Victorian Premier League

infobox football league

pixels = 160
country = flagicon|AUS Australia
founded = 1908
first = 1909
teams = 12
champions = Altona Magic
season = 2008
premiers = Green Gully Cavaliers
website = http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/foxtelcup.phpThe Victorian Premier League (known as the Foxtel Cup in 2007 and 2008 for sponsorship purposes), is the highest State level association football (soccer) competition in Victoria, Australia. Nationally, it is one grade lower than the A-League. It is conducted by the Football Federation Victoria, the state's football (soccer) governing body.

History

The league commenced in 1909 with Carlton United being the first champions, and has run continuously except for a three season postponement from 1916-1918 owing to World War 1. After 1945 the league, like fellow state competitions around the country, received a massive boost in numbers and quality with the post-war influx of European migrants, whose dominance was established so effectively that no club that had won the title before 1952, Juventus' first title, has won one since.

Juventus would go on to dominate the league in the 1950's, winning six titles, including five in a row from 1952-1956. From 1962 until 1976 the league was largely dominated by South Melbourne Hellas and Footscray JUST, who won 11 titles between them.

With the creation of the National Soccer League in 1977, the league was gradually drained of most of its stronger clubs, a trend which reached its peak during the period of 1984-1986 when the NSL used a split conference system. Post 1987 however the league slowly started regaining clubs, firstly those which had been discarded when the conference system experiment was abandoned, and later when clubs became permanently relegated by the NSL to their respective state leagues. The dominant side during the years 1977-2004 was Green Gully, who won six titles during this period, despite also missing the years 1984-1986 from being in the NSL.

Following the demise of the NSL in 2004, the remaining two Victorian NSL teams Melbourne Knights and South Melbourne FC were granted permission to play in the VPL season of 2005. The league received a major boost at the start of the 2005 season when Vodafone became major naming rights sponsors, with the competition being renamed the Vodafone Cup. The 2005 season initially saw crowds flocking in record numbers to witness the return of old derbies such as that between South Melbourne and Heidelberg United, but 2006 saw a sharp decline in attendances.

The end of the 2006 season also saw a controversial finish to the relegation battle. With three teams finishing on 30 points, Sunshine George Cross were relegated on goal difference. However, a post-season appeal to the tribunal on the grounds that Essendon Royals had fielded a suspended player (Ilcho Mladenovski in round 24) saw the Royals deducted a point and relegated. Ultimately, both clubs reprised their position in the following season's competition with the inclusion of the Australian Institute of Sport evening out the numbers to 16, and as the first part of reforms to the competition set to be brought about in 2008.

V-League

On the 1st of December 2006, it was announced that the Victorian Premier League would be rebranded the V-League, short for Victorian League, and keeping in line with the national equivalent, the A-League. The V-League was to consist of up to twelve teams instead of sixteen, and teams to be given a $200,000 salary cap, and venue requiring at least 500 undercover seats. [cite web| url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20849332-2883,00.html | title=Making a V-line for success | date=2006-01-12 ] However, plans to introduce the reforms for the 2008 season were shelved prior to the start of the 2007 season. [ [http://www.footballfedvic.com/storyview.php?id=943 Football Federation Victoria ] ] The FFV have since scraped this proposal and will continue with the current format.

Media Coverage

Coverage of The Foxtel Cup is provided by the local non-profit community television station, Channel 31 Melbourne on The Victorian Football Show, as well Green Gully providing a program of their own on the same network. As with the New South Wales Premier League Grand Final, an edited version of the 2006 and 2007 decider was also played on the Aurora pay television channel. Live calls of games were occasionally broadcast on sports radio station SEN 1116, along with discussion on the league, although that station's increased Australian Football League commitments have pushed that coverage aside. Print coverage is generally scant in Melbourne's two major daily newspapers, the Herald Sun and The Age, but more coverage is provided by specialist newspaper GoalWeekly, non-English language newspapers, and free suburban newspapers.

