National Football League (South Africa)
| Founded | 1959 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1977 |
| Country | South Africa |
| Most championships | Highlands Park (8 titles) |
The National Football League (NFL) was the first professional association football league in South Africa, established in 1959.[1] At first the NFL received stiff opposition from the SAFA, the amateur governing body which controlled the major football grounds in the county. The SAFA was a member of FIFA at the time.
Initially, only two areas of South Africa were represented - Transvaal and Durban - but gradually the league became more geographically representative. The teams that joined the league in 1959 were-Transvaal (9 teams)-Rangers, Germiston Callies, Arcadia Shepherds, Benoni United, Randfontein, Pretoria City, Brakpan United, Johannesburg City & Southern Park. Natal (3 teams)-Durban City, Durban United & Maritzburg Celtic. The League kicked-off on 4 July 1959 (only one round was played).
A promotion play-off for the Champions of the various State Leagues was introduced in 1962, and the league spread to Cape Town (1962), Bloemfontein (1963) and Port Elizabeth (1964). An NFL Division II was established in 1969, with the Champions promoted to Division I.[2] [3] The league was competitive during the apartheid era, and only white players were allowed to participate. However a few NFL teams traveled to neighboring countries to play friendlies.1961 Durban City beat a multi-racial Salisbury Combined XI 8-2 at the Glamis Stadium. An NFL XI lost to a Rhodesian XI 2-6, at the Raylton Sports ground. Germiston Callies played a non-white team, Black Pirates in Maseru, Lesotho. 25 February 1961.
However, black players did participate in the competition. The first to do so was Vincent Julius, he represented Arcadia Shepherds in 1976 versus Highlands Park. Highlands Park protested Julius' presence but the NFL allowed him to play. The South African Home Office took no action having been convinced by Arcadia Shepherds that the story would be told all around the world and cast the ruling party in a bad light.
When NFL folded after 18 years in 1977, it was superseded by a non-racial league. In practical terms, a merger happened between NFL (for whites) and NPSL (for blacks), to become the new common NPSL.
Winners
[edit ]| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Durban City (1) | Rangers Johannesburg | Durban United |
| 1960 | Highlands Park (1) | Durban City | Germiston Callies |
| 1961 | Durban City (2) | Highlands Park | Germiston Callies |
| 1962 | Highlands Park (2) | Southern Suburbs | Durban City |
| 1963 | Addington (1) | Highlands Park | Durban City |
| 1964 | Highlands Park (3) | Durban City | Durban United |
| 1965 | Highlands Park (4) | Cape Town City | Durban City |
| 1966 | Highlands Park (5) | Port Elizabeth City | Durban United |
| 1967 | Port Elizabeth City (1) | Highlands Park | Cape Town City |
| 1968 | Highlands Park (6) | Durban United | Powerlines |
| 1969 | Durban Spurs (2*) | Powerlines | Highlands Park |
| 1970 | Durban City (3) | Cape Town City | Maritzburg |
| 1971 | Hellenic (1) | Cape Town City | Durban City |
| 1972 | Durban City (4) | Hellenic | Berea Park |
| 1973 | Cape Town City (1) | Highlands Park | Hellenic |
| 1974 | Arcadia Shepherds (1) | Cape Town City | Maritzburg |
| 1975 | Highlands Park (7) | Hellenic | Maritzburg |
| 1976 | Cape Town City (2) | Highlands Park | Wits University |
| 1977 | Highlands Park (8) | Lusitano | Durban United |
- Note that Addington were known as Durban Spurs when they won their second championship.
Source:[4]
| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Highlands Park | 8 |
1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1975, 1977 |
| Durban City | 4 |
1959, 1961, 1970, 1972 |
| Durban Spurs | 2 |
1963, 1969 |
| Cape Town City | 2 |
1973, 1976 |
| Port Elizabeth City | 1 |
1967 |
| Hellenic | 1 |
1971 |
| Arcadia Shepherds | 1 |
1974 |
Individual Honours
[edit ]| Year | Player of the Year | Footballer of the Year | Foreign Player of the Year | Top Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Rocco Smith (Benoni United) | N/A | N/A | Les Salton (Durban City) 21 |
| 1960 | Malcolm Rufus (Durban City) | N/A | N/A | Pip Hughes (Highlands Park) 37 |
| 1961 | Les Salton (Durban City) | N/A | N/A | Les Salton (Durban City) 46 |
| 1962 | George Barratt (Durban City) | N/A | N/A | Peter McEwan (Germiston Callies) 36 |
| 1963 | Ken Denysschen (Durban City) | N/A | N/A | Bazil Johnson (Arcadia United) 43 |
| 1964 | Rhodesia Bobby Chalmers (Durban City) | N/A | N/A | Les Salton (Durban United) 42 |
| 1965 | Malcolm Rufus (Highlands Park) | N/A | N/A | Arne Bjørnstad (Boksburg) & Freddie Kalk (Highlands Park) 33 |
