1969 National Soccer League season

The 1969 National Soccer League season was the forty-sixth season under the National Soccer League (NSL) name. The season began on May 4, 1969, with Toronto Italia facing Toronto Hellas at Stanley Park Stadium where the match drew 6000 supporters.[1] The match signaled an increase in attendance as the previous time the NSL drew a similar amount was three seasons ago.[1] The championship was contested throughout the regular season as the league canceled the playoff format.[2] Toronto First Portuguese would claim the NSL Championship by finishing first in the standings in October.[3][4] The NSL Cup was won by Toronto Italia after defeating Toronto Hungaria.[5][6]

National Soccer League
Season1969
Champions
  • Toronto First Portuguese (1st title)
League cupToronto Italia
← 1968
1970 →

The NSL became interprovincial once again with a franchise in Montreal, Quebec.[2][7] The league served as one of the country's top major leagues as both the Toronto Falcons and Vancouver Royals of the North American Soccer League folded in late 1968.[2][8][9]

Overview

The conclusion of the decade sparked a revival that would restore the National Soccer League (NSL) to a level of prominence once more in Canadian soccer.[10] The membership increased to 14 teams the highest since the 1950s with the league returning to the province of Quebec.[11][10] The previous time the NSL operated in Quebec was in the 1964 season when Montreal Cantalia and Montreal Ukrainians represented the province.[12] Montreal Inter-Italia was granted an NSL franchise.[10][13] After an eight-year absence, Toronto Italia returned since their initial departure in 1961 to play in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League (ECPSL).[10]

The league expanded into the London, and Oakville regions with the acceptance of Arsenal Portuguese Oakville, and London German Canadians.[10] London previously competed in the London and District Soccer League, and the sole departure from the league was Windsor Teutonia.[13] The season produced a surge in match attendance as the league began to recover from their initial decrease in the mid-1960s due to competition from the ECPSL, and the North American Soccer League.[11][10][14] Changes also occurred at the executive level with Joe Piccininni succeeding Bill Boytchuk as league president.[13][15]

The NSL was involved in a dispute with the Ontario Soccer Football Association (OSFA) over refusing to issue bond payments to the OSFA.[16] The governing body in response suspended the league, but the NSL continued operations and ultimately consented to paying the bond.[16][17][18] Though the OSFA received their payment the suspension remained in effect as another point of contention revolved around player registration and lack of disciplinary actions regarding players.[19] The NSL in response canceled their payments and continued operating as an outlaw league.[18] Shortly after both parties settled their dispute over a meeting.[20]

Teams
Team City Stadium Manager
Arsenal Portuguese Oakville Oakville, Ontario
Hamilton Homer Hamilton, Ontario
Kitchener Concordia Kitchener, Ontario
London German Canadians London, Ontario Cove Road Stadium[21] Julius Kaponya[22]
Montreal Inter-Italia Montreal, Quebec Jarry Stadium[23] Mike Campo[24]
Serbian White Eagles Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[2]
Sudbury Italia Sudbury, Ontario
Toronto Croatia Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[2] Alberto De Rosa[25]
Toronto First Portuguese Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[2] Arthur Rodrigues[26]
Toronto Hellas Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[2] Skender Perolli[27]
Toronto Hungaria Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[2]
Toronto Italia Toronto, Ontario
York, Ontario		 Stanley Park Stadium[2]

York Stadium[28]

 Anders Yrfeldt[28]
Toronto Olympia Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[2]
Toronto Ukrainia Toronto, Ontario Stanley Park Stadium[2]

Coaching changes
Team Outgoing coach Manner of
departure		 Date of
vacancy		 Position in table Incoming coach Date of
appointment
Toronto Hellas Bob Kelly[8] replaced Skender Perolli[27]

Standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Toronto First Portuguese 23 14 4 5 51 25 +26 32
2 Toronto Hellas 23 12 7 4 48 34 +14 31
3 Serbian White Eagles 22 12 6 4 44 29 +15 30
4 Toronto Hungaria 22 11 7 4 52 26 +26 29
5 Sudbury Italia 22 12 4 6 47 27 +20 28
6 Toronto Ukrainians 21 11 4 6 38 23 +15 26
7 Toronto Croatia 20 10 4 6 40 25 +15 24
8 Toronto Italia 20 9 6 5 41 34 +7 24
9 Montreal Inter-Italia 21 7 5 9 31 42 −11 19
10 London German Canadians 23 7 4 12 43 43 0 18
11 Hamilton Homer 23 6 5 12 25 42 −17 17
12 Kitchener Kickers 23 5 3 15 35 51 −16 13
13 Toronto Olympia 24 5 1 18 39 71 −32 11
14 Arsenal Portuguese Oakville 21 2 2 17 23 86 −63 6
Updated to match(es) played on September 30, 1969. Source: [29][note 1]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
  1. Standings are incomplete

Cup

The cup tournament was a separate contest from the rest of the season, in which all fourteen teams took part. The tournament would conclude in a final match for the Cup.

