Football NSW
Governing body for soccer in New South Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Football NSW is the governing body for soccer in the Australian state of New South Wales, with the exception of the northern regions of NSW (the governing body for which is Northern New South Wales Football). Football NSW is a member of the national governing body, Football Australia. Football NSW's premier football competition is the National Premier Leagues NSW. The premier futsal competition is the Futsal Premier League. Prior to 1 April 2007, Football NSW was known as Soccer NSW.[2]
(1957 as New South Wales Federation of Soccer Clubs)
| |
| Abbreviation | FNSW |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1 April 2007[1] (1957 as New South Wales Federation of Soccer Clubs) |
| Type | State Sporting Association |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | Valentine Sports Park |
| Location | |
Region served | New South Wales, Australia |
Parent organisation | Football Australia |
| Website | http://www.footballnsw.com.au |
History
The first soccer association was founded in New South Wales in 1882 as the "South British Football Soccer Association". It was succeeded in 1898 by the "New South Wales British Football Association" and eventually in 1921 by the "Australian Soccer Football Association". The first state league in New South Wales was formed in 1928 and by 1943 a new association was formed to oversee the game in New South Wales specifically, called "New South Wales Soccer Football Association". This was formed into a company in 1945.[3][4]
By 1957 many clubs in New South Wales were left disgruntled by the way the game was run by the NSW Soccer Football Association due to numerous factors. Some migrant communities had created their own clubs when they were faced with closed doors by already established suburban clubs.[5] After a meeting led by Hakoah president, Walter Sternberg in his Bellevue Hill home, a new association was born, called the NSW Federation of Soccer Clubs. This federation effectively took control over the game from the former NSW Soccer Football Association.[3][5][4]
The events of 1957 also led to a change in management nationally. With the Australian Soccer Football Association (ASFA) suspended by FIFA over player poaching disputes and the creation of Federations in other states, the Australian Soccer Federation (ASF) was created in 1961 to replace the old association. However, the ASF only gained control of operations from the ASFA after they sent a £5000 bond to FIFA in 1963.[4]
In 1995, "Soccer Australia" replaced the "Australian Soccer Federation" and so the governing body of New South Wales became "Soccer NSW".[4]
Soccer NSW remained in control of the game for a decade until another national change took place in 2005 when Soccer Australia changed its name to "Football Federation Australia".[4] Soccer NSW however, did not officially change its name to "Football NSW" until 1 April 2007.[1]
Headquarters
The headquarters of Football NSW are located at Valentine Sports Park, Glenwood. Valentine Sports Park is a multipurpose sporting complex which caters for various groups, as well as individuals. The complex consists of twin, triple and quad rooms accommodating up to 180 people, 5 playing fields, lecture rooms, indoor sports hall, 20 metre outdoor pool, sports medicine centre and a dining room open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also contains the offices of the Football NSW staff.
Football
The majority of Football NSW's time goes into the football competitions they oversee and run. Football NSW oversees the running of numerous representative youth, Men's & Women's association football leagues and cups, a number of which are non-amateur. They also oversee the countless club and amateur competitions run by the affiliated associations around the state. For a detailed rundown of the various leagues and systems run in New South Wales see Football (soccer) in New South Wales.
Football NSW Institute
The Football NSW Institute (FNSWI) was established in 2013 as the official elite development program for young footballers in New South Wales. It unified the Skilleroos, New South Wales Institute of Sport, and Skill Acquisition Programs into a single structure aligned with Football Federation Australia's Integrated Talented Player Pathway. Initially catering to both boys and girls, the program shifted its focus exclusively to girls' development from 2016, providing a high-performance environment for players aged U13 to U17. The FNSWI aimed to nurture talented footballers by offering top-tier coaching and training consistent with Football Australia policies, with the goal of preparing players for professional careers and national representation.[6]
Following an extensive Player Development Review during the 2024 season, Football NSW announced the cessation of the FNSWI program at the end of 2024. This decision marked a new direction for the organization's approach to youth and senior women's competitions, including the NPL NSW Women's and NSW League One Women's leagues. Throughout its operation, the FNSWI played a pivotal role in developing young female footballers and contributing to the growth of women's football in New South Wales.[6]
Futsal
Football NSW is also the governing body for Futsal is New South Wales. There are two representative leagues named the "Futsal Premier League" (Known as the SELECT Futsal Premier League for sponsorship reasons) and the "Futsal Premier League 2" (Known as the SELECT FPL2). Originally there was only one representative league with 16 teams. In the 06/07 season the competition was cut into 2 separate divisions of 8 teams each. In the 07/08 season the top 8 clubs in the club championship (aggregate points of all teams) from that season were put in the First Division while the last 8 were put in the second division. Now in 18/19 there is 8 premier league teams and 8 premier league 2 teams.
