1996–97 National Summer Soccer League

The 1997 National Summer Soccer League was the second season of a short-lived nationwide association football club competition in New Zealand. Despite being known as the 1997 league, competition started in November 1996, with the later rounds and final playoffs held in 1997. The competition was won by Waitakere City.

Structure

The league was an invitation-only competition, with no promotion or relegation taking place. Matches took place between November 1996 and April 1997, with a three-week break from late December to mid-January. The competition was divided into two stages. In the first stage the ten teams took part in a round-robin league, with each team playing every other team home and away. 1996 participants Waikato United were replaced by new team Melville United, which had been formed from a merger of Waikato United and Melville AFC.

The top four teams from this stage progressed to a play-off series. This involved the top two teams from the league phase playing each other, and third and fourth place also playing each other. The winner of the match between first and second progressed through to the final; the loser of that match met the winner of the other match to decide the other finalist.[1]

A unique system of awarding points was used for this competition. Teams were awarded four points for a win and one for a draw. In drawn matches, a penalty shoot-out (minimum of three shots per side) would then take place, with the winning side awarded a bonus point. This system was abandoned at the end of the season; the 1998 league was played using the traditional system of three points for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss, with no penalty shoot-outs.

League stage

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD BP Pts Qualification
1 Napier City Rovers 18 12 2 4 42 18 +24 0 50 1997 National Soccer League Finals
2 Central United 18 12 1 5 47 26 +21 1 50
3 Waitakere City (C) 18 10 2 6 39 21 +18 1 43 1996–97 National Soccer League Champions
4 North Shore United 18 9 4 5 40 29 +11 3 43 1997 National Soccer League Finals
5 Miramar Rangers 18 8 6 4 35 26 +9 4 42
6 Nelson Suburbs 18 9 0 9 25 33 −8 0 36
7 Melville United 18 5 3 10 31 43 −12 2 25
8 Wellington United (R) 18 5 5 8 31 46 −15 0 25 Team withdrew
9 Woolston WMC 18 3 3 12 17 39 −22 2 17
10 Mount Maunganui (R) 18 1 6 11 14 40 −26 3 13 Team withdrew
Source: [1]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Finals

Playoffs
Napier City Rovers3 – 0Central United
New, Ryan, Christie
Waitakere City2 – 1North Shore United
Gray 2 Stevens
Auckland
Central United1 – 3Waitakere City
de Jong K Smith, Viljoen, Laus
Auckland

Final
Napier City Rovers1 – 3Waitakere City
Goodacre Viljoen, McClennan, Gray
Bill McKinlay Park, Auckland

Records and statistics
Top scorers
Biggest winning margin
  • Waitakere City 8, Wellington United 1[1]
Highest aggregate score
  • Miramar Rangers 3, Central United 7[1]

References
  1. "New Zealand 1996/97".
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