1981 National Soccer League

The league increased from 14 to 16 teams prior to the 1981 season. Despite finishing second last—ordinarily a relegation position—in 1980, West Adelaide (known as Adelaide Hawks in 1981) were retained for 1981. Wooden-spooner St George were the only team to be relegated, with three new teams being introduced - Preston Makedonia (nicknamed Rams in 1981) Sydney Olympic (Sydney Olympians in 1981) and Wollongong City (Wollongong Wolves).{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/123990961/?terms=st%252Bgeorge%252Brelegated |title=Saints out of bigger PSL |last=Curran |first=Brian |date=1 November 1980 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2019-08-26 |language=en|url-access=subscription|page=70|via=Newspapers.com}}

Prior to the season commencing, in what was described as "Australianisation" of the national league, nicknames were imposed on the clubs, some of which were not popular with the teams themselves. Marconi President, Tony Labbozzetta expressed his dislike of the enforced nickname Leopards, suggesting "Call us Datsun", referring to a naming rights deal the club had made with the Japanese carmaker.{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/121332949/ |title=Hellas by any other name–No |last=Schwab |first=Laurie |date=16 February 1981 |work=The Age |access-date=2019-08-26 |page=31 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/122641517/ |title=Marconi seal $250,000 contract with car firm |last=Curran |first=Brian |date=29 January 1981 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2019-08-26 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com |page=32 |url-access=subscription}} Along with the new nicknames, new macho logos were introduced. John Clark, a marketing executive at the Australian Soccer Federation, claimed that "we are not trying to take ethnicism out of soccer" and that they were trying to appeal to boys "not following in their fathers' footsteps, boys now into space invaders, Buck Rogers in the 25th century, who aren't following soccer."{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/121824683/ |title=Aussie image |last=Larkin |first=John |date=6 August 1981 |work=The Age |access-date=2019-08-26 |language=en|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription|page=2}}{{Cite news |last=Schwab |first=Laurie |date=28 January 1981 |title=Giants, Wolves, Gunners and a Packer look |work=Soccer Action |url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxjATk9ezHsaZXNWN19LcllZdEU |url-access=subscription |page=3|access-date=2020-05-19}}

The league consisted of a double round-robin format, played between February and September. The league was required to finish by the end of September due to Australia's hosting of the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship in October.{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/123991620/ |title=Bigger PSL will feel the squeeze |date=2 November 1980 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2019-08-26 |language=en|url-access=subscription|page=83|via=Newspapers.com}} Unlike the 1980 season, a post-season finals series was not held and the league championship was awarded to the team at the top of the table. The final series was reintroduced the following year.{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/123992125/ |title=Top-four scrapped in PSL shake-up |last=Curran |first=Brian |date=3 November 1980 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2019-08-26 |language=en|url-access=subscription|via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/121448625/ |title=Grand final in Philips League |date=21 December 1981 |work=The Age |access-date=2019-08-26 |language=en|page=19|url-access=subscription|via=Newspapers.com}}

{{Location map+ | Australia |float=right |width=700|caption=Location of teams in 1981 National Soccer League

| places =

{{Location map~ | Australia

| label = Sydney

| lat_deg = -33.86

| lon_deg = 151.21 }}

{{Location map~ | Australia

| label = Melbourne

| lat_deg = -37.81

| lon_deg = 144.96 }}

{{Location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-34.907316|lon_deg=138.56668|label=Adelaide Giants |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-34.907316|lon_deg=138.56668|label=Adelaide Hawks |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-27.441992|lon_deg=153.0156|label=Brisbane Gladiators |position=top}}

{{Location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-27.441992|lon_deg=153.0156|label=Brisbane Lions |position=bottom}}

{{Location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-32.918853|lon_deg=151.72433|label=Newcastle KB Raiders |position=top}}

{{Location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-35.24998|lon_deg=149.1005149|label=Canberra Arrows |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-34.427236|lon_deg=150.8998|label=Wollongong Wolves |position=right}}

{{location map~ |Australia |lat_deg=-15.147837|lon_deg=116.127727|label=Sydney teams:
Blacktown Demons
Leichhardt Strikers
Marconi Stallions FC
Sydney Olympians
Sydney Slickers
Melbourne teams:
Footscray Eagles
Heidelberg Warriors
Preston Rams
South Melbourne FC |position=right |mark=TransparentPlaceholder.png | background = #F9F9F9}}