Football NSW Leagues clubs
Below are listed the Men's all member clubs of Football NSW for the National Premier Leagues competitions and Football NSW League One and Two for 2026.
League system
The men's soccer pyramid in New South Wales comprises 4 levels below the A-League Men, with promotion and relegation between the top 3 levels. It also includes the Sydney Amateur League, which is not officially a part of the league system. In total, there are 259 clubs/teams across 28 divisions in New South Wales.
The women's soccer pyramid in New South Wales comprises 3 levels below the A-League Men, with promotion and relegation between the top 2 levels.
Men's pyramid
State
| Level | Leagues | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| National | State | ||
| 2 | 1 | National Premier Leagues NSW 16 clubs no promotion, ↓ relegate 1.5 | |
| 3 | 2 | NSW League One 16 clubs ↑ promote 1.5, ↓ relegate 1.5 | |
| 4 | 3 | NSW League Two 16 clubs ↑ promote 1.5, no relegation | |
| 5 | 4 | New South Wales Regional Leagues 543 teams from 2 divisions no promotion | |
| Metropolitan Districts 388 clubs from 6 districts | Regional Branches 155 clubs from 3 Branches | ||
Metropolitan
| Level | Metropolitan Districts | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | State | Metro | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | 4 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Far North 54 clubs from 2 districts | North 50 teams from 2 districts | East 67 teams from 3 districts | West 81 teams from 3 districts | South 85 teams from 3 districts | Far South 51 teams from 2 districts | ||||||||||||
| Central Coast Premier League 10 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 2 |
Northern Suburbs Premier League 10 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Gladesville Hornsby Premier League 10 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Manly Warringah Premier League 11 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Bill Brackenbury Cup (Canterbury) 7 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Eastern Suburbs Premier League 8 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
St George Premier League 10 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Blacktown Premier League 10 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Granville X-League 9 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Nepean Waratah League 9 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Bankstown Premier League 9 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Macarthur M-League 8 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Southern Districts Premier League 10 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Illawarra Premier League 12 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 |
Sutherland Premier League 10 teams no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 | |||
Regional
| Level | Regional Branches | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | State | Reg | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Riverina 31 clubs from 4 associations | Southern 57 teams from 5 associations | Western 65 clubs from 5 associations | ||||||||||||||
| Albury-Wodonga Division One 11 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Griffith District First Grade 5 teams no promotion, no relegation |
South West Slopes No senior competitions |
Pascoe Cup (Wagga Wagga) 10 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Eurobodalla Division 1 6 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Bolden-Blackmore Shield (Shoalhaven) 6 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Highlands All-Age 8 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Southern Tablelands All-Age 12 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Far South Coast First Grade 6 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Western Premier League 6 teams no promotion, no relegation | |||||||
| 6 | 5 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Bathurst District Premier League 6 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Dubbo & District Division 1 6 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Lachlan 1st Division 6 teams no promotion, no relegation |
Lithgow No official senior competitions |
Orange District Division A 5 teams no promotion, no relegation | ||||||||||||
Women's pyramid
State
| Level | Leagues | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| National | State | ||
| 2 | 1 | National Premier Leagues NSW Women's 14 clubs no promotion, ↓ relegate 1 | |
| 3 | 2 | NSW League One Women's 14 clubs ↑ promote 1, no relegation | |
| 4 | 3 | New South Wales Regional Leagues no promotion | |
| Metropolitan Districts | Regional Branches | ||
Metropolitan
| Level | Metropolitan Districts | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | State | Metro | |||||||||||||||
| 4 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Far North 2 districts | North 2 districts | East 3 districts | West 3 districts | South 3 districts | Far South 2 districts | ||||||||||||
| Central Coast Premier League | Northern Suburbs Division One | Gladesville Hornsby Premier League | Manly Warringah Premier League | Grace Martin Trophy (Canterbury) | Eastern Suburbs Championship | St George Premier Women's League | Blacktown All-Age One | Granville Ladies Premier League | Nepean All-Age One | Bankstown All-Age One | Macarthur All-Age One | Southern Districts All-Age One | South Coast All-Age One | Sutherland All-Age A | |||
Associations and Branches
As one of two state governing body for football in New South Wales, Football NSW oversees all aspects of the sport within the southern part of the state. At a local level, Football NSW works with 15 regional-based constituent association members which oversee in all aspects of the sport within their respected region. Three Football NSW branches also exist in a similar capacity.[7]
|
|
- Branches[10]
- Southern NSW Football
- Football Riverina
- Western NSW Football
Past League Premiers Winners
The sections below list previous league winners. League winners are listed as first place in the standings at the end of the regular section, not winners of the finals series (when held).
