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National Premier Leagues Northern NSW

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National Premier Leagues Northern NSW
250PX
Founded2014
1992–2013 (as Northern NSW State League)
Country Australia
StateNew South Wales NSW
ConfederationAFC
Number of clubs12
Level on pyramid2
Relegation toNNSW Northern League One
Domestic cup(s)National
Australia Cup
State
Northern NSW Football State Cup
Current championsBroadmeadow Magic (2024)
Current premiersBroadmeadow Magic (2024)
TV partnersYouTube[1]
WebsiteNorthern NSW Football NPL
Current: 2024 NPL Northern NSW

The National Premier Leagues Northern NSW (NPL Northern NSW or NPL NNSW) 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 known as the Northern NSW State Football League.

History

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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. Highfields Azzurri FC and Lake Macquarie City Roosters FC were both 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.[2]

For the 2017 to 2019 seasons, the competition expanded to 11 teams with Lake Macquarie promoted from the Northern NSW State League Division 1.[3]

For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the competition contracted back to 10 teams after Newcastle Jets Youth transferred into the NPL New South Wales structure, now playing in the Sydney-based NPL NSW 4 competition.

For the 2022 season the competition expanded to 11 teams with the inclusion of Cooks Hill United, promoted from the HIT Northern League One.[4]

From the 2023 season onwards, the competition expanded to 12 teams with the inclusion of New Lambton, promoted from the HIT Northern League One.[5]

Format

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The competition consists of twelve teams from around the Newcastle, Hunter and Lake Macquarie area. As part of the NPL NNSWF participation conditions, in addition to the First Grade or senior team, clubs also field a reserves team and a suite of youth teams (under 13, 14, 15, 16 and 18) competing in the Premier Youth League.

The regular season takes place over 22 rounds, with each team playing each other at home and away. The team that finishes first at the end of the regular season is declared the Premier. The top 5 teams at the end of the regular season qualify to a finals series, with the winner of the Grand final being crowned as the NPL NNSW Champions. As example of the finals series format is shown below from the 2024 season.

Promotion and relegation

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From the 2024 season onwards, promotion and relegation between the NPL and Northern League One has been re-introduced.

  • The team finishing last (12th) of the NPL will be automatically relegated to HIT Northern League One.
  • The team finishing second last (11th) will enter the promotion and relegation playoffs which will follow the following format:
    • Playoff Semi-final 1 (played over 2 home and away legs): NPL 11th v Northern League One 4th
    • Playoff Semi-final 2 (played over 2 home and away legs): Northern League One 2nd v Northern League One 3rd
    • Playoff Final (played as a single leg): Winner of Playoff Semi-final 1 v Winner of Playoff Semi-final 2
  • The winner of the Playoff Final will be included in the NPL for the following season, with the losing team competing in the State League Division 1.

Clubs

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The following 12 clubs will compete in the National Premier Leagues Northern NSW for the 2025 season.

Club Location Ground Capacity
Adamstown Rosebud Adamstown Adamstown Oval 2,500
Belmont Swansea United Blacksmiths Blacksmiths Oval
Broadmeadow Magic Broadmeadow Magic Park 3,500
Charlestown Azzurri Whitebridge Lisle Carr Oval 3,000
Cooks Hill United Newcastle West Fearnley Dawes Athletic Centre 750
Edgeworth Eagles Edgeworth Jack McLaughlan Oval 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

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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
2024 Broadmeadow Magic Broadmeadow Magic 2–2 (4–3 (p)) Edgeworth Eagles

Honours pre-NPL (1999–2013)

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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

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  1. ^ NPL finals series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[6]
  2. ^ The season was cancelled in September, from government-imposed lockdowns, due to the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[7]
  3. ^ Not held

References

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