1965 National Soccer League season

The 1965 National Soccer League season was the forty-second season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began in early May and concluded in late October with Toronto Hakoah claiming their first NSL Championship by defeating reigning champions Toronto Ukrainia.[1][2] Ukrainia successfully defended their regular-season title by finishing first in the standings.[3]

National Soccer League
Season1965
Champions
← 1964
1966 →

The league became once more restricted within the province of Ontario as both Montreal Cantalia, and Montreal Ukrainians departed. Despite the loss of the Montreal franchises, the league expanded beyond the Greater Toronto Area, and into the Northern Ontario, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Windsor markets.[4][5]

Overview

The creation of the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League (ECPSL) in 1961 had a direct financial effect on the National Soccer League (NSL).[6] The competition including the defection of the top NSL clubs to the ECPSL caused a major decrease in their match attendance throughout the early 1960s.[6][5] Their drop in the gate earnings at Stanley Park Stadium contributed to their failure in fully paying their tax and loan payments.[6] As their debt accumulated the city of Toronto threatened the league with seizure and foreclosure of Stanley Park Stadium.[7] Fortunately, the NSL was given another year's extension by the Toronto Board of Control and managed to pay a portion of their debt off after the season.[8][7][2]

The average attendance number in Toronto remained low with the numbers ranging from 500-700 spectators.[8][9] The league drew larger attendance numbers outside the Toronto area with Sudbury averaging the most with 1500 followed by Kitchener, and Windsor averaging about 1000.[9][8] The league ceased being inter-provincial as Montreal Ukrainians joined the Quebec National Soccer League, and Montreal Cantalia attempted to rejoin the ECPSL.[10][11] Though once more centered in Ontario the league expanded beyond the Greater Toronto Area and added Kitchener, Sudbury, and Windsor to the circuit.[12]

Toronto received further representation from the ethnic communities with the return of Toronto Hakoah, and the additions of Portuguese United, Toronto Azzurri, and Toronto Hellas.[13] The Northern Ontario representative was the 1964 Ontario Cup champion Sudbury Italia, and the acceptance of Windsor Teutonia marked the return of professional soccer to the city of Windsor since the 1920s.[12][1] The franchise rights to the Kitchener-Waterloo area were given to Kitchener Kickers, and Toronto Polonia ceased competing in the NSL.[14]

Teams
Team City Stadium Manager
Kitchener Kickers Kitchener, Ontario
Portuguese United Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Sudbury Italia Sudbury, Ontario
Toronto Abruzzi Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4] Alberto De Rosa[15]
Toronto Azzurri Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Toronto Croatia Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Toronto Hakoah Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Toronto Hellas Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Toronto Hungaria Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Toronto Olympia Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Toronto Ukrainia Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[4]
Windsor Teutonia Windsor, Ontario Wigle Park[16] Henry Wolf[13]

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Toronto Ukrainians (C) 22 15 4 3 46 18 +28 34 Qualification for Playoffs
2 Toronto Hakoah (O) 22 12 8 2 65 22 +43 32
3 Sudbury Italia 22 11 9 2 46 19 +27 31
4 Toronto Hungaria 22 12 6 4 51 28 +23 30
5 Windsor Teutonia 22 9 6 7 53 45 +8 24
6 Kitchener-Waterloo Kickers 22 8 5 9 38 37 +1 21
7 Toronto Croatia 22 9 3 10 40 36 +4 21
8 Toronto Olympia 22 7 6 9 28 43 −15 20
9 Toronto Hellas 22 7 4 11 39 64 −25 18
10 Toronto Abruzzi 22 5 5 12 19 42 −23 15
11 Portuguese United 21 4 3 14 28 59 −31 11
12 Toronto Azzurri 22 2 7 13 21 57 −36 11
Updated to match(es) played on October 1, 1965. Source: [17][18]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners

Playoffs

The preliminary round of the playoffs was contested in a round-robin style with two separate groups where the two group winners would qualify for the final.[19] The championship final was contested in a best-of-three series.[20]

Group A
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Status
Toronto Ukrainia 220062+44Advanced to the NSL Championship final
Sudbury Italia 210112–12
Windsor Teutonia 200225–30
October 2, 1965 Toronto Ukrainia 4–2 Windsor Teutonia Stanley Park Stadium, Toronto, Ontario
Walter Skocen ,
Ken Beattie
Fred Patterson 		[[21] Report] Vigh ,
October 10, 1965 Sudbury Italia 1–0 Windsor Teutonia Sudbury, Ontario
Frank Rosati [[22] Report]
October 17, 1965 Toronto Ukrainia 2–0 Sudbury Italia Stanley Park Stadium, Toronto, Ontario
Frank Patterson 17'
Leo Dowhaluk 48'		 [[23] Report]

Toronto Ukrainia advances to the final.