| 1966 | Freddie Kalk (Highlands Park) | Robin Lowe (Durban United) | Scotland Willie McIntosh (Highlands Park) | Brazil Walter da Silva (Highlands Park) 44 |
| 1967 | Bob Davies (Rangers) | Charlie Naude (Germiston Callies) | Wales Bryan Orritt (Southern Suburbs) | England Jim Scott (Durban City) 28 |
| 1968 | Henry Hauser (Addington) | Derek Smethurst (Durban City) | Austria Peter Rath (Powerlines) | Stan Forster (Rangers) 32 |
| 1969 | Richard Allen (Cape Town City) | Frank Pereira (Powerlines) | England Gary France (Cape Town City) | Brazil Walter da Silva (Powerlines) 21 |
| 1970 | Archie Soekoe (Rangers) | Bennie Booysen (Southern Suburbs) | Gibraltar England Tony Macedo (Durban City) | England Jim Scott (Durban City) 31 |
| 1971 | England George Eastham (Hellenic) | Ronnie Mann (Durban City) | Scotland Ben Anderson (Cape Town City) | England Jim Scott (Durban City-16/Durban United-6) 22 |
| 1972 | Trevor Gething (Berea Park) | Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) | England Johnny Haynes (Durban City) | Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) 26 |
| 1973 | Ian Bender (Durban Celtic) | Hennie Joubert (Highlands Park) | England Peter Withe (Arcadia Shepherds) | Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) 24 |
| 1974 | Steve Wegerle (Arcadia Shepherds) | Steve Wegerle (Arcadia Shepherds) | Jersey Dave Huson (Hellenic) | Ian Bender (Durban Celtic) 17 |
| 1975 | Gary France (Cape Town City) 20 | |||
| 1976 | Chris Chilton (Highlands Park) 19 | |||
| 1977 | Ian Bender (Maritzburg) | Tony Stathakis (Highlands Park) 28 |
Leading Aggregate Goalscorers
[edit ]| Total | Player | Clubs | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 253 | Les Salton | Durban City (109) Durban United (144) |
1959-66 |
| 205 | Rhodesia Bobby Chalmers | Durban City (106) Durban United (50) Maritzburg (49) |
1962-74 |
| 196 | Freddie Kalk | Southern Suburbs (64) Highlands Park (132) |
1960-73 |
| 192 | Wilf De Bruin | Hellenic FC (192) | 1970-1983 |
| 184 | Arne Bjørnstad | Boksburg (143) Southern Suburbs (41) |
1960-70 |
| 157 | England Jim Scott | Durban City (129) Durban United (22) Johannesburg Corinthians (5) Maritzburg (1) |
1966-74 |
| 154 | Rhodesia Vernon Wentzel | Durban City (46) Addington (108) |
1962-68 |
| 153 | Percy Owen | Rangers Johannesburg | 1960-68 |
| 142 | Brazil Walter da Silva | Hellenic (18) Highlands Park (64) Powerlines (50) Berea Park (10) |
1964-72 |
| 136 | Ronnie Mann | Durban United (87) Durban City (41) Guild Apollo (8) |
1962-77 |
| 132 | Danny Le Roux | Durban City (58) Durban United (71) Addington (3) |
1959-67 |
List of NFL Clubs (1959–1977)
[edit ]List of 2nd Level Clubs (1969–1975)
[edit ]Overseas teams that toured
[edit ]1961. Leicester City, 1961 F.A.Cup finalists played Durban City on 27 May 1961, at Kingsmead. This was the first time that two professional teams from England and South Africa had played against one another. Leicester City won 2-0. Leicester City drew with Combined Transvaal 1-1, at the Rand Stadium.
1963. Tottenham Hotspur played three games in South Africa. 1st. 5 June 1963. V N.F.L XI @ Stamford Stadium, Durban. Won 5-2. 2nd. 8 June 1963 N.F.L XI @ Hartleyvale, Cape Town. Won 5-1. 3rd. 3 June 1963. V South Africa XI @ Rand Stadium. Won 3-1. The Spurs squad included Danny Blanchflower, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith, Maurice Norman, Len White & Tony Marchi.
1963. Dundee United played three games in July 1963. V Transvaal, won 2-1. V Western Province, Hartleyvale.2 July. Lost 1-2. V Natal. Won 4-2.
1964. Arsenal played five games in May 1964. V Transvaal, Orange Free State won 2-0. 14th. V Natal. Durban Stadium. won 8-2. 17th. V Western Province. Won 5-1. V Eastern Province. Won 6-0. 22nd. V South Africa XI. won 5-0.
1964. Club Atletico Cerro (Uruguay). 14 July 1963. V Durban City. New Kingsmead.C.A.Cerro won 2-0. C.A.Cerro also played Western Province-17 July 1964 & South Africa XI, Rand Stadium. 20 July 1964.
1964. Real Madrid played three games in South Africa. 8 September 1964 V Castle Knights, Rand Stadium, winning 5-2. A N.F.L XI in Durban plus Western Province @ Hartleyvale, which Real Madrid won 4-0. The Real Madrid squad included Ferenc Puskas, Santamaria @ Gento. At this stage Real Madrid had won the European Cup on five consecutive occasions-1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 & 1960.
1964. Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) played Addington, Highlands Park, Rand Stadium.
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ "Football in South Africa Timeline 1862-2012 - South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ "South African football 1961". RSSSF . Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ "South African football 1963". RSSSF . Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ "South Africa League History". RSSSF . Retrieved 3 May 2010.
