Western Premier League

The Western Premier League is a regional Australian association football league, comprising teams from the Central West region of New South Wales. The competition is run under the Western NSW Football body, an associate of Football NSW - a member federation of Football Australia. It fits below the national A-League and NSW wide divisions including National Premier Leagues NSW, being level 5 league in the Australian league system.

Western Premier League
Founded1994 (reformed in 2020)
CountryAustralia
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid5
Current championsOrange Waratahs (5th title)
(2022)
Current premiersOrange Waratahs (5th title)
(2022)
Current: 2023 Western Premier League season

History

The Western Premier League was founded in 1994 as the Central West Soccer League, with East Dubbo United taking out the inaugural championship, defeating Bathurst 75 on penalties 4–3 in the grand final, after the score was locked at 2-all at the end of extra-time.

The competition ran from 1994 until the end of 2012 before collapsing after Westside Panthers and Dubbo Bulls all pulled out in quick succession, leaving just three teams in the competition.[1] The competition was later revived ahead of the 2020 season, with nine teams initially entering the first WPL season in eight years,[2] later reduced to seven teams by July when the season commenced after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format

As of the 2023 season, the competition consists of nine teams from around the Central West region of New South Wales. Each team will play each other twice, to form a 18-round, round robin format. The current finals format is yet to be determined, but it will concluded with a grand final to determine the champion, usually held at the ground of the highest-ranked team.

Current clubs and location

The following clubs will participate in the 2023 Western Premier League:

🌍
Locations of the 2023 WPL clubs.
Club Location Ground Founded Champions Champions years
Bathurst 75 Bathurst Proctor Park 1975 7 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2023
Barnstoneworth United Orange Sir Jack Brabham Park 1998 0
Dubbo Bulls Dubbo Hans Claven Oval
Victoria Park
Apex Oval		 2005 4 2010, 2011, 2012, 2020
Macquarie United (Dubbo) Dubbo Hans Claven Oval
Victoria Park
Apex Oval		 2013 0
Orana Spurs Dubbo Hans Claven Oval
Victoria Park
Apex Oval		 1992 1 2001
Orange Waratahs Orange Waratah Sports Ground 1967 5 1995, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2022
Panorama Bathurst Proctor Park 2012 0
Parkes Cobras Parkes Woodward Oval
Harrison Park		 2020 0

Former clubs
Club Location Founded Champions Champions years Current status
Bathurst City Red Tops Bathurst 0 Bathurst District Football
Bathurst City Colts Bathurst 0 Disbanded
Canobolas Rangers Orange 1 1999 Orange & District Football Association
Cowra Wildcats Cowra 0 Disbanded
East Dubbo United Dubbo 1984 1 1994 Dubbo & District Football Association
Lithgow City Rangers Lithgow 1970 0 Bathurst District Football
Lithgow Workmen's Lithgow 1982 0 Bathurst District Football
Macquarie United (Bathurst) Bathurst 1984 0 Bathurst District Football
Mudgee Wolves Mudgee 0 Bathurst District Football
Orange CYMS Orange 1975 0 Orange & District Football Association
Oxford United Bathurst 0 Disbanded
SASS Strikers Dubbo 0 Dubbo & District Football Association
Westside Panthers Dubbo 1979 3 2004, 2008, 2009 Dubbo & District Football Association
Young Rebels Young 0 Disbanded

Grand final results
Key to list of winners
* Match went to extra time
† Match decided via a penalty shoot-out after extra time
‡ Winning team won the Double (Grand final and minor premiership)
Western Premier League grand finals
Season Winners Score Runners–up Venue Venue's city/town Minor premiers Teams
1994 East Dubbo United 2–2† Bathurst 75 Marjorie Jackson Oval Lithgow 6
1995 Orange Waratahs 1–0 Canobolas Rangers Alec Lamberton Field Bathurst 7
1996 Bathurst 75 3–0 Macquarie United (Bathurst) Waratah Sports Ground Orange Bathurst 75 6
1997 Bathurst 75 1–0 Orange CYMS Alec Lamberton Field Bathurst Bathurst 75 6
1998 Bathurst 75 3–0 Orange Waratahs Waratah Sports Ground Orange Bathurst 75 7
1999 Canobolas Rangers 3–0 Orange CYMS Jack Brabham Park Orange Orange Waratahs 8
2000 Orange Waratahs 3–1 Orange CYMS Waratah Sports Ground Orange Orange Waratahs 8
2001 Orana Spurs 2–1 East Dubbo United Lady Cutler Oval Dubbo East Dubbo United 8
2002 Bathurst 75 3–2 Westside Panthers Lady Cutler Oval Dubbo Westside Panthers 8
2003 Bathurst 75 0–0† Canobolas Rangers Alec Lamberton Field Bathurst Bathurst 75 8
2004 Westside Panthers 1–0 Bathurst 75 Lady Cutler Oval Dubbo Westside Panthers 7
2005 Bathurst 75 1–0 Dubbo Bulls Alec Lamberton Field Bathurst Bathurst 75 6
2006 Orange Waratahs 0–0† Bathurst 75 Alec Lamberton Field Bathurst Bathurst 75 7
2007 Orange Waratahs 1–0 Bathurst 75 Alec Lamberton Field Bathurst Bathurst 75 7
2008 Westside Panthers 3–3† Bathurst 75 Lady Cutler Oval Dubbo Westside Panthers 7
2009 Westside Panthers 3–3† Orange Waratahs Jack Brabham Park Orange Orange Waratahs 6
2010 Dubbo Bulls 1–1† Orange Waratahs Lady Cutler Oval Dubbo Orange Waratahs 6
2011 Dubbo Bulls 3–1 Westside Panthers Lady Cutler Oval Dubbo Dubbo Bulls 5
2012 Dubbo Bulls 3–1 Orange Waratahs Waratah Sports Ground Orange Dubbo Bulls 5
Competition disbanded between 2013-2019
2020 Dubbo Bulls 2–1 Macquarie United (Dubbo) Apex Oval Dubbo Macquarie United (Dubbo) 7
2021
Season cancelled after 17 rounds due to COVID-19 lockdown. No title awarded.[3]
 9
2022 Orange Waratahs 2–1 Panorama Waratah Sports Ground Orange Orange Waratahs 11
2023 Bathurst 75 2–1 Barnstoneworth United Proctor Park Bathurst Bathurst 75 8

