Les Salton (Durban City) 21
1960 Malcolm Rufus (Durban City)N/AN/A Pip Hughes (Highlands Park) 37
1961 Les Salton (Durban City)N/AN/A Les Salton (Durban City) 46
1962 George Barratt (Durban City)N/AN/A Peter McEwan (Germiston Callies) 36
1963 Ken Denysschen (Durban City)N/AN/A Bazil Johnson (Arcadia United) 43
1964 Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Bobby Chalmers (Durban City)N/AN/A Les Salton (Durban United) 42
1965 Malcolm Rufus (Highlands Park)N/AN/A Arne Bjørnstad (Boksburg) & Freddie Kalk (Highlands Park) 33
1966 Freddie Kalk (Highlands Park) Robin Lowe (Durban United) Flag of Scotland.svg Willie McIntosh (Highlands Park) Flag of Brazil.svg Walter da Silva (Highlands Park) 44
1967 Bob Davies (Rangers) Charlie Naude (Germiston Callies) Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Bryan Orritt (Southern Suburbs) Flag of England.svg Jim Scott (Durban City) 28
1968Henry Hauser (Addington) Derek Smethurst (Durban City) Flag of Austria.svg Peter Rath (Powerlines) Stan Forster (Rangers) 32
1969 Richard Allen (Cape Town City) Frank Pereira (Powerlines) Flag of England.svg Gary France (Cape Town City) Flag of Brazil.svg Walter da Silva (Powerlines) 21
1970 Archie Soekoe (Rangers) Bennie Booysen (Southern Suburbs) Flag of Gibraltar.svg Flag of England.svg Tony Macedo (Durban City) Flag of England.svg Jim Scott (Durban City) 31
1971 Flag of England.svg George Eastham (Hellenic) Ronnie Mann (Durban City) Flag of Scotland.svg Ben Anderson (Cape Town City) Flag of England.svg Jim Scott (Durban City-16/Durban United-6) 22
1972 Trevor Gething (Berea Park) Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) Flag of England.svg Johnny Haynes (Durban City) Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) 26
1973 Ian Bender (Durban Celtic) Hennie Joubert (Highlands Park) Flag of England.svg Peter Withe (Arcadia Shepherds) Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) 24
1974 Steve Wegerle (Arcadia Shepherds) Steve Wegerle (Arcadia Shepherds) Flag of Jersey.svg Dave Huson (Hellenic) Ian Bender (Durban Celtic) 17
1975 Gary France (Cape Town City) 20
1976 Chris Chilton (Highlands Park) 19
1977 Ian Bender (Maritzburg) Tony Stathakis (Highlands Park) 28

Leading Aggregate Goalscorers

TotalPlayerClubsSeasons
253 Les Salton Durban City (109)
Durban United (144)
1959-66
205 Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Bobby Chalmers Durban City (106)
Durban United (50)
Maritzburg (49)
1962-74
196 Freddie Kalk Southern Suburbs (64)
Highlands Park (132)
1960-73
192 Wilf De Bruin Hellenic FC (192)1970-1983
184 Arne Bjørnstad Boksburg (143)
Southern Suburbs (41)
1960-70
157 Flag of England.svg Jim Scott Durban City (129)
Durban United (22)
Johannesburg Corinthians (5)
Maritzburg (1)
1966-74
154 Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Vernon Wentzel Durban City (46)
Addington (108)
1962-68
153 Percy Owen Rangers Johannesburg 1960-68
142 Flag of Brazil.svg Walter da Silva Hellenic (18)
Highlands Park (64)
Powerlines (50)
Berea Park (10)
1964-72
136 Ronnie Mann Durban United (87)
Durban City (41)
Guild Apollo (8)
1962-77
132 Danny Le Roux Durban City (58)
Durban United (71)
Addington (3)
1959-67

List of NFL Clubs (1959–1977)

