The National Football League (NFL) was the first professional football league in South Africa, established in 1959. At first the NFL received stiff opposition from the SAFA, the amateur governing body which controlled the major football grounds in the county. The SAFA was a member of FIFA at the time.
Initially, only two areas of South Africa were represented - Transvaal and Durban - but gradually the league became more geographically representative. The teams that joined the league in 1959 were-Transvaal (9 teams)-Rangers, Germiston Callies, Arcadia Shepherds, Benoni United, Randfontein, Pretoria City, Brakpan United, Johannesburg City & Southern Park. Natal (3 teams)-Durban City, Durban United & Maritzburg Celtic. The League kicked-off on 4 July 1959 (only one round was played).
A promotion play-off for the Champions of the various State Leagues was introduced in 1962, and the league spread to Cape Town (1962), Bloemfontein (1963) and Port Elizabeth (1964). An NFL Division II was established in 1969, with the Champions promoted to Division I. The league was competitive during the apartheid era, and only white players were allowed to participate. However a few NFL teams traveled to neighboring countries to play friendlies.1961 Durban City beat a multi-racial Salisbury Combined XI 8-2 at the Glamis Stadium. An NFL XI lost to a Rhodesian XI 2-6, at the Raylton Sports ground. Germiston Callies played a non-white team, Black Pirates in Maseru, Lesotho. 25 February 1961.
However, black players did participate in the competition. The first to do so was Vincent Julius, he represented Arcadia Shepherds in 1976 versus Highlands Park. Highlands Park protested Julius' presence but the NFL allowed him to play. The South African Home Office took no action having been convinced by Arcadia Shepherds that the story would be told all around the world and cast the ruling party in a bad light.
When NFL folded after 18 years in 1977, it was superseded by a non-racial league. In practical terms, a merger happened between NFL (for whites) and NPSL (for blacks), to become the new common NPSL.
Winners
YearWinnersRunners-upThird place 1959Durban City (1)Rangers JohannesburgDurban United 1960Highlands Park (1)Durban CityGermiston Callies 1961Durban City (2)Highlands ParkGermiston Callies 1962Highlands Park (2)Southern SuburbsDurban City 1963Addington (1)Highlands ParkDurban City 1964Highlands Park (3)Durban CityDurban United 1965Highlands Park (4)Cape Town CityDurban City 1966Highlands Park (5)Port Elizabeth CityDurban United 1967Port Elizabeth City (1)Highlands ParkCape Town City 1968Highlands Park (6)Durban UnitedPowerlines 1969Durban Spurs (2*)PowerlinesHighlands Park 1970Durban City (3)Cape Town CityMaritzburg 1971Hellenic (1)Cape Town CityDurban City 1972Durban City (4)HellenicBerea Park 1973Cape Town City (1)Highlands ParkHellenic 1974Arcadia Shepherds (1)Cape Town CityMaritzburg 1975Highlands Park (7)HellenicMaritzburg 1976Cape Town City (2)Highlands ParkWits University 1977Highlands Park (8)LusitanoDurban United Note that Addington were known as Durban Spurs when they won their second championship. Source:
TeamTitlesYears Highlands Park 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1975, 1977 Durban City 1959, 1961, 1970, 1972 Durban Spurs 1963, 1969 Cape Town City 1973, 1976 Port Elizabeth City 1967 Hellenic 1971 Arcadia Shepherds 1974
Individual honours
