Football Tasmania

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This article is about the Tasmanian soccer governing body. For the Australian rules football body formerly known as Football Tasmania, see AFL Tasmania.
Football Tasmania
Formation2005
HeadquartersKGV Park, Glenorchy, Tasmania
Membership
14,000+ (2012)
32 clubs (and 7 junior associations)
President
Bob Gordon
CEO
Matt Bulkeley
Parent organization
Football Australia
Websitehttp://www.footballfedtas.com.au

Football Tasmania (FT) is the governing body for soccer in the Australian state of Tasmania. The federation oversees competitions across Tasmania, Tasmanian representative teams, and development of the sport in the state. The federation was known as the Tasmanian Soccer Association until 1996, when it was renamed to Soccer Tasmania. In line with national changes in March 2006, it became Football Federation Tasmania. In February 2019, the organisation became simply Football Tasmania.[1]

Football Tasmania sanctions all competitive football matches in Tasmania, either directly in the case of its own leagues, or indirectly, as is the case with local regional junior associations. FT also trains and appoints match officials in accordance with FIFA guidelines. FT governs the Tasmanian State League NPL Tasmania and the two underpinning domestic leagues, the Northern Championship, and the Southern Championship. FT also organises and runs several Tasmanian association football cup competitions. Responsibilities also include selecting and managing representative Tasmanian football sides at senior, men's, women's and youth levels.

Football Tasmania is a member of Football Australia, which is in turn a member of the Asian Football Confederation, and the world governing body FIFA.

Overview

Main article:
Association football in Tasmania

Football Tasmania is a member of

Football Federation Australia, and has its administrative headquarters and main playing ground at KGV Park in Glenorchy
, which acts as a home ground to Glenorchy Knights Club.

All of Tasmania's major football teams are members of Football Tasmania, and FT organise the only FIFA-sanctioned competitive leagues in the state for both men and women. A hierarchy of league divisions operates in both the south and the north for senior men and women, and aged based divisions operate for juniors. The Sports Association of Tasmanian Independent Schools (SATIS), also runs a league for Independent schools, and although not affiliated with FT, does so in accordance with FT rules and with their sanctioning.[2]

Football Tasmania is one of nine

Football Federation Australia National Training Centres – which act as regional training bases for elite and emerging junior male and female footballers. A number of young Tasmanians have been selected for national sides as a result of their participation in the NTC programs, including Luke Eyles and Paul Stevens.[3]

Football Tasmania also administers the Tasmanian rollout of national soccer initiatives, including 5-a-side competitions, school visits and game development programs. FT also runs a number of popular and growing Futsal Leagues based in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Ulverstone.

State League

Football Tasmania ran a statewide competition known as the

Tasmanian State League
, featuring sides from both the north and south of the state from 1978 until 1999, when it discontinued due to financial problems.

FT, working alongside member clubs, has announced plans to re-launch the State League, to be known as the Victory League, in 2013. This league is sponsored by

Melbourne Victory and will feature eight teams; Devonport City, Launceston City, Northern Rangers, Olympia FC Warriors, Glenorchy Knights, Kingborough Lions, Hobart Zebras and South Hobart[4]

History

Soccer was first played in Tasmania during the colonial period, but was never as popular as cricket, and the advent of Australian rules football in the mid-nineteenth century, soon saw that code surpass both rugby and football in popularity within the island colony. The code was generally referred to as British Association Football, to distinguish it from Rugby, and Australian rules, which soon became known locally as 'football' or 'footy'. The term soccer originated in England, first appearing in the 1880s as a slang abbreviation of the word "association",[5] often credited to former England captain Charles Wreford-Brown.[6] It is not clear when the term 'soccer' came into common use in Tasmania, but by the early twentieth century it was the more common term.

The first recorded organised match in Tasmania took place between seamen from the

South Hobart Soccer Club took on Westralia at the "Association Ground", Washington Street, South Hobart in the first match of the new league, winning 4–1.[8]

A rise in the number of migrants arriving in Tasmania following the First World War saw the popularity of the sport grow, and the

Sandy Bay enjoyed much success, winning seven titles each in the inter-war years.[9]

The sport was again suspended for the duration of the

titles, including four-in-a-row between 1955 and 1958.[9]

In the early 1960s, the State Soccer Council was renamed as the Tasmanian Soccer Association. This period saw the migrant communities grow to a size where their traditional rivalries from Europe began to influence the game in Australia, including in Tasmania. Although the new wave brought a new style and flair to the game, it also sometimes tarnished its reputation as those rivalries descended into occasional violence.

Glenorchy Croatia, who were crowned state champions three times in the 1970s.[9]

With the game's popularity in ascendancy, the Tasmanian Soccer Association instituted a new

White Eagles announced themselves as the State's finest in the late 1980s, winning four-in-a-row between 1988 and 1991, and only losing seven league matches in the four seasons. In the 1989 season they went undefeated, and won the league by a massive 15 points.[9]

The 1990s failed to produce a side capable of dominating the leagues in the way the previous two decades had, with six different teams being crowned Tasmanian champions. But it was a period of great change for the code within all of Australia, including Tasmania. The violence that plagued matches between rival ethnically based football teams across the country had become widespread, with flares thrown into crowds of rival supporters on several occasions.

