1979 National Soccer League (Canada) season

Canadian soccer season

Football league season

National Soccer LeagueSeason| 1979

|

Champions|

* Toronto First Portuguese (3rd title)

League cup| Toronto First Portuguese

← 1978

1980 →

The 1979 National Soccer League season was the fifty-sixth season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began in May 1979 and concluded in September 1979 with Toronto First Portuguese producing a perfect season, which granted them the NSL Championship.[1][2] First Portuguese would also secure the double by defeating Toronto Panhellenic for the NSL Cup.[3][4] Toronto's undefeated streak lasted until the 1980 season and amounted to 52 games with Toronto Panhellenic breaking the streak.[5]

The NSL was operating a franchise in Northern Ontario, Quebec, and expanded its boundaries into the United States with two franchises in Detroit, Michigan.[6]

## Overview

[edit]

The membership in the league experienced a sharp decline as a mass exodus of clubs departed from the league, which caused the NSL to dissolve its Second Division. The primary reason for the mass departures revolved around a league bylaw that required all clubs to successfully pay all membership dues on the required deadline to avoid suspensions.[7] Members such as Mississauga Hungaria, Ottawa Tigers, St. Catharines Heidelberg, Toronto Polonia, and Windsor Stars disbanded their teams, while Montreal Castors had intentions of acquiring a franchise in the North American Soccer League.[8][9][7] Toronto Italia and Buffalo Blazers were inactive for the season but returned for the 1980 campaign.[10] Though the league experienced a decline in membership it still expanded further into the United States with the acceptance of Detroit Besa and Detroit Vardar.[6][11]

The NSL also retained its presence in Quebec with the return of the Montreal Stars and an additional team in the Greater Toronto Area known as Toronto Canadians.[12] Throughout the regular season, the standings had to be revised as Detroit Vardar withdrew from the competition. There were also reports circulating about preliminary plans for a potential national soccer league throughout the country.[6][13]

### Teams

[edit]

Team  | City  | Stadium  | Manager

|
|
|

Bradford Marshlanders  | Bradford, Ontario | Bradford District High School[14] | Dave Reid[15]
Detroit Besa | Hamtramck, Michigan | Keyworth Stadium | Nino Berisic[16]
Detroit Vardar[note 1] | Detroit, Michigan |  |
Hamilton Italo-Canadians | Hamilton, Ontario | Ivor Wynne Stadium[12] | Carlo Del Monte[17]
Montreal Stars  | Montreal, Quebec | Jarry Park[18] |
London City | London, Ontario | Cove Road Stadium |
Toronto Serbians | Toronto, Ontario | Lamport Stadium[19] | Nikola Ivetić[20]
Sudbury Cyclones | Sudbury, Ontario | Queen's Athletic Field[21] | Peter Severinac[22]
St. Catharines Roma | St. Catharines, Ontario | Club Roma Stadium  |
Toronto Canadians  | Scarborough, Ontario | Birchmount Stadium[19] |
Toronto Croatia | Etobicoke, Ontario | Centennial Park Stadium |
Toronto Falcons | Toronto, Ontario | Lamport Stadium[23] |
Toronto First Portuguese  | Toronto, Ontario | Lamport Stadium[19] |
Toronto Italia | Etobicoke, Ontario | Centennial Park Stadium |
Toronto Panhellenic  | Toronto, Ontario | Lamport Stadium[24] |
Toronto Ukrainians | Scarborough, Ontario | Birchmount Stadium |

1. ^ Detroit withdrew from league throughout the season

Bradford

Detroit

Hamilton

London

St. Catharines

Sudbury

TORONTO

class=notpageimage|

Location of NSL teams outside of Toronto for the 1979 NSL season.