ClubLocationSeasonsName changes, mergers etc.
Addington Durban1962-68=(=Durban Spurs)
Arcadia Shepherds Pretoria1959-62; =69-77Merged with ISCOR Pretoria (=Arcadia United=)
ARCADIA UNITEDPretoria1963-68=Merger of Arcadia Shepherds and ISCOR Pretoria (=Arcadia Shepherds)
BENONI UNITEDEast Rand1959-63Merged with Brakpan United and Springs (Transvaal Lge.) (=East Rand United)
Berea Park Pretoria1960-64; 70-76Merged with Pretoria City
BLOEMFONTEIN CITYBloemfontein1963-66; 69-71
Boksburg East Rand1960-67; 74
BRAKPAN UNITEDEast Rand1959-63Merged with Benoni United and Springs (Transvaal Lge.) (=East Rand United)
Cape Town City Cape Town1962-77
DURBAN CELTICDurban1972-74=(=Pinetown Celtic)
Durban City F.C. Durban1959-77
DURBAN RAMBLERSDurban1963
DURBAN SPURSDurban=1969(Addington=) Merged with Durban United (=Durban Spurs United)
DURBAN SPURS UNITEDDurban1970=Merger of Durban Spurs and Durban United (=Durban United)
Durban United Durban1959-69; =71-77Merged with Durban Spurs (=Durban Spurs United=)
EAST LONDON CELTICEast London1969-70Merged with East London City (Cape Eastern Lge.) (=East London United)
East London United East London1971-77Merger of East London Celtic and East London City (Cape Eastern Lge.)
EAST RAND UNITEDEast Rand1964; 66Merger of Benoni United, Brakpan United and Springs O.B. (Transvaal Lge.). Played on in the Transvaal Lge. as East Rand United, before resurfacing as Benoni United in NFL's new Division Two.
Germiston Callies East Rand1959-77
GUILD APOLLOWest Rand1976=Merger of Jewish Guild and Johannesburg Corinthians (=Roodepoort Guild)
Hellenic Cape Town1964-77
Highlands Park Johannesburg1960-70; =73-77Merged with Powerlines (=Highlands Power=)
HIGHLANDS POWERJohannesburg1971-72=Merger of Highlands Park and Powerlines (=Highlands Park)
ISCOR PRETORIAPretoria1961-62Merged with Arcadia Shepherds (=Arcadia United)
Jewish Guild West Rand1971-75Merged with Johannesburg Corinthians (=Guild Apollo)
JOHANNESBURG CITYJohannesburg=1960-61(Northern United=) Played on in the Transvaal Lge. until 1964, then merging with Marist Brothers AFC
Johannesburg Corinthians Johannesburg1967-69Played on in the NFL's new Division Two until merging with Jewish Guild (=Guild Apollo)
JOHANNESBURG RAMBLERSJohannesburg1960-62Merged with Rangers Johannesburg
JOHANNESBURG WANDERERSJohannesburg1962-65Played in provincial competitions as Johannesburg Wanderers, before returning to the national scene as Southern Albion in NFL's new Division Two.
Lusitano Johannesburg1973-77
MARIST BROTHERS AFCJohannesburg1960-65Merged with Johannesburg City
Maritzburg Pietermaritzburg1968-77Played in the Natal Lge. as Durban Municipals 1953-67
MARITZBURG CELTICPietermaritzburg1959
NORTHERN UNITEDJohannesburg1959=(=Johannesburg City)
OLYMPIAEast Rand1965-67
PINETOWN CELTICDurban=1975(Durban Celtic=)
Port Elizabeth City Port Elizabeth1964-73
Powerlines East Rand1968-70Merged with Highlands Park (=Highlands Power)
PRETORIA CITYPretoria1959Merged with Berea Park (Transvaal Lge.)
RANDFONTEINWest Rand1959-61=(=West Rand United)
Rangers Johannesburg Johannesburg1959-77Merged with Johannesburg Ramblers
ROODEPOORT GUILDWest Rand=1977(Guild Apollo=)
SHAMROCKSPietermaritzburg1975-76
SOUTHERN PARKJohannesburg1959-60=(=Southern Suburbs)
Southern Suburbs Johannesburg=1961-72(Southern Park=)
WEST RAND UNITEDWest Rand=1962-63(Randfontein=) Played on in the Transvaal Lge. as West Rand United, then Florida
WESTVIEW APOLLONPort Elizabeth1966-67
Wits University Johannesburg1976-77

List of 2nd Level Clubs (1969–1975)