1957–1958
The first season of the newly formed Soccer NSW began with two divisions. Canterbury-Marrickville were the inaugural premiers of Division One.
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Canterbury-Marrickville | Villawood |
| 1958 | Corrimal United | Budapest (East), Pan-Hellenic (West) |
1959–1962
After two seasons, a third division was added.
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Sydney Prague | Neerlandia | Toongabbie |
| 1960 | Sydney Prague | Pan-Hellenic | Sydney Croatia |
| 1961 | Sydney Prague | SSC Yugal | Melita Eagles |
| 1962 | Budapest | Croatia Sydney | Cabramatta |
1963–1970
Division Three disbanded to form lower grade Amateur Leagues.
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Prague | Corinthian BESC |
| 1964 | A.P.I.A. Leichhardt | Polonia-North Side |
| 1965 | South Coast United | Corinthian BESC |
| 1966 | A.P.I.A. Leichhardt | Polonia-North Side |
| 1967 | A.P.I.A. Leichhardt | Manly Warringah |
| 1968 | Hakoah Eastern Suburbs | Auburn |
| 1969 | South Coast United | Marconi Fairfield |
| 1970 | Hakoah Eastern Suburbs | Western Suburbs |
1971–1976
Amateur Leagues/Inter suburban leagues reformed to create another Division Three.
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Hakoah Eastern Suburbs | Sutherland Shire | Bankstown City FC |
| 1972 | St George-Budapest | Granville Parramatta | Rosebery Rhodes |
| 1973 | Hakoah Eastern Suburbs | Canterbury-Marrickville | Riverside Rapid |
| 1974 | Hakoah Eastern Suburbs | Granville Parramatta | Northern Districts |
| 1975 | A.P.I.A. Leichhardt | Manly Warringah | Toongabbie |
| 1976 | St George-Budapest | Riverside Avala | Ku-Ring-Gai |
1977–1978
Another division was then added in 1977, creating four divisions.
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three | Division Four |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Croatia Sydney | Melita Eagles | Blacktown United | Lane Cove United |
| 1978 | Croatia Sydney | Ku-Ring-Gai | Nepean Corinthian | Baulkham Hills |
1979–1982
The top four divisions were renamed for a few seasons.
| Season | State League | Division One | Division Two | Division Three |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Croatia Sydney | St George-Budapest | Bathurst '75 | North Bankstown |
| 1980 | Melita Eagles | Marconi Fairfield | Guildford County | Liverpool Albion |
| 1981 | Croatia Sydney | SSC Yugal | Dee Why Swans | Kingsford Hellenic |
| 1982 | Croatia Sydney | Ku-Ring-Gai | Artarmon | Bondi Marine |
1983–1988
State League reverted to Division One naming, while Division Three disbanded back to lower Inter Urban leagues, leaving three premier divisions.
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Melita Eagles | Rockdale Ilinden | Bathurst '75 |
| 1984 | Inter Monaro | Fairy Meadow SC | Campbelltown City |
| 1985 | Canterbury-Marrickville | Wollongong Macedonia | Kingsford Hellenic |
| 1986 | Melita Eagles | SSC Yugal | Granville Chile |
| 1987 | Wollongong City | Polonia | Granville Chile |
| 1988 | Blacktown City | Avala | Dulwich Hill |
1989–1991
Division Four was re-introduced.
