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National Premier Leagues Northern NSW
Founded2014
1992–2013 (as Northern NSW State League)
Country Australia
StateNew South Wales NSW
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid2
Domestic cup(s)Australia Cup
Northern NSW Football State Cup
Current championsLambton Jaffas (2023)
Current premiersLambton Jaffas (2023)
WebsiteNorthern NSW Football NPL
Current: 2023 NPL season

The National Premier Leagues Northern NSW is a regional Australian Professional association football league comprising teams from Northern New South Wales. As a subdivision of the National Premier Leagues, the league sits at Level 1 on the Northern New South Wales league system (Level 2 of the overall Australian league system). The competition is administered by Northern NSW Football, the governing body of the sport in the northern region of the state (the southern region is mostly governed by Football NSW). Prior to 2014, the league was formerly known as the Northern NSW State Football League.

History

The league originally started with 12 teams, all with a first grade, reserve grade and youth grade team. The league was then downsized to 10 teams still with all three grades. For the 2009 season it was decided by Northern New South Wales Football (the governing body) to downsize the league once again to 8 teams in order to improve the quality and give local players a chance to enter the A-league through the competition. The teams competing in the 2009 season were decided on the second of September 2008, with Highfields Azzurri FC and Lake Macquarie City Roosters FC being relegated to the Northern NSW State League Division 1.

Teams were judged on criteria which included facilities/ground (30%), financial status (25%), management (20%), playing strength/coaching staff (15%) and development program (10%). An independent body, chaired by former NSW gaming minister Richard Face, was assigned to make the decision.[1]

From the 2017 season onward the competition once again expanded to 11 teams with Lake Macquarie being promoted from the Northern NSW State League Division 1.[2]

From the 2020 season onward the competition contracted back to 10 teams after Newcastle Jets Youth transferred into the NPL New South Wales structure, now playing in the NPL NSW 4 competition. The reason was because the Newcastle Jets and Northern NSW Football believed that transferring the Youth Jets to the Sydney-centred competition would help develop their youth players.

From the 2022 season onward the competition once again expanded to 11 teams with the inclusion of Cooks Hill United being promoted from the HIT Northern League One.[3]

From the 2023 season onward the competition once again expanded to 12 teams with the inclusion of New Lambton being promoted from the HIT Northern League One.[4]

Format

The competition consists of 12 teams from around the Newcastle, Hunter and Lake Macquarie area who each have a First Grade, and a reserves competing in the competition. All clubs also have a suite of youth teams (under 13, 14, 15, 16 and 18) competing in the Premier Youth League as part of the NPL NNSWF participation. A season takes place over 22 rounds, with each team playing each other at home and away. The team that finishes 1st at the end of 22 rounds is declared the minor premier. The top 5 teams at the end of 22 rounds contest in a finals series conducted under the following format, with the winner of the grand final being crowned as the NPL NNSW Champions:

Week 1
Qualifying Final (QF) 2nd Placed Team v 3rd Placed Team
Elimination Final (EF)

Loser Eliminated

 		4th Placed Team v 5th Placed Team
1st Placed Team BYE
Week 2
Major Semi-Final (MSF1) 1st Placed Team v Winner QF
Minor Semi-Final (MSF2)

Loser Eliminated

 		Loser QF v Winner EF
Week 3
Preliminary Final (PF)

Loser Eliminated

 		Loser MSF1 v Winner MSF2
Winner MSF1 BYE
Week 4
Grand Final (GF) Winner MSF1 v Winner PF

Promotion & Relegation

From the 2024 season, there has been an re-introduction of promotion and relegation within NPL NNSWF and HIT Northern League One.

Clubs

The following 12 clubs will compete in the National Premier Leagues Northern NSW for the 2024 season.

