NSL Cup

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Australian soccer tournament

Football tournament

National Soccer League CupOrganising body| Football Federation Australia

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Founded| 1977; 48 years ago (1977)
Abolished| 1997
Region| Australia
Most successful club(s)| Adelaide City (3 titles)[1]

The National Soccer League Cup (known most commonly as the NSL Cup) was an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic Australian soccer organised by the Australian Soccer Federation between 1977 and 1997.

## History

[edit]

The NSL Cup was organised to run in conjunction with the teams participating in the National Soccer League (NSL) between 1977 and 1997. It was the second nationwide club tournament held in Australia, the first being the Australia Cup during the 1960s.[2] It was held initially in 1977 immediately after the end of the NSL's regular home and away season, as there was no final series. The 1978 edition expanded to include teams from various state leagues in Australia, including Annerley (Queensland), West Woden Juventus (ACT), Essendon Croatia (Victoria), Sydney Croatia (NSW) and Ascot (WA).[3]

For the 1993–94 season the Cup was played in the preseason, before being played as a mid-season break for the 1995–96 season and then returning to the preseason for the 1996–97 season.[4] The 1996-97 Cup was the final cup to be playing during the NSL years and saw a brand new club, Collingwood Warriors, defeat Marconi in the final.[5] A replacement national knock-out cup was not instigated until the FFA Cup in 2014.[3]

### Upsets

[edit]

State League side Sydney Croatia upset NSL club Marconi in the first round of the 1978 Cup. Other upsets over the years where state league teams defeated NSL teams, including Parramatta Melita Eagles defeating Marconi in 1979, Mt Gravatt defeating Brisbane City in 1980, and Croydon City defeating South Melbourne in 1986.[3]

## Records and statistics

[edit]

### Final

[edit]

#### Team

[edit]

* Most wins: 3:
* Adelaide City (1979, 1989, 1992)
* Most consecutive wins: 2:
* Brisbane City (1977, 1978)
* Most appearances in a final: 5:
* Heidelberg United (1980, 1982, 1983, 1993, 1995)
* Most Final appearances without ever winning: 2, joint record:
* Preston Lions (1985, 1991)
* West Adelaide (1981, 1986)
* Most Final appearances without ever losing: 2, joint record:
* APIA Leichhardt (1982, 1988)
* Brisbane City (1977, 1978)
* Longest gap between wins 17 years, Marconi Stallions (1980–1997)
* Biggest win 6 goals:
* Melbourne Knights 6–0 Heidelberg United, (1995)
* Most goals in a final 6:
* Melbourne Knights 6–0 Heidelberg United, (1995)
* Most goals by a losing side 2:
* Sydney City 2–3 West Adelaide, (1986)
* Most defeats 4:
* Heidelberg United (1980, 1982, 1983, 1995)

## Winners and finalists

[edit]

Main article: List of NSL champions

### Results by team

[edit]

Results by team  Club  | Wins  | First final won  | Last final won  | Runners-up  | Last final lost  | Total final
appearances

|
|
|
|
|
|

Adelaide City | 3  | 1979 | 1992 | 1  | 1978 | 4
Parramatta Eagles | 2  | 1991 | 1994 | 1  | 1993 | 3
Brisbane City | 2  | 1977 | 1978 | 0  | —  | 2
Sydney Olympic | 2  | 1983 | 1985 | 2  | —  | 4
APIA Leichhardt Tigers | 2  | 1982 | 1988 | 0  | —  | 2
South Melbourne | 2  | 1990 | 1996 | 1  | —  | 3
Heidelberg United | 1  | 1993 | 1993 | 4  | 1995 | 5
Marconi-Fairfield | 1  | 1980 | 1980 | 3  | 1997 | 4
Sydney United | 1  | 1987 | 1987 | 1  | 1994 | 2
Melbourne Knights | 1  | 1995 | 1995 | 1  | 1984 | 2
Brisbane Lions | 1  | 1981 | 1981 | 0  | —  | 1
Newcastle Rosebud United | 1  | 1984 | 1984 | 0  | —  | 1
Sydney City | 1  | 1986 | 1986 | 0  | —  | 1
Collingwood Warriors | 1  | 1997 | 1997 | 0  | —  | 1
West Adelaide | 0  | —  | —  | 2  | 1986 | 2
Preston Lions | 0  | —  | —  | 2  | 1991 | 2
St George | 0  | —  | —  | 1  | 1979 | 1
Newcastle Breakers | 0  | —  | —  | 1  | 1996 | 1