YearPlayer of the YearFootballer of the YearForeign Player of the YearTop Scorer 1959Rocco Smith (Benoni United)N/AN/ALes Salton (Durban City) 21 1960Malcolm Rufus (Durban City)N/AN/APip Hughes (Highlands Park) 37 1961Les Salton (Durban City)N/AN/ALes Salton (Durban City) 46 1962George Barratt (Durban City)N/AN/APeter McEwan (Germiston Callies) 36 1963Ken Denysschen (Durban City)N/AN/ABazil Johnson (Arcadia United) 43 1964 Bobby Chalmers (Durban City)N/AN/ALes Salton (Durban United) 42 1965Malcolm Rufus (Highlands Park)N/AN/AArne Bjørnstad (Boksburg) & Freddie Kalk (Highlands Park) 33 1966Freddie Kalk (Highlands Park)Robin Lowe (Durban United) Willie McIntosh (Highlands Park) Walter da Silva (Highlands Park) 44 1967Bob Davies (Rangers)Charlie Naude (Germiston Callies) Bryan Orritt (Southern Suburbs)Jim Scott (Durban City) 28 1968Henry Hauser (Addington)Derek Smethurst (Durban City) Peter Rath (Powerlines)Stan Forster (Rangers) 32 1969Richard Allen (Cape Town City)Frank Pereira (Powerlines) Gary France (Cape Town City)Walter da Silva (Powerlines) 21 1970Archie Soekoe (Rangers)Bennie Booysen (Southern Suburbs) Tony Macedo (Durban City)Jim Scott (Durban City) 31 1971 George Eastham (Hellenic)Ronnie Mann (Durban City) Ben Anderson (Cape Town City) Jim Scott (Durban City-16/Durban United-6) 22 1972Trevor Gething (Berea Park)Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) Johnny Haynes (Durban City)Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) 26 1973Ian Bender (Durban Celtic)Hennie Joubert (Highlands Park) Peter Withe (Arcadia Shepherds)Wilf de Bruin (Hellenic) 24 1974Steve Wegerle (Arcadia Shepherds)Steve Wegerle (Arcadia Shepherds) Dave Huson (Hellenic)Ian Bender (Durban Celtic) 17 1975Gary France (Cape Town City) 20 1976Chris Chilton (Highlands Park) 19 1977Ian Bender (Maritzburg)Tony Stathakis (Highlands Park) 28
Leading Aggregate Goalscorers
TotalPlayerClubsSeasons 253Les SaltonDurban City (109)Durban United (144)1959-66 205Bobby ChalmersDurban City (106)Durban United (50)Maritzburg (49)1962-74 196Freddie KalkSouthern Suburbs (64)Highlands Park (132)1960-73 192Wilf De BruinHellenic FC (192)1970-1983 184Arne BjørnstadBoksburg (143)Southern Suburbs (41)1960-70 157Jim ScottDurban City (129)Durban United (22)Johannesburg Corinthians (5)Maritzburg (1)1966-74 154Vernon WentzelDurban City (46)Addington (108)1962-68 153Percy OwenRangers Johannesburg1960-68 142Walter da SilvaHellenic (18)Highlands Park (64)Powerlines (50)Berea Park (10)1964-72 136Ronnie MannDurban United (87)Durban City (41)Guild Apollo (8)1962-77 132Danny Le RouxDurban City (58)Durban United (71)Addington (3)1959-67
List of NFL Clubs (1959–1977)
Club Location Seasons Name changes, mergers etc.AddingtonDurban 1962-68= (=Durban Spurs)Arcadia ShepherdsPretoria 1959-62; =69-77 Merged with ISCOR Pretoria (=Arcadia United=)ARCADIA UNITEDPretoria 1963-68= Merger of Arcadia Shepherds and ISCOR Pretoria (=Arcadia Shepherds)BENONI UNITEDEast Rand 1959-63 Merged with Brakpan United and Springs (Transvaal Lge.) (=East Rand United)Berea ParkPretoria 1960-64; 70-76 Merged with Pretoria CityBLOEMFONTEIN CITYBloemfontein 1963-66; 69-71 BoksburgEast Rand 1960-67; 74 BRAKPAN UNITEDEast Rand 1959-63 Merged with Benoni United and Springs (Transvaal Lge.) (=East Rand United)Cape Town CityCape Town 1962-77 DURBAN CELTICDurban 1972-74= (=Pinetown Celtic)Durban City F.C.Durban 1959-77 DURBAN RAMBLERSDurban 1963 DURBAN SPURSDurban =1969 (Addington=) Merged with Durban United (=Durban Spurs United)DURBAN SPURS UNITEDDurban 1970= Merger of Durban Spurs and Durban United (=Durban United)Durban UnitedDurban 1959-69; =71-77 Merged with Durban Spurs (=Durban Spurs United=)EAST LONDON CELTICEast London 1969-70 Merged with East London City (Cape Eastern Lge.) (=East London United)East London UnitedEast London 1971-77 Merger of East London Celtic and East London City (Cape Eastern Lge.)EAST RAND UNITEDEast Rand 1964; 66 Merger of Benoni United, Brakpan United and Springs O.B. (Transvaal Lge.). Played on in the Transvaal Lge. as East Rand United, before resurfacing as Benoni United in NFL's new Division Two.Germiston CalliesEast Rand 1959-77 GUILD APOLLOWest Rand 1976= Merger of Jewish Guild and Johannesburg Corinthians (=Roodepoort Guild)HellenicCape Town 1964-77 Highlands ParkJohannesburg 1960-70; =73-77 Merged with Powerlines (=Highlands Power=)HIGHLANDS POWERJohannesburg 1971-72= Merger of Highlands Park and Powerlines (=Highlands Park)ISCOR PRETORIAPretoria 1961-62 Merged with Arcadia Shepherds (=Arcadia United)Jewish GuildWest Rand 1971-75 Merged with Johannesburg