1978 National Soccer League
Australian soccer season
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The 1978 National Soccer League was the second season of the National Soccer League, the former top-tier Australian soccer league, since its establishment in 1977. The premiers were West Adelaide.
| Season | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 5 March — 17 September 1978 |
| Matches | 182 |
| Goals | 532 (2.92 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Ken Boden Clive Eaton (14 goals each) |
| Best goalkeeper | Allan Maher (10 clean sheets) |
| Biggest home win | Eastern Suburbs 5–0 Sydney Olympic (28 March 1978) South Melbourne 5–0 Adelaide City (13 August 1978) |
| Highest scoring | Marconi Fairfield 6–2 Western Suburbs (16 April 1978) |
| Longest winning run | 8 matches West Adelaide |
| Longest unbeaten run | 13 matches Marconi Fairfield |
| Longest winless run | 15 matches Canberra City |
| Longest losing run | 7 matches Brisbane City |
| Highest attendance | 18,000 South Melbourne 1–1 Fitzroy United (2 April 1978) |
| Lowest attendance | 330 Brisbane Lions 1–1 South Melbourne (26 March 1978) |
| Total attendance | 848,226 |
| Average attendance | 4,686 |
← 1977 1979 → | |
Teams
Stadiums and locations
Locations of the 1978 National Soccer League teams
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Eastern Suburbs | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground | 35,000 |
| Fitzroy United | Melbourne | Olympic Park Stadium | 18,500 |
| Footscray | Melbourne | Middle Park Stadium | 18,000 |
| Marconi Fairfield | Sydney | Marconi Stadium | 9,000 |
| Newcastle KB United | Newcastle | Newcastle International Sports Centre | 30,000 |
| South Melbourne | Melbourne | Middle Park Stadium | 18,000 |
| St George | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground Marconi Stadium |
35,000 9,000 |
| 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
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Adelaide (C) | 26 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 42 | 27 | +15 | 36 | Qualification to Finals series[a] |
| 2 | Eastern Suburbs | 26 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 49 | 27 | +22 | 35 | |
| 3 | South Melbourne | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 45 | 30 | +15 | 32 | |
| 4 | Marconi Fairfield | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 46 | 31 | +15 | 30 | |
| 5 | Fitzroy United | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 39 | 0 | 26 | |
| 6 | Brisbane Lions | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 26 | |
| 7 | St George-Budapest | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 25 | |
| 8 | Sydney Olympic | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 35 | 43 | −8 | 25 | |
| 9 | Western Suburbs | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 24 | |
| 10 | Adelaide City | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 44 | −6 | 24 | |
| 11 | Newcastle KB United | 26 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 33 | 40 | −7 | 22 | |
| 12 | Footscray JUST | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 37 | −8 | 22 | |
| 13 | Canberra City | 26 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 28 | 41 | −13 | 20 | |
| 14 | Brisbane City | 26 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 29 | 49 | −20 | 17 |
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
- The Finals series was not considered the championship for the 1978 National Soccer League.
Results
Finals series
The top four teams in the league entered a playoff series, however the winner of the grand final match was not considered the overall winner of the NSL season, unlike other NSL grand finals.[1]
Individual awards
- Player of the Year: Ken Boden (Newcastle KB United)
- U-21 Player of the Year: Ian Souness (Eastern Suburbs)
- Top Scorer(s): Ken Boden (Newcastle KB United – 14 goals) Clive Eaton (Western Suburbs – 14 goals)
- Coach of the Year: Gary Chaldi (Eastern Suburbs)