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Past League and Cup Champions". OzFootball. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
2. ^ "Australia - List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
3. ^ a b c "FFA Cup a new old tradition". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
4. ^ "The Australian National Soccer League". www.ozfootball.net. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
5. ^ "The amazing story of Aussie Cup finals: 1960-2015". Westfield FFA Cup. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.

* v
* t
* e

NSL Cup

Seasons|

* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97

Finals|

* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993 (Apr)
* 1993 (Oct)
* 1994
* 1996 (Jan)
* 1996 (Oct)

* List of finals

* v
* t
* e

National Soccer League

Seasons|

* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97
* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–2000
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04

Grand Finals|

* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004

Clubs|

| Last|

* Adelaide United
* Brisbane Strikers
* Football Kingz
* Marconi Stallions
* Melbourne Knights
* Newcastle United Jets
* Northern Spirit
* Parramatta Power
* Perth Glory
* South Melbourne
* Sydney Olympic
* Sydney United
* Wollongong Wolves

|

Former|

* APIA Leichhardt
* Adelaide City
* Blacktown City
* Brisbane City
* Brisbane Lions
* Brunswick Juventus
* Canberra City
* Canberra Cosmos
* Canterbury-Marrickville
* Carlton
* Collingwood Warriors
* Footscray JUST
* Green Gully Cavaliers
* Heidelberg United
* Inter Monaro
* Mooroolbark
* Morwell Falcons
* Newcastle Breakers
* Newcastle KB United
* Newcastle Rosebud United
* Parramatta Eagles
* Penrith City
* Preston Makedonia
* St George–Budapest
* Sunshine George Cross
* Sydney City
* West Adelaide
* Western Suburbs
* Wollongong Macedonia

Competition|

* Teams
* winners
* performance record
* Players
* foreign
* foreign scorers
* winners
* Managers
* Stadiums

Statistics and awards|

* Records
* All-time table
* Hat-tricks
* Highest scores
* Top scorers by season
* Player of the Year
* Under 21 Player of the Year
* Coach of the Year
* Johnny Warren Medal
* Joe Marston Medal

Associated competitions|

* NSL Cup
* National Youth League

* v
* t
* e

Soccer in Australia

* Football Australia

National teams|

| Men's|

* Senior
* B
* U-23
* U-20
* U-17
* Futsal
* Beach
* Paralympic

|

Women's|

* Senior
* B
* U-23
* U-20
* U-17
* Futsal

League competitions|

| Men's|

* A-League Men
* National Premier Leagues
* Australian Championship

|

Women's|

* A-League Women
* National Premier Leagues Women's

Cup competitions|

* Australia Cup

Others|

* Youth soccer
* Defunct leagues
* Defunct cups
* Professional Footballers Australia
* Women's soccer in Australia
* History of soccer in Brisbane, Queensland

Lists|

* Appearances (300+)
* Clubs
* Honours won
* Champions
* Men
* Women
* Clubs in international competitions
* Goals (100+)
* Record home attendances
* Stadiums by capacity

* Venues
* Competitions
* Records and statistics

* v
* t
* e

National soccer cup competitions in Australia

Australia Cup|

* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968

NSL Cup|

* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97

FFA Cup / Australia Cup|

* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* ~~2020~~
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

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