Nicole
28-12-2015, 12:23 PM
Hi everyone. I'm new here as of today so I thought I'd introduce myself and let you all know a little about my interest in Soccer Football. This 'introduction' comes from the opening page of my website which is titled - NSW State League Soccer Statistical History (http://www.nswsoccer.com.au/).
Growing up and playing junior soccer in the Sutherland Shire, I discovered that State League football was played in my neighbourhood just in time for the last premiership round of the 1977 season. The match was Sutherland Shire against local rivals, Arncliffe Scots. Enjoying myself as much as I did, I couldn't wait for the next season to begin. An early Febuary Ampol Cup 'double-header' being the next match I attended, featuring the local team up against Yugal, and fellow first-division club, Avala against second-division hopefuls, Marrickville.
My interest in local football emanates from that era, of course the Philips Soccer League was in its infancy, so I'd missed Sutherland's epic battles with the giants of Sydney Soccer. Clubs like Hakoah, St. George Budapest, Marconi Fairfield, Western Suburbs and Pan Hellenic were already a part of a bygone era, however the State League clubs of the day provided as much, if not more interest in the ways of an ethnic population very 'foreign' to a kid who up until then assumed that 'the Shire' was typical of the rest of Sydney. Supporters of clubs like APIA, Croatia, Avala, Yugal, Melita, Polonia and Rockdale Ilinden, speaking different languages, reading different newspapers, eating different foods, passionately supporting their team, half-time entertainment from the likes of Croatian, Serbian and Macedonia dancing groups, the occasional crowd violence ... it was all so new and exciting.
Since moving back to Sydney from the NSW North Coast, I've been researching the history of NSW State League Soccer both at the State Library of NSW, and at the various newspaper archive websites online. Midway through last year I finally decided to publish a website with the statistical information that I'd been gathering, although I now understand that I've been beaten to the punch, with another local football enthusiast publishing a book on the history of the game in this state. Not to worry. If any of you guys visit the website I hope you enjoy it and start returning regularly as I intend to continue adding to the various sections as time permits. If you would like to help to support this project financially, please don't hesitate to visit the Go Fund Me donations page and make a contribution.
Nowadays of course we have the A-League, and while supporting the State's teams with some enthusiasm, I must admit that I'm not as passionate as I used to be, as I believe that we need to retain and acknowledge the roots to our ethnic origins more. I also think we should add the following new clubs to make it a truly national league - North Queensland, Gold Coast, Auckland, Canberra, Wollongong and Tasmania, and down the track a little, a second division with sixteen regional clubs as areas like Coffs Harbour, Geelong, Albury, SW Western Australia and Western NSW aren't truly represented.
Anyway, thanks for having me, I hope I can contribute a thing or two.
Many kind regards, Nicole.
p.s., I used to chat on the Austadiums forum as 'Nic'.
Growing up and playing junior soccer in the Sutherland Shire, I discovered that State League football was played in my neighbourhood just in time for the last premiership round of the 1977 season. The match was Sutherland Shire against local rivals, Arncliffe Scots. Enjoying myself as much as I did, I couldn't wait for the next season to begin. An early Febuary Ampol Cup 'double-header' being the next match I attended, featuring the local team up against Yugal, and fellow first-division club, Avala against second-division hopefuls, Marrickville.
My interest in local football emanates from that era, of course the Philips Soccer League was in its infancy, so I'd missed Sutherland's epic battles with the giants of Sydney Soccer. Clubs like Hakoah, St. George Budapest, Marconi Fairfield, Western Suburbs and Pan Hellenic were already a part of a bygone era, however the State League clubs of the day provided as much, if not more interest in the ways of an ethnic population very 'foreign' to a kid who up until then assumed that 'the Shire' was typical of the rest of Sydney. Supporters of clubs like APIA, Croatia, Avala, Yugal, Melita, Polonia and Rockdale Ilinden, speaking different languages, reading different newspapers, eating different foods, passionately supporting their team, half-time entertainment from the likes of Croatian, Serbian and Macedonia dancing groups, the occasional crowd violence ... it was all so new and exciting.
Since moving back to Sydney from the NSW North Coast, I've been researching the history of NSW State League Soccer both at the State Library of NSW, and at the various newspaper archive websites online. Midway through last year I finally decided to publish a website with the statistical information that I'd been gathering, although I now understand that I've been beaten to the punch, with another local football enthusiast publishing a book on the history of the game in this state. Not to worry. If any of you guys visit the website I hope you enjoy it and start returning regularly as I intend to continue adding to the various sections as time permits. If you would like to help to support this project financially, please don't hesitate to visit the Go Fund Me donations page and make a contribution.
Nowadays of course we have the A-League, and while supporting the State's teams with some enthusiasm, I must admit that I'm not as passionate as I used to be, as I believe that we need to retain and acknowledge the roots to our ethnic origins more. I also think we should add the following new clubs to make it a truly national league - North Queensland, Gold Coast, Auckland, Canberra, Wollongong and Tasmania, and down the track a little, a second division with sixteen regional clubs as areas like Coffs Harbour, Geelong, Albury, SW Western Australia and Western NSW aren't truly represented.
Anyway, thanks for having me, I hope I can contribute a thing or two.
Many kind regards, Nicole.
p.s., I used to chat on the Austadiums forum as 'Nic'.