}}

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=R

|winpoints=2|drawpoints=1|losspoints=0

|result15=R

|team_order=SYC, SOU, BRC, API, CAN, BRL, ADE, HEI, SYO, NKU, WOL, PRE, FOO, MAR, BLA, WES

|win_ADE=13|draw_ADE=6 |loss_ADE=11|gf_ADE=46|ga_ADE=42

|win_API=12|draw_API=11|loss_API=7 |gf_API=39|ga_API=33

|win_BLA=6 |draw_BLA=9 |loss_BLA=15|gf_BLA=32|ga_BLA=47

|win_BRC=12|draw_BRC=11|loss_BRC=7 |gf_BRC=37|ga_BRC=25

|win_BRL=11|draw_BRL=11|loss_BRL=8 |gf_BRL=41|ga_BRL=33

|win_CAN=13|draw_CAN=7 |loss_CAN=10|gf_CAN=41|ga_CAN=32

|win_FOO=9 |draw_FOO=7 |loss_FOO=14|gf_FOO=32|ga_FOO=48

|win_HEI=12|draw_HEI=7 |loss_HEI=11|gf_HEI=48|ga_HEI=40

|win_MAR=9 |draw_MAR=7 |loss_MAR=14|gf_MAR=23|ga_MAR=45

|win_NKU=11|draw_NKU=8 |loss_NKU=11|gf_NKU=41|ga_NKU=41

|win_PRE=9 |draw_PRE=7 |loss_PRE=14|gf_PRE=39|ga_PRE=41

|win_SOU=13|draw_SOU=13|loss_SOU=4 |gf_SOU=41|ga_SOU=27

|win_SYC=19|draw_SYC=5 |loss_SYC=6 |gf_SYC=59|ga_SYC=30

|win_SYO=11|draw_SYO=9 |loss_SYO=10|gf_SYO=46|ga_SYO=46

|win_WES=5 |draw_WES=4 |loss_WES=21|gf_WES=26|ga_WES=57

|win_WOL=8 |draw_WOL=12|loss_WOL=10|gf_WOL=35|ga_WOL=39

|status_SYC=C

|status_BLA=R

|name_ADE=Adelaide City

|name_API=APIA Leichhardt

|name_BLA=Blacktown City

|name_BRC=Brisbane City

|name_BRL=Brisbane Lions

|name_CAN=Canberra City

|name_FOO=Footscray JUST

|name_HEI=Heidelberg United

|name_MAR=Marconi Fairfield

|name_NKU=Newcastle KB United

|name_PRE=Preston Makedonia

|name_SOU=South Melbourne

|name_SYC=Sydney City

|name_SYO=Sydney Olympic

|name_WES=West Adelaide

|name_WOL=Wollongong City

|col_R=red1 |text_R=Relegated to the 1982 NSW State League

|class_rules=1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/aushist.html rsssf.com]

}}

{{#invoke:Sports results|main

|update=complete

|source=[http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1981/NSL.html OzFootball]

|matches_style = FBR

|team1=AAA |team2=BBB |team3=CCC |team4=DDD |team5=EEE |team6=FFF |team7=GGG |team8=HHH |team9=III |team10=JJJ |team11=KKK |team12=LLL |team13=MMM |team14=NNN |team15=OOO |team16=PPP

|name_AAA=Adelaide Giants |short_AAA=AG

|name_BBB=Adelaide Hawks |short_BBB=AH

|name_CCC=Blacktown Demons |short_CCC=BD

|name_DDD=Brisbane Gladiators |short_DDD=BG

|name_EEE=Brisbane Lions |short_EEE=BL

|name_FFF=Canberra Arrows |short_FFF=CA

|name_GGG=Footscray Eagles |short_GGG=FE

|name_HHH=Heidelberg Warriors |short_HHH=HW

|name_III=Leichhardt Strikers |short_III=LS

|name_JJJ=Marconi-Datsun Leopards |short_JJJ=ML

|name_KKK=Newcastle KB Raiders |short_KKK=NR

|name_LLL=Preston Rams |short_LLL=PR

|name_MMM=South Melbourne Gunners |short_MMM=SM

|name_NNN=Sydney Olympians |short_NNN=SO

|name_OOO=Sydney Slickers (C) |short_OOO=SS

|name_PPP=Wollongong Wolves |short_PPP=WW

|match_AAA_OOO=0-1

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}}

• Player of the Year: Bobby Russell (Adelaide Giants){{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/122632017/ |title=Russell is Soccer's top player |date=22 October 1981 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=41 |access-date=2019-08-26 |language=en|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription}}
• U-21 Player of the Year: David Mitchell (Adelaide Giants)
• Top Scorer(s): Gary Cole (Heidelberg Warriors – 16 goals){{Cite news |url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/121256447/ |title=Cole again wins soccer goal title |last=Schwab |first=Laurie |date=14 September 1981 |work=The Age |access-date=2019-08-27 |page=30 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription}}
• Coach of the Year: Eddie Thomson (Sydney Slickers)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/1981/NSLTable.html OzFootball Archives - 1981 NSL Season]

• 1981 NSL Cup

{{AUS fb NSL}}

Category:National Soccer League (Australia) seasons

National Soccer League

Australia

National Soccer League