A national soccer football competition kicked-off in Australia 40 years ago today. What have we learned?

Happy 40th anniversary to the national soccer league, a competition that was much-loved as well as much-maligned.

For so many, attending a first round match of the NSL in April 1977 was as exciting as it was to attend the first A-League round in August 2005. 

The crowd at the match between Canberra City and West Adelaide on 2 April 1977, featured in our photo of the day, was 1,550. The largest crowd of the round was 7,460 at Olympic Park between Fitzroy United (remember Gary Cole and Branko Buljevic) and Eastern Suburbs Hakoah owned by Frank Lowy. The average crowd in round 1 with 14 teams was 4,060.

For the record, the 14 foundation teams were Adelaide City, Brisbane City, Brisbane Lions, Canberra City, Eastern Suburbs Hakoah, Fitzroy United, Footscray JUST, Marconi Fairfield, Mooroolbark, St George, South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic, West Adelaide, and Western Suburbs. 

While funding, costs, revenue, crowd and TV metrics drive much of the debate today, it’s a timely reminder to look at where we’ve come from also, and the issues the NSL, the A-League and football at all levels in Australia continue to deal with. This presentation on the development of football in Australia, was prepared for a largely European audience almost five years ago. Some of it is now out-of-date but it still has many points of relevance and/or lessons for today.

For example, the fact that the average crowd in round 1 of the A-League with 8 teams was 17,552 and last weekend’s average crowd with 10 teams was 9,029 is not good. Amongst other things, it suggests the competition is due – if not overdue – for a significant refresh. But that’s a discussion for another time. 

Whether you’re anti-NSL or pro-NSL, anti-A-League or pro-A-League, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re probably pro-football. It is for that reason that it’s good to celebrate 40 years of national domestic football competition in Australia. Wherever you place yourself in the spectrum of the football community, that is something to be proud of. 

Enjoy your football!