National Soccer League (Australia)

The National Soccer League, known as the NSL, was the top-level soccer league in Australia. It was run first by Soccer Australia and later by the Australian Soccer Association and spanned 28 seasons, from its inception in 1977 until it ended in 2004, when it was succeeded by the A-League. Across its history 42 teams took part, 41 based in Australia and one in New Zealand. Seasons first ran in the winter and moved to the summer in 1989, and in 1984 the league split into Northern and Southern conferences before returning to a single division in 1987. Sponsorship gave it several names, among them the Philips Soccer League, the Ericsson Cup and Coca-Cola Soccer League. Thirteen clubs were crowned champions over the years by either first past the post or a finals series ending in a grand final, and it was Australia's first national sporting league, older than the AFL and NRL.