Football NSW launched the 2014 NPL season prior to the final Sydney Derby on Saturday.
Wanderer Jessica Seaman was a guest speaker as Football NSW launched the 2014 National Premier Leagues (NPL) season for Mens 1, Mens 2 and Womens 1 clubs held at Allianz Stadium prior to the final Sydney Derby on Saturday.
In what will be a monumental season for both the top tier men-s and women-s competitions, football in Australia will firmly take centre stage as the sport to watch out for in 2014.
With the FIFA World Cup in June, the AFC Women-s Asian Cup in May and the Asian Cup on the horizon, the appeal to win silverware for clubs has never been greater. For NPL NSW Mens competitions, the historical Waratah Cup, the newly established FFA Cup and the NPL National Title will all be on offer. Both Men-s and Women-s competitions will also battle it out for Premiership and Championship honours.
Football NSW Waratah Cup will play an integral role this season as it is the qualifying competition for the inaugural FFA Cup. NSW has been allocated seven (7) spots in the FFA Cup and will have over 100 participating clubs vying for a berth.
The National Premier Leagues Cup will be defended by iconic IGA NPL NSW Mens 1 side Sydney United 58 FC after they took out the inaugural title against South Hobart last year.
The IGA National Premier Leagues NSW Mens 1 and SUPA IGA National Premier Leagues NSW Mens 2 competitions will enter their second successive seasons after both leagues enjoyed an unforgettable start to a new era in football.
In the Women-s category, Football NSW will be the first Member Federation to roll out the National Premier Leagues format for its top tier female competition indicating once more that NSW is leading the way with the development of the game.
Speaking at the official launch in Sydney, Football NSW CEO Eddie Moore said he was anticipating a huge year for football.
“It will be an action packed season for all our clubs, players, coaches, referees and volunteers involved with the sport.
“We expect that there will be some very entertaining matches across all our National Premier Leagues competitions with a number of trophies up for grabs.
“We are proud to see that the Women-s game will see its first ever National Premier Leagues season rolled out in NSW after seeing the success of the Men-s competitions in 2013.
“The introduction of the FFA Cup will also bring a new element to our wonderful game which I am sure will attract allot of interest.
“I would like to wish all clubs the best for the upcoming season and look forward to seeing the game progress.”