League Structure

Prior to 1992 a normal home and away league generally operated with the top team being declared champions. From 1992 onwards, except 1999 and 2000, at the end of the normal league season, the top five or six clubs went into a finals series of play-offs to decide the champion. The usual number of relegated teams is two.

2007 Table

2009 Teams

Champions

* 1909 - Carlton United
* 1910 - Carlton United
* 1911 - Williamstown
* 1912 - Williamstown
* 1913 - Yarraville (formerly Williamstown)
* 1914 - Melbourne Thistle
* 1915 - Melbourne Thistle
* 1916 - No Competition
* 1917 - No Competition
* 1918 - No Competition
* 1919 - Northumberland
* 1920 - Northumberland
* 1921 - Windsor
* 1922 - Northumberland
* 1923 - St Kilda
* 1924 - Footscray Thistle
* 1925 - Melbourne Thistle
* 1926 - Footscray Thistle
* 1927 - Prahran City
* 1928 - Flinders Naval Depot
* 1929 - Footscray Thistle
* 1930 - Footscray Thistle
* 1931 - Brunswick
* 1932 - Footscray Thistle
* 1933 - Royal Caledonians
* 1934 - Hakoah
* 1935 - Hakoah
* 1936 - Moreland
* 1937 - Moreland
* 1938 - Hakoah
* 1939 - Prahran
* 1940 - Nobels
* 1941 - Moreland
* 1942 - Prahran
* 1943 - Moreland/Hakoah
* 1944 - Prahran
* 1945 - Prahran
* 1946 - Moreland
* 1947 - Sunshine United
* 1948 - Box Hill
* 1949 - Brighton
* 1950 - Sunshine United
* 1951 - Yallourn
* 1952 - Juventus
* 1953 - Juventus
* 1954 - Juventus
* 1955 - Juventus
* 1956 - Juventus
* 1957 - Footscray JUST
* 1958 - Juventus
* 1959 - Wilhemina
* 1960 - Polonia
* 1961 - Polonia
* 1962 - South Melbourne Hellas
* 1963 - Footscray JUST
* 1964 - South Melbourne Hellas
* 1965 - South Melbourne Hellas
* 1966 - South Melbourne Hellas
* 1967 - Melbourne
* 1968 - Croatia
* 1969 - Footscray JUST
* 1970 - Juventus
* 1971 - Footscray JUST
* 1972 - South Melbourne Hellas
* 1973 - Footscray JUST
* 1974 - South Melbourne Hellas
* 1975 - Fitzroy United Alexander
* 1976 - South Melbourne Hellas
* 1977 - George Cross
* 1978 - Essendon Croatia
* 1979 - Essendon Croatia
* 1980 - Preston Makedonia
* 1981 - Green Gully
* 1982 - Green Gully
* 1983 - Green Gully
* 1984 - Morwell Falcons
* 1985 - Croydon City
* 1986 - Croydon City
* 1987 - Maribyrnong Polonia
* 1988 - Heidelberg United
* 1989 - Morwell Falcons
* 1990 - Heidelberg United
* 1991 - Brunswick Juventus
* 1992 - North Geelong Warriors
* 1993 - Bulleen Lions
* 1994 - Preston Lions
* 1995 - Altona Magic
* 1996 - Altona Magic
* 1997 - Altona Magic
* 1998 - Bulleen Inter Kings
* 1999 - Green Gully Cavaliers
* 2000 - Green Gully Cavaliers
* 2001 - Heidelberg United
* 2002 - Preston Lions
* 2003 - Green Gully Cavaliers
* 2004 - Bulleen Zebras
* 2005 - Green Gully Cavaliers
* 2006 - South Melbourne
* 2007 - Preston Lions
* 2008 - Altona Magic