Montreal

class=notpageimage|

Locations of teams in Quebec for the 1979 NSL season.

|

## Final standings

[edit]

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Toronto First Portuguese (C, O) | 25  | 23  | 2  | 0  | 93  | 9  | +84  | 48  | Qualification for Playoffs
2  | St. Catharines Roma | 26  | 16  | 5  | 5  | 57  | 21  | +36  | 37  |
3  | Toronto Falcons | 23  | 16  | 3  | 4  | 60  | 22  | +38  | 35
4  | Hamilton Italo-Canadians | 20  | 15  | 3  | 2  | 44  | 9  | +35  | 33
5  | Montreal Stars  | 23  | 10  | 4  | 9  | 45  | 36  | +9  | 24
6  | Sudbury Cyclones | 23  | 10  | 3  | 10  | 40  | 32  | +8  | 23
7  | Detroit Besa | 24  | 7  | 6  | 11  | 27  | 41  | −14  | 20
8  | Toronto Panhellenic  | 22  | 8  | 4  | 10  | 31  | 26  | +5  | 20
9  | London City | 23  | 6  | 4  | 13  | 25  | 41  | −16  | 16
10  | Toronto Canadians  | 24  | 4  | 8  | 12  | 23  | 42  | −19  | 16
11  | Toronto Croatia | 21  | 6  | 4  | 11  | 17  | 46  | −29  | 16
12  | Toronto Ukrainians | 21  | 3  | 7  | 11  | 16  | 35  | −19  | 13
13  | Bradford Marshlanders  | 25  | 5  | 3  | 17  | 19  | 77  | −58  | 13
14  | Toronto Serbians | 20  | 0  | 6  | 14  | 13  | 65  | −52  | 6

Updated to match(es) played on September 30, 1979. Source: http://canadiansoccerleague.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/NSL_1921_1992.pdf
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners

## Cup

[edit]

The cup tournament was a separate contest from the rest of the season, in which all fifteen teams took part. The tournament would conclude in a final match for the Cup.

### Finals

[edit]

Toronto First Portuguese v Toronto Panhellenic September 3, 1979 |  Toronto First Portuguese | 1–0|  Toronto Panhellenic | Toronto, Ontario

|
|
|
|

| Tito 30' | [[3] Report] |  | Stadium: Lamport Stadium

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "CSL Past Champions – Canadian Soccer League". canadiansoccerleague.ca. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
2. ^ Kernaghan, Jim (May 16, 1980). "79' finalists". Toronto Star. p. B6.
3. ^ a b "First Portuguese win National League Cup". The Globe and Mail. September 3, 1979. p. S14.
4. ^ Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 117.
5. ^ "Soccer exhibition Sunday". Newspapers.com. Windsor Star. July 25, 1980. p. 32\. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
6. ^ a b c Diener, Seymour (March 21, 1979). "Ottawa team eyes planned soccer league". Ottawa Journal. p. 17.
7. ^ a b Picknell, Gary (May 2, 1979). "No cash, Tigers out of NSL". Ottawa Journal. p. 25.
8. ^ Burke, Tim (February 2, 1979). "Soccer Castors cut ties with pro league". Newspapers.com. Montreal Gazette. p. 13\. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
9. ^ Fathers, Ken (April 5, 1979). "Sabbatical for Stars". Windsor Star. p. 22.
10. ^ Lunt, Bryan (September 15, 1979). "Dreams or Hallucinations". The Globe and Mail. p. S15.
11. ^ Hall, Dave (December 15, 1977). "Kane, full of ideas, leans NSL position". Windsor Star. p. 54.
12. ^ a b "Cyclones play league opener". Sudbury Star. May 5, 1979. p. 15.
13. ^ "Toronto joins new Canadian soccer league". Toronto Star. September 14, 1979. p. B6.
14. ^ "Marshlanders club takes first victory of the season". The Bradford Witness. 23 May 1979. p. 8.
15. ^ "Marshlanders sign two after opening game loss". The Bradford Witness. 9 May 1979. p. 17.
16. ^ Desilets, Peter (June 4, 1979). "Cyclones tied in soccer cup two-game series". Sudbury Star. p. 13.
17. ^ "1981 Hamilton Steelers - Team of Distinction". Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
18. ^ "The Ontario National Soccer League - Double Header Soccer Game". Montreal Gazette. August 25, 1979. p. 81.
19. ^ a b c "What's on today - Soccer". The Globe and Mail. September 29, 1979. p. S15.
20. ^ Serbian White Eagles FC. "Head Coaches". Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
21. ^ "Cyclones head for Toronto in NSL action". Sudbury Star. May 12, 1979. p. 15.
22. ^ "Meet your 1979 Sudbury Cyclones". Sudbury Star. May 1, 1979. p. 15.
23. ^ "Cyclones host two matches at Queen's". Sudbury Star. June 16, 1979. p. 15.
24. ^ "What's on - Soccer". The Globe and Mail. August 11, 1979. p. S16.