Club Location Ground Capacity
Adamstown Rosebud Adamstown Adamstown Oval 2,500
Broadmeadow Magic Broadmeadow Magic Park 3,500
Charlestown Azzurri Whitebridge Lisle Carr Oval 3,000
Cooks Hill Utd Newcastle West Fearnley Dawes Athletic Centre 750
Edgeworth Eagles Edgeworth Jack McLaughlan Oval 5,000
Lake Macquarie City Speers Point Macquarie Field 5,000
Lambton Jaffas Lambton Arthur Edden Oval 2,000
Maitland FC East Maitland Cooks Square Park 1,500
New Lambton New Lambton Alder Park 1,000
Newcastle Olympic Hamilton Darling St Oval 1,000
Valentine FC Valentine CB Complex

Cahill Oval (Belmont)

1,000

3,500

Weston Workers Bears Weston Rockwell Automation Park 4,000

Honours NNSW NPL

Year Premiers Champions - GF Winners GF Runners up NPL Finals Representation
2014 Newcastle Jets Youth Lambton Jaffas 2-0 Weston Workers Weston Workers - Quarter Finalist
2015 Edgeworth Eagles Edgeworth Eagles 2-0 Hamilton Olympic Edgeworth Eagles - Quarter Finalist
2016 Edgeworth Eagles Edgeworth Eagles 2-1 Broadmeadow Magic Edgeworth Eagles - Runners up
2017 Edgeworth Eagles Lambton Jaffas 2-0 Edgeworth Eagles Edgeworth Eagles - Semi Finalist
2018 Edgeworth Eagles Broadmeadow Magic 3-0 Edgeworth Eagles Edgeworth Eagles - Quarter Finalist
2019 Maitland FC Edgeworth Eagles 2-0 Maitland FC Maitland FC - Semi Finalist
2020 Edgeworth Eagles Edgeworth Eagles 1-0 Maitland FC —[a]
2021 Lambton Jaffas Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia —[b]
2022 Maitland FC Lambton Jaffas 1-0 Maitland FC —[c]
2023 Lambton Jaffas Lambton Jaffas 2-1 Broadmeadow Magic —[c]

Honours pre-NPL (1999-2013)

Year Premiership Champions
1999 Edgeworth Eagles Hamilton Olympic Warriors
2000 Edgeworth Eagles Hamilton Olympic Warriors
2001 Broadmeadow Magic Hamilton Olympic Warriors
2002 Edgeworth Eagles Highfields Azzurri
2003 Broadmeadow Magic Edgeworth Eagles
2004 Weston Workers Bears Broadmeadow Magic
2005 Broadmeadow Magic Broadmeadow Magic
2006 Edgeworth Eagles Lake Macquarie City
2007 Lake Macquarie City Hamilton Olympic Warriors
2008 Broadmeadow Magic Broadmeadow Magic
2009 Edgeworth Eagles FC Hamilton Olympic Warriors
2010 Weston Workers Bears Edgeworth Eagles
2011 Broadmeadow Magic Broadmeadow Magic
2012 Hamilton Olympic Warriors Broadmeadow Magic
2013 Broadmeadow Magic Broadmeadow Magic

Notes

  1. ^ NPL finals series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[5]
  2. ^ The season was cancelled in September, from government-imposed lockdowns, due to the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[6]
  3. ^ a b Not held

References

  1. ^ "Azzurri, Lake Macquarie dumped in soccer shake-up". Newcastle Herald. 2 September 2008. Retrieved 2 September 2008.
  2. ^ Northern NSW NPL: Lake Macquarie Roosters join new 11-team league Newcastle Herald 20 September 2016
  3. ^ "NPL NNSW competition to expand with Cooks Hill United to join league in 2022 | Northern NSW Football". northernnswfootball.com.au. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  4. ^ "New Lambton FC promoted to NPL Men's NNSW competition for 2023 | Northern NSW Football". northernnswfootball.com.au. August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled". The World Game. SBS. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  6. ^ "Northern NSW Football announces conclusion of 2021 Premier Competitions". Northern NSW Football. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

External links


National Premier Leagues Northern NSW
National Premier Leagues
Soccer in Australia
Soccer in New South Wales
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