Croatian) becoming Western Suburbs Knights, and then Prospect Knights FC.[17]

The first decade of the 21st century saw football grow well in Tasmania. player numbers continued to rise, particularly in junior divisions.

New Town Eagles had undoubtedly been the dominant club in Tasmania from the late 1980s until the start of the 21st century, racking up seven state titles between 1988 and 1998, but the new decade saw a shift in power, with University winning a long-awaited first state title in 1999, and repeated it 2001.[9]

Despite not having won a state title since 1959, at the end of the century

Clarence United became state champions for the first time in their history in 2009. South Hobart took the title in 2008 and then five consecutive titles from 2010–2014, to extend their tally to 18, and ensuring they remain the most successful club of all time in Tasmania.[9]

In 2009

Greek Australian heritage. This decision was made ahead of the club's fiftieth anniversary celebrations, and taken with the full blessing of Football Federation Tasmania.[18]

Administration

Principals

Affiliated clubs

Southern clubs

Northern clubs

Defunct teams

Teams with an asterisk* won competitions whilst active

Southern:

  • ANM SC (became New Norfolk United) (1951–?)
  • Hobart Azzuri (1970–79)
  • Bohemians (1954 only)
  • Brighton Caledonians*(?–?)
  • Bronte Park (1954 only)
  • Cadbury's (1922–26)
  • Caledonians
    (?–?; merged with Hobart Rangers, became West Hobart Lions)
  • Cascades*(1931–36)
  • City United (1959–60)
  • Corinthians*(1910–25)
  • Hobart Dnipro (1970–?)
  • Eastern Suburbs SC (?–?)
  • Hobart United
    ) (1946 only)
  • Gunners (1900–?)
  • Hobart*(1910–1921 reformed as Hobart Athletic)
  • Hobart Athletic*(1925–1932)
  • Caledonians
    )
  • Hollandia FC (1954–59)
  • Hydro
    (1954–57; became Hobart Rangers)
  • Inter (1957–63)
  • Kingston (?–?; merged with Rapid to form Kingborough United)
  • Moonah (1951–52; formerly Titans)
  • Navy Athletic (1928–35)
  • New Norfolk United (1948–50; renamed ANM)
  • Old Virgilians (1934–?)
  • Rapid
    *(?–?; merged with Kingston to form Kingborough United)
  • Sandy Bay
    *(1900–53)
  • Titans SC (1948–1951; became Moonah)
  • Trinity (1900–?)
  • Wanderers (1949–52; 1954–?)
  • Waterside (Waterside Workers, 1947 only)
  • Wayatinah
    (1957–63)
  • WestEnd United (1935–(1939)1945. Still existed during the war, but did not reform post-war)
  • West Hobart Lions (?–1996; formerly Caledonians, merged with Kingborough United)
  • Westralia*(1910–?)

Northern:

See also

  • Alison Alexander (2006). The Companion to Tasmanian History.
  • Chris Hudson (1998). A century of soccer, 1898–1998 : a Tasmanian history.

References

  1. ^ Cole, Brad (25 February 2019). "AFL Tasmania and Football Tasmania release participation figures for 2018 season". The Advocate. Burnie, Tasmania: Australian Community Media. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Football (Soccer)". SATIS. 1 February 2008. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  3. ^ "Two Tassie Boys off to National Training Camp". Football Federation Tasmania. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  4. ^ "T-League Push A Priority". The Mercury. 6 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. ^ Mazumdar, Partha (5 June 2006). "The Yanks are Coming: A U.S. World Cup Preview". Embassy of the United States in London. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  6. ^ Blain, Rebecca. "The World's Most Beloved Sport – The History of Soccer". fussballportal.de. Archived from the original on 30 December 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2007.
  7. ^ a b Alexander, Alison. "Soccer". The Companion to Tasmanian History. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  8. ^ "South Hobart Soccer Club History". South Hobart Soccer Club website. Archived from the original on 29 October 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h "Tasmanian Soccer Records from 1900 to 2009". Football Federation of Tasmania. Archived from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  10. ^ a b "Tilford Hobart Zebras Club History". Tilford Hobart Zebras website. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  11. ^ a b "From National Soccer League to A-League". Convict Creations. Retrieved 19 November 2009.
  12. ^ O'Hara, John (1994). Ethnicity and Soccer in Australia.
  13. ^ "Glenorchy Knights History". Glenorchy Knights website. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  14. ^ "New Town Eagles History". New Town Eagles website. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  15. ^ "Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club History". Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club website. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  16. ^ "Launceston City Soccer Club History". Launceston Soccer Club website. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  17. ^ "Prospect Knights FC History". Prospect Knights FC website. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  18. ^ Walter Pless. "Olympia rebadge their club". Walter Pless on Association Football. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  19. ^ a b c "Board & Management". Football Tasmania. Retrieved 23 July 2020.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Football_Tasmania&oldid=1194824734"