1966 NSW First Division season

Football league season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1966 NSW First Division season was the tenth season of soccer in New South Wales under the administration of the NSW Federation of Soccer Clubs since its breakaway from the NSW Soccer Football Association in January 1957. The league once again played 18 rounds in the home and away regular season, beginning in March and ending in August. APIA Leichhardt finished first on the ladder to become regular season premiers for the second time after winning their first in 1964.

Season1966
ChampionsHakoah
PremiersAPIA Leichhardt
Matches90 (regular season) + 7 (finals)
Quick facts Season, Champions ...
NSW First Division
Season1966
ChampionsHakoah
PremiersAPIA Leichhardt
Matches90 (regular season) + 7 (finals)
Best PlayerBrian Lincoln
Top goalscorerJohn Giacometti (20)
Highest attendance10,500
APIA v. Pan Hellenic (regular season)
← 1965
1967 →
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The finals series was primarily held throughout September with a four-team playoff series. For the first time a round robin was held between the top four clubs, culminating with a grand final between the top two placed teams. Hakoah defeated APIA Leichhardt in the decider.

The pre-season Ampol Cup was won for a first time by APIA Leichhardt.

Clubs

Changes from last season:

  • The division continued its ten-team league format.
  • Polonia-North Side were relegated to NSW Second Division after one season back in the top league.
  • Corinthian BESC were reinstated to the top division after one season in NSW Second Division.
More information Club, Ground ...
Club Ground Year formed App Debut Last season
(Finals)
A.P.I.A.Lambert Park
Sydney Sports Ground		195410th19573rd (W)
Corinthian BESCNo fixed ground19572nd1964Div. II
Cumberland UnitedMona Park1964[a]3rd19648th
Hakoah-Eastern SuburbsWentworth Park193910th19576th
Pan HellenicWentworth Park19576th19619th
PragueSydney Athletics Field195010th19575th
St George-BudapestHurstville Oval19578th19592nd (RU)
South Coast UnitedWoonona Oval1958[b]9th19581st (PF)
South Sydney-CroatiaArlington Oval19584th19637th
YugalSydney Athletics Field19615th19624th (SF)
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Notes

  1. [a]
    Auburn and Gladesville merged keeping separate histories
  2. [b]
    Amalgamated with IDSA club Woonona-Bulli in 1961. Continues Corrimal United history

Table and results

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 A.P.I.A. 18 13 4 1 55 16 +39 30 Qualification for Finals series
2 Hakoah (C) 18 12 3 3 43 19 +24 27
3 St. George-Budapest 18 9 3 6 49 27 +22 21
4 South Coast United 18 7 4 7 31 25 +6 18
5 Pan Hellenic 18 7 4 7 36 34 +2 18
6 Prague 18 7 3 8 30 49 −19 17
7 Croatia 18 5 5 8 19 41 −22 15
8 Yugal 18 5 4 9 24 38 −14 14
9 Cumberland United 18 4 3 11 30 41 −11 11
10 Corinthian BESC (R) 18 2 5 11 14 41 −27 9 Relegated to Second Division
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Source: [1]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Results

More information Home \ Away, API ...
Home \ Away API COR CRO CUM HAK PAN PRA SCU SGB YUG
APIA 4–0 2–2 3–1 1–1 5–2 8–1 2–0 1–1 1–1
Corinthian BESC 0–5 1–1 0–4 0–5 0–4 0–0 1–1 0–2 1–2
South Sydney-Croatia 2–1 1–1 3–0 3–1 1–0 2–0 0–3 0–3 1–7
Cumberland United 3–6 1–2 1–1 0–5 2–3 2–3 2–1 2–2 0–1
Hakoah 1–3 3–1 3–0 3–0 4–2 1–3 1–1 3–1 2–1
Pan Hellenic 1–2 0–4 1–1 1–1 1–2 4–4 1–0 1–0 4–1
Prague 0–4 1–0 2–1 3–2 0–3 2–3 2–1 0–8 4–0
South Coast United 0–1 2–1 4–0 3–2 0–1 5–3 2–2 0–0 3–2
St George-Budapest 0–3 5–2 9–0 1–2 2–4 0–4 6–2 3–0 3–1
Yugal 0–6 0–0 2–0 0–6 0–0 1–1 2–1 1–5 2–3
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Source: www.socceraust.co.uk[2]
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Finals series

Round robin

Final table

More information Pos, Team ...
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 A.P.I.A. 3 3 0 0 11 3 +8 6 Qualification for Grand final
2 Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs (C) 3 2 0 1 8 4 +4 4
3 St. George-Budapest 3 1 0 2 5 8 −3 2
4 South Coast United 3 0 0 3 3 12 −9 0
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Source: [3]
(C) Champions

