1996–97 NSL Cup
| National Soccer League Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | Australia |
| Dates | 15 September – 6 October 1996 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Defending champions | South Melbourne |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Collingwood Warriors (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Marconi Fairfield |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 23 |
| Goals scored | 59 (2.57 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Francis Awaritefe (3 goals) |
The 1996–97 NSL Cup was the 21st and final edition of the NSL Cup, which was the main national association football knockout cup competition in Australia. The NSL Cup was sponsored by Johnnie Walker and known as the Johnnie Walker Cup for sponsorship purposes.
South Melbourne were the defending champions, having defeated Newcastle Breakers to win their second title in the previous season's final, but they were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Collingwood Warriors.
Collingwood Warriors defeated Marconi Fairfield 1–0 in the final to win their first NSL Cup title.[1]
Teams[edit]
The NSL Cup was a knockout competition with 16 teams taking part all trying to reach the Final in October 1996.[2] The competition consisted of 13 out of 14 teams from the National Soccer League (with the exclusion of Perth Glory) plus Brisbane Lions and two state representative sides of Northern NSW Soccer Federation and South Australian Soccer Federation.[3][4]
| Round | Main date | Number of fixtures | Clubs remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Wednesday 18 September 1996 | 8 | 16 → 8 |
| Quarter-finals | Saturday 21 September 1996 | 4 | 8 → 4 |
| Semi-finals | Saturday 28 September 1996 | 2 | 4 → 2 |
| Final | Sunday 6 October 1996 | 1 | 2 → 1 |
Bracket[edit]
First round[edit]
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide City | 1–0 | West Adelaide | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| South Australian Select XI | 1–2 | Collingwood Warriors | 1–0 | 0–2 (a.e.t.) |
| South Melbourne | 4–2 | Gippsland Falcons | 1–2 | 3–0 |
| Canberra Cosmos | 2–4 | Melbourne Knights | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| Wollongong City | 1–4 | Marconi-Fairfield | 1–0 | 1–3 |
| Northern NSW Select XI | 2–12 | Newcastle Breakers | 1–7 | 1–5 |
| Sydney United | 0–2 | Sydney Olympic | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Brisbane Strikers | 2–1 | Brisbane Lions | 0–1 | 2–0 (a.e.t.) |
| 4 September 1996 | Wollongong City | 0–1 | Marconi Fairfield | Wollongong |
| 19:30 AEST | Report |
|
Stadium: Balls Paddock Referee: Simon Micallef |
| 13–14 September 1996 | Marconi Fairfield | 3–1 | Wollongong City | Sydney |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Marconi Stadium |
Marconi Fairfield won 4–1 on aggregate
| 6 September 1996 | UTS Olympic | 1–0 | Sydney United | Sydney |
| 19:30 AEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Sydney United Sports Centre Referee: Brett Hugo |
| 10 September 1996 | Sydney United | 0–1 | UTS Olympic | Sydney |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Sydney United Sports Centre Referee: Simon Micallef |
UTS Olympic won 2–0 on aggregate
| 6 September 1996 | South Melbourne | 1–2 | Gippsland Falcons | Melbourne |
| 19:30 AEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Bob Jane Stadium Referee: Gerry Connolly |
| 13 September 1996 | Gippsland Falcons | 0–3 | South Melbourne | Morwell |
| 19:30 AEST | Report |
|
Stadium: Falcons Park |
South Melbourne won 4–2 on aggregate
| 7 September 1996 | Brisbane Strikers | 0–1 | Brisbane Lions | Brisbane |
| 19:00 AEST | Report |
|
Stadium: Perry Park Referee: Daniel Crawford |
| 15 September 1996 | Brisbane Lions | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | Brisbane Strikers | Brisbane |
| 15:00 AEST | Report | Stadium: Richlands Stadium Referee: Matthew Shield |
Brisbane Strikers won 2–1 on aggregate
| 7 September 1996 | Canberra Cosmos | 1–2 | Melbourne Knights | Canberra |
| 19:00 AEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Bruce Stadium Referee: Con Diomis |
| 13 September 1996 | Melbourne Knights | 2–1 | Canberra Cosmos | Melbourne |
| 19:30 AEST | Report | Stadium: Knights Park Referee: Gerry Connolly |
Melbourne Knights won 4–2 on aggregate
| 12 September 1996 | Northern NSW Soccer Federation XI | 1–7 | Newcastle Breakers | Newcastle |
| 19:00 AEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Jack McLaughlin Oval Referee: G. Leverton |
| 18 September 1996 | Newcastle Breakers | 5–1 | Northern NSW Soccer Federation XI | Newcastle |
| 19:00 AEST | Report |
|
Stadium: Breakers Stadium Referee: Matthew Breeze |
Newcastle Breakers won 12–2 on aggregate
| 15 September 1996 | Adelaide City | 0–0 | West Adelaide | Adelaide |
| 19:30 ACST | Report | Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Referee: B. Panella |
| 18 September 1996 | West Adelaide | 0–1 | Adelaide City | Adelaide |
| 20:00 ACST | Report |
|
Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium |
Adelaide City won 1–0 on aggregate
| 15 September 1996 | Collingwood Warriors | 0–1 | South Australian Soccer Federation XI | Adelaide |
| 19:30 ACST | Report |
|
Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Referee: Wayne Dade |
| 18 September 1996 | South Australian Soccer Federation XI | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | Collingwood Warriors | Adelaide |
| 17:30 ACST | Report |
|
Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium |
Collingwood Warriors won 2–1 on aggregate
Quarter-finals[edit]
| 20 September 1996 | Marconi Fairfield | 3–1 | Newcastle Breakers | Sydney |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Marconi Stadium Referee: G. Leverton |
| 21 September 1996 | Brisbane Strikers | 3–1 | UTS Olympic | Sydney |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Marconi Stadium Referee: Gerry Connolly |
| 21 September 1996 | South Melbourne | 1–0 | Melbourne Knights | |
|
Report | Referee: Gerry Connolly |
| 22 September 1996 | Adelaide City | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (1–3 p) | Collingwood Warriors | Adelaide |
| Report | Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Referee: Con Diomis |
Semi-finals[edit]
| 27 September 1996 | South Melbourne | 1–3 | Collingwood Warriors | Melbourne |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Bob Jane Stadium |
| 28 September 1996 | Marconi Fairfield | 5–0 | Brisbane Strikers | Sydney |
| Report | Stadium: Marconi Stadium Referee: Eddie Lennie |
Final[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Tuffnell, Dwyght. "NEW BOYS SHOCK ELITE". Australian Soccer Weekly. Vol. 17, no. 794. p. 3.
- ^ Esamie, Thomas. "1996/97 National Soccer League Cup". OzFootball. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Falcons test four players in pre-season National Cup". The Age. 6 September 1996. p. 36. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ Gatt, Ray (9 August 1996). "Cup could be a knockout". The Australian.
New national league club Perth Glory have been given permission to miss the Johnnie Walker Cup so they can maximise preparations for their entry into the Ericsson Cup...