ClubLocationSeasons (NFL2)Notes etc.
BENONI UNITEDEast Rand1970Former NFL team; withdrew after one season
BEREA PARKPretoria1969Former NFL team; returned to the top level as first Champions of NFL's Division Two
BLOEMFONTEIN RANGERSBloemfontein1972-73Relegated
BOKSBURGEast Rand1970-73; 1975Former NFL team; returned briefly to the top level
DURBAN CELTICDurban=1970-71(Escombe=) Promoted
ESCOMBEDurban1969=(=Durban Celtic)
FLORIDA ALBIONWest Rand=1970-75Merger of Florida (Transvaal Lge.) and Southern Albion, both clubs were renamed former NFL teams (West Rand United and Johannesburg Wanderers, respectively).
GERMISTON PRIMROSE CITYEast Rand1971-73Relegated
HARMONYFree State1970-71; 74-75
HIBS-AUSONIACape Town1969Withdrew after a single season despite finishing as Runners-up
JEWISH GUILDWest Rand1969-70Promoted
JOHANNESBURG CORINTHIANSJohannesburg1970-75First team to be relegated to NFL's new Division Two. Merged with Jewish Guild (=Guild Apollo)
KIMBERLEY ATHLETICFree State1969-70Relegated
KOEDOE PARKWest Rand1971-72; 1974Relegated twice
LUSITANOJohannesburg1971-72Promoted
MARIST BROTHERS AFCJohannesburg1972Former NFL team; finished last in their only season in Division Two
OLYMPIAEast Rand1973-75Former NFL team
PARTHENONEast Rand1969-75
PORT ELIZABETH CITYPort Elizabeth1974-75Former NFL Champions
SHAMROCKSPietermaritzburg1972-74Promoted
SK WINDHOEK CITY Windhoek, South-West Africa =1974-75Merger of SK Windhoek (SWA Lge.) and Windhoek City
SOUTHERN ALBIONJohannesburg1969=Had played in the NFL as Johannesburg Wanderers. Merged with Florida (=Florida Albion)
SOUTHERN SUBURBSJohannesburg1973-75Former NSL Runners-up
VAAL UNITEDWest Rand1970-71; 73-75
VIKTORIA 89East Rand1969-75Had played in the Transvaal Lge. as Sparta Viktoria
WINDHOEK CITY Windhoek, South-West Africa 1970-73=Merged with local club SK Windhoek (=SK Windhoek City)
WINDHOEK RAMBLERS Windhoek, South-West Africa 1969Withdrew after one season
WITS UNIVERSITYJohannesburg1969-75Last team to win promotion from NFL's Division Two

Overseas teams that toured

1961. Leicester City, 1961 F.A.Cup finalists played Durban City on 27 May 1961, at Kingsmead. This was the first time that two professional teams from England and South Africa had played against one another. Leicester City won 2-0. Leicester City drew with Combined Transvaal 1-1, at the Rand Stadium.

1963. Tottenham Hotspur played three games in South Africa. 1st. 5 June 1963. V N.F.L XI @ Stamford Stadium, Durban. Won 5-2. 2nd. 8 June 1963 N.F.L XI @ Hartleyvale, Cape Town. Won 5-1. 3rd. 3 June 1963. V South Africa XI @ Rand Stadium. Won 3-1. The Spurs squad included Danny Blanchflower, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith, Maurice Norman, Len White & Tony Marchi.

1963. Dundee United played three games in July 1963. V Transvaal, won 2-1. V Western Province, Hartleyvale.2 July. Lost 1-2. V Natal. Won 4-2.

1964. Arsenal played five games in May 1964. V Transvaal, Orange Free State won 2-0. 14th. V Natal. Durban Stadium. won 8-2. 17th. V Western Province. Won 5-1. V Eastern Province. Won 6-0. 22nd. V South Africa XI. won 5-0.

1964. Club Atletico Cerro (Uruguay). 14 July 1963. V Durban City. New Kingsmead.C.A.Cerro won 2-0. C.A.Cerro also played Western Province-17 July 1964 & South Africa XI, Rand Stadium. 20 July 1964.

1964. Real Madrid played three games in South Africa. 8 September 1964 V Castle Knights, Rand Stadium, winning 5-2. A N.F.L XI in Durban plus Western Province @ Hartleyvale, which Real Madrid won 4-0. The Real Madrid squad included Ferenc Puskas, Santamaria @ Gento. At this stage Real Madrid had won the European Cup on five consecutive occasions-1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 & 1960.

1964. Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) played Addington, Highlands Park, Rand Stadium.

See also

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References

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