national round-robin tournament existed in various forms prior to the formation of the A-League. The most notable, the National Soccer League (NSL), was first proposed in 1965, though did not come to fruition due to opposition from clubs who deemed the notion uneconomical, and state federations who feared losing their power. Australia's qualification for the 1974 World Cup led to further discussions of a national league, with 14 teams being chosen to participate in the inaugural season of the NSL in 1977.
Overseen by Soccer Australia, the NSL flourished through the 1980s and early 1990s, though with the departure of Australian players to overseas leagues increasing, a disastrous television deal with the Seven Network, and with the consequent lack of sponsorship, the league plummeted into decline.Few clubs continued to grow with Sydney Olympic, Perth Glory, and the newly established Adelaide United the exception in a dying league.
In April 2003, the Australian Federal Government initiated the Crawford Report, with the Australian Independent Soccer Review Committee to investigate the governance and management of football, including that of the NSL, in Australia. In October 2003, after the Crawford Report found the NSL was financially unviable, the new Soccer Australian chairman Frank Lowy announced that a task force would be formed to create a new national competition as a successor to the NSL which would dissolve after the conclusion of the 2003–04 season in 2004 after 27 years of operation.
The A-League was established in 2004 as a successor to the National Soccer League (NSL). Eight teams would be part of this new national competition, with one team from each city of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle, plus a New Zealand team and one from the remaining expressions of interest. The competition start date was set for August 2005.
By June 2004, 20 submissions had been received and a month later 12 consortiums sent in their final bids for the eight spots. Three bids were received from Melbourne, two each from Sydney and Brisbane, one from each of the remaining preferred cities and a bid from the New South Wales Central Coast city of Gosford. Over the next three months, each bid was reviewed and on 1 November 2004, the eight successful bidders and the major sponsor were revealed, for what would be known as the Hyundai A-League, with the Hyundai Motor Company unveiled as the official naming rights sponsor for the league.
The eight successful teams were Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets, New Zealand Knights, Perth Glory, Queensland Roar and Sydney FC, with five NSL clubs taking part, those being the Perth Glory, Adelaide United, Newcastle Jets, Queensland Roar (who had participated in the NSL under the name Brisbane Lions), and New Zealand Knights (who had participated in the NSL under the name New Zealand Football Kingz). A 5-year city exclusivity deal was ensured to each club as part of the 'one-city, one-team' philosophy to allow clubs to develop an identity in their region.
On the 26 August 2005, 16 months after the demise of the NSL, the inaugural season of the A-League began.
Competition formatThe regular season runs mainly during the Australian summer, from early October to early April of the following year. The competition consists of 27 rounds, with each team playing every other team three times. The teams allotted two home matches against an opponent in one season are allotted one home match against that opponent in the following season. Each match sees the winning team awarded three competition points, with one point each for a draw. The club at the top of this ladder is crowned A-League Premiers, and as of the 2006–07 season, will be entered into the AFC Champions League. The Premier club is presented with a trophy known as the Premiers Plate.
Overseen by Soccer Australia, the NSL flourished through the 1980s and early 1990s, though with the departure of Australian players to overseas leagues increasing, a disastrous television deal with the Seven Network, and with the consequent lack of sponsorship, the league plummeted into decline.Few clubs continued to grow with Sydney Olympic, Perth Glory, and the newly established Adelaide United the exception in a dying league.
In April 2003, the Australian Federal Government initiated the Crawford Report, with the Australian Independent Soccer Review Committee to investigate the governance and management of football, including that of the NSL, in Australia. In October 2003, after the Crawford Report found the NSL was financially unviable, the new Soccer Australian chairman Frank Lowy announced that a task force would be formed to create a new national competition as a successor to the NSL which would dissolve after the conclusion of the 2003–04 season in 2004 after 27 years of operation.
The A-League was established in 2004 as a successor to the National Soccer League (NSL). Eight teams would be part of this new national competition, with one team from each city of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle, plus a New Zealand team and one from the remaining expressions of interest. The competition start date was set for August 2005.
By June 2004, 20 submissions had been received and a month later 12 consortiums sent in their final bids for the eight spots. Three bids were received from Melbourne, two each from Sydney and Brisbane, one from each of the remaining preferred cities and a bid from the New South Wales Central Coast city of Gosford. Over the next three months, each bid was reviewed and on 1 November 2004, the eight successful bidders and the major sponsor were revealed, for what would be known as the Hyundai A-League, with the Hyundai Motor Company unveiled as the official naming rights sponsor for the league.
The eight successful teams were Adelaide United, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory, Newcastle Jets, New Zealand Knights, Perth Glory, Queensland Roar and Sydney FC, with five NSL clubs taking part, those being the Perth Glory, Adelaide United, Newcastle Jets, Queensland Roar (who had participated in the NSL under the name Brisbane Lions), and New Zealand Knights (who had participated in the NSL under the name New Zealand Football Kingz). A 5-year city exclusivity deal was ensured to each club as part of the 'one-city, one-team' philosophy to allow clubs to develop an identity in their region.
On the 26 August 2005, 16 months after the demise of the NSL, the inaugural season of the A-League began.
Competition formatThe regular season runs mainly during the Australian summer, from early October to early April of the following year. The competition consists of 27 rounds, with each team playing every other team three times. The teams allotted two home matches against an opponent in one season are allotted one home match against that opponent in the following season. Each match sees the winning team awarded three competition points, with one point each for a draw. The club at the top of this ladder is crowned A-League Premiers, and as of the 2006–07 season, will be entered into the AFC Champions League. The Premier club is presented with a trophy known as the Premiers Plate.