Group B
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Status
Toronto Hakoah 211071+63Advanced to the NSL Championship final
Toronto Hungaria 211061+53
Kitchener-Waterloo Kickers 2002011-110
October 3, 1965 Toronto Hakoah 1–1 Toronto Hungaria Stanley Park Stadium, Toronto, Ontario
Tommy Adams [[24] Report] Tibor Ivonyj
October 8, 1965 Toronto Hungaria 5–0 Kitchener-Waterloo Kickers Stanley Park Stadium, Toronto, Ontario
Vic Ivonyi 5'
Kinloch 35', 64'
Tommy McLeod
John Wilson 		[[25] Report]
October 11, 1965 Toronto Hakoah 6–0 Kitchener-Waterloo Kickers Stanley Park Stadium, Toronto, Ontario
Bruce Smith , ,
Lefkos ,
Kurt Dvorka 		[[26] Report]

Toronto Hakoah advances to the final.

Finals
October 24, 1965 Toronto Ukrainia 2–3 Toronto Hakoah Toronto, Ontario
[[20] Report] Stadium: Stanley Park Stadium
October 26, 1965 Toronto Hakoah 3–1 Toronto Ukrainia Toronto, Ontario
20:00 Lefkos 17', 53', 74' [[2] Report] Leo Dowhaluk 5' Stadium: Stanley Park Stadium
Attendance: 983

References
  1. Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. pp. 116, 172.
  2. "Hakoah Wins Championship; NSL to Expand". The Globe and Mail. October 27, 1965. p. 37.
  3. "Hakoah Beats Azzurri 8-2 To Clinch 2nd". The Globe and Mail. October 1, 1965. p. 44.
  4. Waring, Ed (February 10, 1965). "National Soccer Loop Expands to 11 Teams, May Add More Lafer". The Globe and Mail. p. 28.
  5. Waring, Ed (April 29, 1965). "Soccer - National Expands". The Globe and Mail. p. 32.
  6. Kernaghan, Jim (June 30, 1965). "Soccer loop fights grim survival battle". Toronto Daily Star. p. 17.
  7. "Year of Grace For National Soccer League". The Globe and Mail. March 11, 1965. p. 26.
  8. Waring, Ed (June 30, 1965). "Soccer". The Globe and Mail. p. 33.
  9. Waring, Ed (December 30, 1965). "Soccer". The Globe and Mail. p. 16.
  10. Gillespie, Norman (May 8, 1965). "Rosemount Elevens Leading Quebec Minor Soccer Tournament". Montreal Gazette. p. 45.
  11. Gillespie, Norman (March 3, 1965). "National Soccer League Revival". Montreal Gazette. p. 30.
  12. "National soccer loop expanded to 11 entries". North Bay Nugget. February 10, 1965. p. 17.
  13. Nelson, Jim (May 7, 1965). "Windsor Soccerman in National League". Windsor Star. p. 31.
  14. "New-Look National loop opens". Toronto Daily Star. May 1, 1965. p. 40.
  15. "2019 Toronto Azzurri Wall of Fame" (PDF). torontoazzurri.com. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  16. "Teutonia Hosts Sudbury Italia". Windsor Star. May 22, 1965. p. 32.
  17. "Soccer - National League". Windsor Star. October 1, 1965. p. 34.
  18. "1965 Season". National Soccer League. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  19. "Teutonia can Clinch with Tie". Windsor Star. September 17, 1965. p. 31.
  20. Waring, Ed (October 26, 1965). "Kulai Named To Referee Soccer Game - NSL Game Tonight". The Globe and Mail. p. 34.
  21. "Hungaria, Hakoah tie". Toronto Daily Star. October 4, 1965. p. 10.
  22. "Teutons Bow Out, 1-0". Windsor Star. October 12, 1965. p. 30.
  23. "Ukes Blank Italia 2-0 To Win NSL Group". The Globe and Mail. October 18, 1965. p. 23.
  24. "Play to Deadlock". The Globe and Mail. October 4, 1965. p. 22.
  25. Waring, Ed (October 9, 1965). "Kinloch Scores Two In Hungarians' Victory". The Globe and Mail. p. 30.
  26. "Smith star for Hakoah". Toronto Daily Star. October 12, 1965. p. 12.
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