Results

4 September 1966 St. George-Budapest 3–0 South Coast United Moore Park, Sydney
 Report[4][5] Stadium: Sydney Sports Ground
Attendance: 11,300[a]
Referee: N. Jones
4 September 1966 APIA Leichhardt 2–0 Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs Moore Park, Sydney
 Report[4] Stadium: Sydney Sports Ground
Attendance: 11,300[a]
Referee: H. Parsons
11 September 1966 APIA Leichhardt 3–2 St George-Budapest Moore Park, Sydney
 Report[6]
Stadium: Sydney Sports Ground
Attendance: 9,500[a]
Referee: Tony Boskovic
11 September 1966 Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs 3–2 South Coast United Moore Park, Sydney
  • Hood 25', 30', 49'
 Report[6]
  • Freeme 12'
  • Ringland 67' (pen.)
 Stadium: Sydney Sports Ground
Attendance: 9,500[a]
Referee: H. Eilerts
18 September 1966 APIA Leichhardt 6–1 South Coast United Moore Park, Sydney
 Report[7]
  • Freeme
Stadium: Sydney Sports Ground
Attendance: 6,520[a]
Referee: Tony Boskovic
18 September 1966 Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs 5–0 St George-Budapest Moore Park, Sydney
  • Christie (x2)
  • Ninaus
  • Hood
  • Fekete
Report[7] Stadium: Sydney Sports Ground
Attendance: 6,520[a]
Referee: N. Jones

Grand final

More information Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs, 2–1 ...
Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs2–1A.P.I.A.
 Report[7][5]
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Attendance: 7,650
Referee: Tony Boskovic
More information NSWSF First Division ...
NSWSF First Division
1966 Grand Final winners
Australia
Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs
Third Title
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Promotion Play-off

With the league expanding to twelve teams next competition, Second Division premiers Polonia-North Side were automatically promoted. It was decided that First Division wooden spooners, Corinthian BESC, would play-off against the second and third placed teams from the Second Division to earn the final two spots in the 1967 NSW First Division season.

The three-team play-off was contested over two matches with Canterbury receiving bye straight to the final match. Melita Eagles defeated Corinthians in the first match, gaining direct entry into First Division, leaving Corinthians with one last chance to remain in the top tier with the next match against the aforementioned Canterbury. However, Canterbury would win the match for final play-off spot, 1–0.

More information Match, Team A ...
MatchTeam AScoreTeam BScorers
Spot 1 Corinthian BESC 0–3 Melita Eagles McDonald 2, Jaros (Melita).
Spot 2 Corinthian BESC 0–1 Canterbury Rinos (C'bury).
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Statistics and awards

Top Star Award

Soccer World reporters awarded stars out of six to players throughout the 18 rounds. The player with the highest stars was Brian Lincoln with 4.27. Only 10 players averaged four points or more. Below left is the list of all ten players and below right is the team of the year:[8]

More information Player, Team ...
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Top scorers

John Giacometti was the season's top goalscorer for the second year consecutively, with 20 goals. Below is a list of the top ten goalscorers for the season:[8]

More information Player, Team ...
PlayerTeamGoals
John GiacomettiAPIA20
George YardleySt. George19
Errol FreemeSouth Coast13
John KeddieCumberland
Johnny WatkissAPIA
Johnny WarrenSt. George12
John KaryannisPan Hellenic11
Herbert NinausHakoah
Jim HardingHakoah9
Joe AlagichYugal8
Bill KerklaanAPIA
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Attendances

Below is a list of attendances by club:[8]

More information Rank, Club ...
RankClubTotal
attendance		Highest home
attendance
1APIA Leichhardt96,20010,500
2Pan Hellenic82,2008,100
3St. George-Budapest50,1006,100
4Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs46,4007,200
5Prague45,5008,016
6Yugal40,0004,700
7South Sydney-Croatia39,0003,500
8South Coast United37,0004,700
9Cumberland United30,6005,025
10Corinthian BESC38,2003,350
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Other competitions

Ampol Cup

The season began with the tenth edition of the floodlit pre-season night series (ninth as the Ampol Cup), culminating with the double-header third place playoff and Final on 20 March in front of 8,700 spectators.[9]

The event featured a group stage for the first time in its history, splitting the ten teams from First Division into two groups of five. The point scoring was also unique: 12 points for a win and 5 for draw with each goal scored also worth one point. APIA and Prague progressed from Group 1 as did Hakoah and Yugal from Group 2. The semi-finals, third place play-off and Final were all maintained from previous editions.

Finals series

Semi-finals Finals
    
Hakoah 2
Prague 0
Hakoah 0
APIA 1
APIA 3
Yugal 0 Third place playoff
Prague 4
Yugal 0

Final

More information Hakoah, 0–1 ...
Hakoah0–1APIA
Report[9]
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Attendance: 8,700
Referee: Tony Boskovic

See also

References

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