Soccer in Queensland

Soccer was first played in Queensland on a regular basis in Brisbane, in 1884. The game in Queensland is administered by the peak body, Football Queensland, together with several subordinate zone councils, each representing regions of Queensland.[1]

History

First games

The earliest known game of soccer in Queensland (and possibly Australia) was played at Woogaroo (now Goodna), west of Brisbane, in 1875, when the Brisbane FC (Australian rules club formed in 1866) played at least one game of 'London Association Football' against the inmates and warders of the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum."[2]

The earliest known organised games of Association football in Queensland were played in Brisbane in 1884, under the auspices of the newly formed Anglo-Queensland Football Association (a predecessor of Football Queensland). The Brisbane Courier reported in early May 1884:

A MEETING of those favourable to the "Association" game of football as played in the home countries was held at the Australian Hotel last night ... [I]t was resolved that it was desirable to form an Anglo-Queensland Football Association, and as a beginning the meeting formed the first club, the name selected being "St. Andrew's Football Club." ... It was announced that already from twenty-seven to thirty promises to join the club had been received, and it was resolved to play a practice match tomorrow afternoon, if possible, in the Queen's Park.[3]

The first fixture match was played on 7 June 1884, on the Pineapple Sportsfield (now part of Raymond Park), Kangaroo Point (refer to History of association football in Brisbane, Queensland for more information).

By 1886, the game had spread west to Ipswich and then to other regional centres.

Administration of football in Queensland

Football Queensland

Football Queensland was preceded by a number of organisations:

Queensland Zones

The game is administered locally by zone councils:

National representation

National Soccer League (NSL) 1977-2004

There were a number of Queensland teams that played in the now defunct National Soccer League.

Club name Years in the NSL Premierships Cups
Brisbane City 1977-1986 (10) -- 1977, 1978
Brisbane Lions 1977-1986 & 1988 (10) -- 1981
Brisbane Strikers 1992-2004 (12) 1997 --

A-League (2005-present)

The Brisbane Roar, a privately owned football club (originally formed by the Brisbane-based Queensland Lions FC), was the only Queensland team to compete in the inaugural season of the national A-League (2005).

In the 2009-10 Hyundai A-League season, two other clubs joined the Roar, Gold Coast United FC and the North Queensland Fury FC (Townsville).[13] However, the Fury team withdrew from the competition after season 2010-11, citing financial difficulties. Gold Coast United also no longer compete in national competitions.

Club competitions

Queensland statewide competitions

The Queensland State League (QSL) was established in 2008 to provide a second tier competition between the A-League and the Queensland regional competitions. The QSL consisted of a single division, comprising nine teams without provision for promotion or relegation.

In 2013 the QSL was replaced by the National Premier Leagues Queensland (NPL Qld) which forms a division within the National Premier Leagues (NPL). The winner (top of the table after the regular season) enters a national finals series against the winners of the other NPL divisions.

Regional competitions

Below the NPL Qld there are local competitions run in each of the zones.

Women's football

Brisbane Roar have a team in the national W-League that represent Queensland's female footballers.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Football Queensland Structure
  2. ↑ Syson, Ian: 'The genesis of soccer in Australia' 25 July 2011
  3. ↑ Brisbane Courier 2 May 1884
  4. ↑ Far North Queensland official website
  5. ↑ Football Brisbane official website
  6. ↑ Football Central Queensland official website
  7. ↑ Football South West Queensland official website
  8. ↑ Football Wide Bay official website
  9. ↑ Gold Coast Soccer official website
  10. ↑ Mackay Regional Football Zone official website
  11. ↑ North Queensland Football official website
  12. ↑ Sunshine Coast Football official website
  13. ↑ http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/83528,gold-coast-and-townsville-set-for-aleague.aspx

See also

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