Clubs participating - 1963-2008

* Albion Leyland/Albion Rovers/Albion Turk Gucu/Melton Reds (1978-79, 1982-1985, 1990-1997)
* Altona City(1977-1981)
* Altona East Phoenix (1999-2003)
* Altona Gate/Altona Magic (1989-)
* Bentleigh Greens (1996-2005)
* Box Hill (1969-1973, 1983-1990, 1995-1996)
* Broadmeadows (1984)
* Broadmeadows City (1987)
* Brunswick Juventus/Juventus (1963-1983, 1989-93)
* Bulleen Lions (1988-1997)
* Bulleen Zebras (1998-2006)
* Caulfield City (1986-1990, 1993)
* Coburg United (2008-)
* Croydon City (1979-84)
* Doncaster Rovers (1995)
* Doveton (1981-1984, 1991)
* Essendon Lions/Lions (1963-1970, 1977)
* Essendon Royals/Triestina ((1964-1965, 2001, 2003-2007)
* Fawkner Blues (1983-2004, 2007-)
* Fawkner-Whittlesea Blues (2005-2006)
* Fitzroy Serbia/Fitzroy City (2002)
* Footscray JUST/Melbourne City JUST (1963-1976, 1990)
* Frankston City (1977-1982)
* Frankston Pines (1984-1987, 1989-1990, 2003-2006, 2008-)
* George Cross Courage/George Cross/Sunshine George Cross (1963-1983, 1992-1999, 2005-2007)
* Green Gully Cavaliers (1977-1983, 1987-)
* Hakoah. St Kilda/St. Kilda Hellas-Hakoah (1963-1982)
* Heidelberg United/Fitzroy United Alexander/Alexander (1964, 1966-1968, 1970-1976, 1988, 1990, 1996-1998, 2000-2002, 2005-)
* Keilor Austria/Austria (1972-1974)
* Kingston City (2006-2007)
* Knox City (1984-1985, 1992-1993, 2004)
* Maribyrnong Polonia/Polonia (1963-77, 1982-1989)
* Melbourne Knights/Essendon Croatia/Melbourne Croatia (1963, 1965-72, 1977-1983, 2005-)
* Melbourne/Melbourne Hungaria (1963-1975, 1986)
* Melbourne Raiders (1999-2000)
* Moorabbin City (1998)
* Mooroolbark/Mooroolbark United (1974-1976, 1990-1991)
* Morwell Falcons (1982-1992)
* North Geelong Warriors (1992-1997)
* Northcote City (1981-1991)
* Oakleigh Cannons (1987-1988, 1991-1992, 2000, 2004-)
* Port Melbourne Sharks (1994-2003)
* Port Melbourne Slavia/Prahran Slavia (1963-1970, 1973-80)
* Preston Makedonia/Preston Lions (1967, 1976-80, 1994-1995, 1997-)
* Richmond SC/Alemannia Richmond (1963, 2006-)
* Ringwood City/Ringwood City Wilhelmina (1963-1966, 1968-1986, 1988-1990)
* South Dandenong/Dandeong Thunder (1998-1999, 2001)
* South Melbourne Hellas/South Melbourne FC (1963-1976, 1983, 2005-)
* Springvale City (1985-1989, 1993-1996)
* Springvale White Eagles (1997-1999, 2007)
* St. Albans Saints (1984-2005)
* Sunshine City (1975-1982)
* Thomastown Zebras (1985-1994, 1996-1998)
* Werribee City Bees (1994-1995)
* Western Suburbs SC (1980, 1984-1988, 2007-)
* Westvale (1999)
* Whittlesea Stallions (2002-2004)
* Whittlesea Zebras (2007-)

References

* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Clubs/ClubIndex.html OzFootball's Australian Club Database]
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/States/VIC.html OzFootball's Victorian League Archive]

External links

* [http://www.footballfedvic.com.au/foxtelcup.php Official site]
* [http://aussiesoccerstats.com Foxtell Cup Statistics]