Corinthians (=Guild Apollo)JOHANNESBURG CITYJohannesburg =1960-61 (Northern United=) Played on in the Transvaal Lge. until 1964, then merging with Marist Brothers AFCJohannesburg CorinthiansJohannesburg 1967-69 Played on in the NFL's new Division Two until merging with Jewish Guild (=Guild Apollo)JOHANNESBURG RAMBLERSJohannesburg 1960-62 Merged with Rangers JohannesburgJOHANNESBURG WANDERERSJohannesburg 1962-65 Played in provincial competitions as Johannesburg Wanderers, before returning to the national scene as Southern Albion in NFL's new Division Two.LusitanoJohannesburg 1973-77 MARIST BROTHERS AFCJohannesburg 1960-65 Merged with Johannesburg CityMaritzburgPietermaritzburg 1968-77 Played in the Natal Lge. as Durban Municipals 1953-67MARITZBURG CELTICPietermaritzburg 1959 NORTHERN UNITEDJohannesburg 1959= (=Johannesburg City)OLYMPIAEast Rand 1965-67 PINETOWN CELTICDurban =1975 (Durban Celtic=)Port Elizabeth CityPort Elizabeth 1964-73 PowerlinesEast Rand 1968-70 Merged with Highlands Park (=Highlands Power)PRETORIA CITYPretoria 1959 Merged with Berea Park (Transvaal Lge.)RANDFONTEINWest Rand 1959-61= (=West Rand United)Rangers JohannesburgJohannesburg 1959-77 Merged with Johannesburg RamblersROODEPOORT GUILDWest Rand =1977 (Guild Apollo=)SHAMROCKSPietermaritzburg 1975-76 SOUTHERN PARKJohannesburg 1959-60= (=Southern Suburbs)Southern SuburbsJohannesburg =1961-72 (Southern Park=)WEST RAND UNITEDWest Rand =1962-63 (Randfontein=) Played on in the Transvaal Lge. as West Rand United, then FloridaWESTVIEW APOLLONPort Elizabeth 1966-67 Wits UniversityJohannesburg 1976-77
List of 2nd Level Clubs (1969–1975)
Club Location Seasons (NFL2) Notes etc.BENONI UNITEDEast Rand 1970 Former NFL team; withdrew after one seasonBEREA PARKPretoria 1969 Former NFL team; returned to the top level as first Champions of NFL's Division TwoBLOEMFONTEIN RANGERSBloemfontein 1972-73 RelegatedBOKSBURGEast Rand 1970-73; 1975 Former NFL team; returned briefly to the top levelDURBAN CELTICDurban =1970-71 (Escombe=) PromotedESCOMBEDurban 1969= (=Durban Celtic)FLORIDA ALBIONWest Rand =1970-75 Merger of Florida (Transvaal Lge.) and Southern Albion, both clubs were renamed former NFL teams (West Rand United and Johannesburg Wanderers, respectively).GERMISTON PRIMROSE CITYEast Rand 1971-73 RelegatedHARMONYFree State 1970-71; 74-75 HIBS-AUSONIACape Town 1969 Withdrew after a single season despite finishing as Runners-upJEWISH GUILDWest Rand 1969-70 PromotedJOHANNESBURG CORINTHIANSJohannesburg 1970-75 First team to be relegated to NFL's new Division Two. Merged with Jewish Guild (=Guild Apollo)KIMBERLEY ATHLETICFree State 1969-70 RelegatedKOEDOE PARKWest Rand 1971-72; 1974 Relegated twiceLUSITANOJohannesburg 1971-72 PromotedMARIST BROTHERS AFCJohannesburg 1972 Former NFL team; finished last in their only season in Division TwoOLYMPIAEast Rand 1973-75 Former NFL teamPARTHENONEast Rand 1969-75 PORT ELIZABETH CITYPort Elizabeth 1974-75 Former NFL ChampionsSHAMROCKSPietermaritzburg 1972-74 PromotedSK WINDHOEK CITYWindhoek, South-West Africa =1974-75 Merger of SK Windhoek (SWA Lge.) and Windhoek CitySOUTHERN ALBIONJohannesburg 1969= Had played in the NFL as Johannesburg Wanderers. Merged with Florida (=Florida Albion)SOUTHERN SUBURBSJohannesburg 1973-75 Former NSL Runners-upVAAL UNITEDWest Rand 1970-71; 73-75 VIKTORIA 89East Rand 1969-75 Had played in the Transvaal Lge. as Sparta ViktoriaWINDHOEK CITYWindhoek, South-West Africa 1970-73= Merged with local club SK Windhoek (=SK Windhoek City)WINDHOEK RAMBLERSWindhoek, South-West Africa 1969 Withdrew after one seasonWITS UNIVERSITYJohannesburg 1969-75 Last team to win promotion from NFL's Division Two
Overseas teams that toured
1961. Leicester City, 1961 F.A.Cup finalists played Durban City on 27 May 1961, at Kingsmead. This was the first time that two professional teams from England and South Africa had played against one another. Leicester City won 2-0. Leicester City drew with Combined Transvaal 1-1, at the Rand Stadium.