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three | Division Four |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Melita Eagles | Sydney Macedonia | Roseberry Portugal | Petersham Luisitanos |
| 1990 | Wollongong Macedonia | Southern Districts FA | Port Hacking-Greenisland | Arncliffe |
| 1991 | Sutherland Sharks | Waverley FC | Lemnos Allstars | Western District |
1992–2000
Again the premier division was renamed, this time to the "Super League". Lower divisions were renamed accordingly from Division One.
| Season | Super League | Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Avala | Cyprus United | Belmore Hercules | Spanish Club |
| 1993 | Blacktown City FC | Mt Druitt Town Rangers | North Ryde | St Johns Parks |
| 1994 | Bankstown City FC | Macarthur Rams | Southern Minotaurs | University of NSW |
| 1995 | Manly Warringah Dolphins | Belmore Hercules | Penrith Panthers FC | Greystanes |
| 1996 | Adamstown Rosebud (Stage 1), Parramatta Eagles (Stage 2) | Sydney Cosmos | Greystanes | Gladesville United |
| 1997 | Parramatta Eagles | Hurstville City Minotaurs | AC United | Glebe Wanderers |
| 1998 | Bonnyrigg White Eagles | Fairfield Bulls | Hadjuk Wanderers | Sydney University |
| 1999 | Bonnyrigg White Eagles | Manly Warringah Dolphins | Fraser Park Dragons | White City |
| 2000 | Blacktown City FC | Fairfield Bulls | Greystanes | Prairiewood United |
2000–2012
2000 saw another shake-up of the league structures. Soccer NSW introduced a new "Premier League" that was to be run over summer and be aligned with the National Soccer League (NSL). The Super League would continue to run in the usual way, rebranded as the "Winter Super League". Divisions Two and Three were renamed States League 1 and 2 respectively, and were also conducted over the winter of 2001. During the demise of the NSL and rise of the A-League, the Premier League reverted to playing over winter for the 2006 season. This meant there was approximately nine months break between competitions.
2013–2015
Another overhaul of the league structure occurred with the introduction of the nationwide National Premier Leagues. State Federations were required to name their premier leagues as such. For Football NSW, the meant the "Premier League" was to be called "National Premier Leagues NSW" instead. The "Super League" also had to follow suit, becoming the "National Premier Leagues NSW 2". State Leagues remained the same.
| Season | NPL NSW | NPL NSW 2 | State League 1 | State League 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Sydney United | St George Saints | Balmain Tigers FC | Stanmore Hawks |
| 2014 | Bonnyrigg White Eagles | Parramatta FC | Hakoah Sydney City East | Hurstville FC |
| 2015 | Blacktown City FC | Spirit FC | North Shore Mariners | Dunbar Rovers |
2016–2019
Another minor change occurred for the 2016 season, with State League 1 adopting the "NPL NSW 3 moniker", thus State League 2 was reverted to simply State League.
2020–2021
After a further review, there was another restructure which came into effect in the 2020 season, with the branding of an NPL4 competition.[11]
| Season | NPL NSW | NPL NSW 2 | NPL NSW 3 | NPL NSW 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Rockdale City Suns | Central Coast Mariners Academy | Rydalmere Lions | Fraser Park | |
| 2021 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[12] | ||||
2022
The 2022 season saw more changes as the NPL 2, NPL 3 and NPL 4 competitions were renamed to League One, League Two and League Three respectively.[13]
| Season | NPL NSW | NSW League One | NSW League Two | NSW League Three |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sydney Olympic | Central Coast Mariners Academy | Inter Lions | Newcastle Jets Youth |
2023–present
The 2023 season saw another change as the NSW League Three competition was disbanded in favour of three larger leagues.
| Season | NPL NSW | NSW League One | NSW League Two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | APIA Leichhardt | Hills United | UNSW |
| 2024 | Rockdale Ilinden | Mt Druitt Town Rangers | Newcastle Jets Youth |
| 2025 | APIA Leichhardt (C) | UNSW (P) | Hurstville Zagreb (P) |