Finals
October 26, 1969 Toronto Italia 2–1 Toronto Hungaria Toronto, Ontario
Fortunato Raso 41', [[5] Report] Hugh Suttie 89' Stadium: Stanley Park Stadium
Referee: John Davies

References
  1. Waring, Ed (May 5, 1969). "Italia Hellas play to goalless tie in NSL season opener: 6,000 swarm to Stanley Park, 200 storm gate, aet in free". The Globe and Mail. p. 23.
  2. Dineen, Patrick (April 22, 1969). "Minor soccer booms in Toronto despite failure of 2 professional leagues". The Globe and Mail. p. 34.
  3. "CSL Past Champions" (PDF). canadiansoccerleague.ca. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  4. "Festive air in park as Ports win pennant". The Globe and Mail. October 10, 1969. p. 28.
  5. Waring, Ed (October 27, 1969). "Italia defeats Hungaria 2-1 to win National League Cup". The Globe and Mail. p. 22.
  6. Jose, Colin (2001). On-Side - 125 Years of Soccer in Ontario. Vaughan, Ontario: Ontario Soccer Association and Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum. p. 117.
  7. Campbell, Doug (10 May 1969). "Italia faces Inter". Montreal Star. p. 20.
  8. Kernaghan, Jim (May 5, 1969). "Soccer off to a fine start". Toronto Daily Star. p. 19.
  9. Waring, Ed (October 11, 1968). "Peters to make decision Nov. 1 whether Falcons will quit NASL". The Globe and Mail. p. 28.
  10. Kernaghan, Jim (May 2, 1969). "Veteran soccer league gets big chance". Toronto Daily Star. p. 23.
  11. Waring, Ed (May 2, 1969). "Four more teams join soccer oop". The Globe and Mail. p. 29.
  12. Waring, Ed (May 1, 1964). "Soccer Coaching Post: Ex-Star in Erin, Feeney Is Signed By St. Andrew's - NSL Opens Sunday". The Globe and Mail. p. 39.
  13. "Piccininni soccer boss". Toronto Daily Star. March 10, 1969. p. 12.
  14. Kernaghan, Jim (September 30, 1969). "Soccer now a flu prescription". Toronto Daily Star. p. 19.
  15. "Elect Piccininni NSL president". The Globe and Mail. March 10, 1969. p. 20.
  16. Waring, Ed (June 17, 1969). "Money paid: League to ignore soccer suspension". The Globe and Mail. p. 34.
  17. "OSA cancels suspension when fees paid". The Globe and Mail. June 16, 1969. p. 23.
  18. Waring, Ed (June 19, 1969). "Hellas tops Oakville as NSL defies ban, plays outlaw soccer". The Globe and Mail. p. 42.
  19. Waring, Ed (June 28, 1969). "Soccer row heats up when National League cancels $3,530 cheque". The Globe and Mail. p. 33.
  20. Waring, Ed (June 30, 1969). "Players, fans in brawl: Soccer bug bites official". The Globe and Mail. p. 21.
  21. "London Ontario Competitive Soccer History". www.gcfclondon.com. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  22. Meckbach, Bruce (May 20, 1969). "Germans down Dusseldorf 5-0". London Free Press.
  23. "Soccer schedule". Montreal Gazette. July 12, 1969. p. 38.
  24. "Inter-Italia nips Toronto Hellas side". Montreal Star. 26 May 1969. p. 20.
  25. Kernaghan, Jim (July 18, 1969). "Soccer players cool tempers in a church". Toronto Daily Star. p. B12.
  26. "Rodrigues takes post with new club". The Globe and Mail. January 13, 1971. p. 27.
  27. Kernaghan, Jim (July 19, 1969). "The man who knows, Perolli picks England in World Cup". Toronto Daily Star. p. 19.
  28. Waring, Ed (September 29, 1969). "Montreal Italia loses twice in soccer". The Globe and Mail. p. 19.
  29. "Soccer results - National League". Toronto Daily Star. September 30, 1969. p. C20.
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