## External links

[edit]

* RSSSF CNSL page
* thecnsl.com - 1979 season

* v
* t
* e

Canadian National Soccer League

Clubs|

* Bradford Marshlanders
* Brampton Kicks
* Brantford City
* Brantford Cockshutts
* Buffalo Blazers
* Canadian National Railway
* Chile Lindo
* Corinthians
* Detroit Besa
* Fergus
* General Motors
* Guelph Taylor-Forbes
* Hamilton Austins
* Hamilton British Imperials
* Hamilton Cougars
* Hamilton Croatia
* Hamilton Homer
* Hamilton Hungaria
* Hamilton Italo-Canadians
* Hamilton Primos
* Hamilton Steelers
* Hamilton Stelcos
* Hamilton Thistles
* Hamilton Westinghouse
* Hamilton White Eagles
* Kenwoods
* Kitchener Concordia
* Kitchener Kickers
* Kitchener Maple Leafs
* Kosova Albanians
* Liptons
* London City
* London CNR
* London German Canadians
* London Marconi
* McKinnons
* Montreal Alouettes
* Montreal Cantalia
* Montreal Carsteel
* Montreal Castors
* Montreal CNR
* Montreal Concordia
* Montreal Hungaria
* Montreal Maroons
* Montreal Sparta
* Montreal Stars
* Montreal Ukrainians
* Nacional Latino
* North York Rockets
* North York Talons
* Oakville CW
* Oshawa Italia
* Ottawa Sons of Italy
* Ottawa Tigers
* Quebec Selects
* Queen City
* Richmond Hill Kick
* Scarborough Astros
* Serbian White Eagles FC
* Soccer Portugais du Quebec
* St. Andrews/Earlscourt
* St. Catharines Heidelberg
* St. Catharines (Roma) Wolves
* Sudbury
* Sudbury Cyclones
* Sudbury Italia
* Toronto Abruzzi
* Toronto Azurri
* Toronto Blizzard
* Toronto British Consols
* Toronto Canadian Scots
* Toronto Canadians
* Toronto City
* Toronto CNR
* Toronto Congasco
* Toronto Croatia
* Toronto East End Canadians
* Toronto England United
* Toronto Estonia
* Toronto Falcons
* Toronto First Portuguese
* Toronto Greenbacks
* Toronto Hakoah
* Toronto Hellas
* Toronto Hungaria
* Toronto Inter-Roma
* Toronto Italia
* Toronto Italian Virtus
* Toronto Jets
* Toronto Macedonia
* Toronto Macedonians
* Toronto Malta United
* Toronto Maple Leafs
* Toronto Maroons
* Toronto Melita
* Toronto Mississauga Hungaria
* Toronto Oakwoods
* Toronto Olympia
* Toronto Panhellenic
* Toronto Polish White Eagles
* Toronto Polonia
* Toronto Scottish
* Toronto Serbians
* Toronto Sparta
* Toronto Supra
* Toronto St. Andrews
* Toronto Transit Commission
* Toronto Tridents
* Toronto Ukrainians
* Toronto Ulster United
* Toronto White Eagles
* Le Tricolore de Montréal
* Welland
* Welland Lions Croatia
* Willy Overland
* Windsor Rovers
* Windsor Stars
* Windsor Teutonia
* Windsor Wheels
* Winnipeg Fury
* Woodbridge

Seasons|

* 1926
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997

Miscellaneous|

* Rogers Cup
* Open Canada Cup
* CSA
* CSL Reserve Division

*[Pos]: Position
*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Won
*[D]: Drawn
*[L]: Lost
*[GF]: Goals for
*[GA]: Goals against
*[GD]: Goal difference
*[Pts]: Points
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template