Performance by club

There are seven clubs who have won the Western Premier League title.

Teams in bold compete in the Western Premier League as of the 2022 season.

Club Winners Runners-up Winning years Runners-up years
Bathurst 75 7 5 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2023 1994, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
Orange Waratahs 5 4 1995, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2022 1998, 2009, 2010 2012
Dubbo Bulls 4 1 2010, 2011, 2012, 2020 2005
Westside Panthers 3 2 2004, 2008, 2009 2002, 2011
Canobolas Rangers 1 2 1999 1995, 2003
East Dubbo United 1 1 1994 2001
Orana Spurs 1 0 2001
Orange CYMS 0 3 1997, 1999, 2000
Macquarie United (Bathurst) 0 1 1996
Macquarie United (Dubbo) 0 1 2020
Panorama 0 1 2022
Barnstoneworth United 0 1 2023

Lower grades

Reserve Grade
  • 1994 - Lithgow Workmen's
  • 1995 - Canobolas Rangers
  • 1996 - Bathurst 75
  • 1997 - Bathurst 75
  • 1998 - Bathurst 75
  • 1999 - Canobolas Rangers
  • 2000 - East Dubbo United
  • 2001 - Bathurst 75
  • 2002 - Bathurst 75
  • 2003 - Orange Waratahs
  • 2004 - Orana Spurs
  • 2005 - Orange Waratahs
  • 2006 - Bathurst 75
  • 2007 - Canobolas Rangers
  • 2008 - Orange Waratahs
  • 2009 - Westside Panthers
  • 2010 - Dubbo Bulls
  • 2011 - Orange Waratahs
  • 2012 - Dubbo Bulls

Under 18s
  • 1995 - Canobolas Rangers
  • 1996 - Cowra Wildcats
  • 1999 - Lithgow City Rangers
  • 2001 - Dubbo SASS
  • 2002 - Dubbo SASS
  • 2003 - Orana Spurs
  • 2004 - Bathurst 75
  • 2005 - Orange Waratahs
  • 2006 - Dubbo Bulls
  • 2007 - Westside Panthers
  • 2008 - Westside Panthers
  • 2009 - Orana Spurs
  • 2010 - Lithgow Workmen's
  • 2011 - Dubbo Bulls
  • 2012 - Dubbo Bulls

Top scorers
As of 24 June 2023. Includes both regular season and finals goals.
Rank Player Years Clubs Goals
1 Australia Gareth Williams 2020– Dubbo Bulls 26
Australia Craig Sugden 2021–2022 Orange Waratahs
3 Australia Alec Bateson 2020–2022 Parkes Cobras 25
4 Australia Alex Richardson-Bell 2020– Dubbo Bulls 24
5 Australia Blake Austin 2020– Dubbo Bulls 22
6 Australia Jaiden Culbert 2021– Panorama 20
Australia Logan Inwood 2020–2022 Lithgow Workmen's
8 Australia Mitch Hutchings 2021– Parkes Cobras 18
Australia Jacob Soetens-Chidiac 2020–2022 Panorama
Australia Agieg Aluk 2022– Bathurst 75

Bold denotes players that has scored in the current 2023 Western Premier League season.

References
    1. Western Premier League's 2020 revival all but confirmed in Western Advocate 2 February 2020
    2. Western Premier League officially confirmed to return in 2020 in Western Advocate 17 February 2020
    3. Western Premier League season abandoned due to COVID lockdown in Daily Liberal, 26 August, 2021
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