The Federation Professional League (FPL) was a South African association football league founded in 1969. At the time, under the country's apartheid policies, integrated sport was prohibited, and the National Football League (NFL) existed as a separate league for white teams only. The FPL was established as a non-racial league in the wake of the SASL's disbandment in 1967.
Previous winners Year Winner Runner-up Third-placeFPL League1969Verulam Suburbs 1970Cape Town Spurs Mainstay League 1971Cape Town Spurs 1972Glenville 1973Cape Town Spurs 1974Cape Town Spurs 1975Berea 1976Cape Town Spurs 1977Swaraj United FPL Castle League 1978Durban City Seven Seas League 1979Cape Town Spurs 1980Glenville 1981Cape Town Spurs 1982Glendene 1983Lightbody's Santos 1984Lightbody's Santos Quindrink League 1985Swaraj United La Mercy Beach League 1986Lightbody's Santos 1987Lightbody's Santos 1988Lightbody's Santos 1989Battswood 1990Lightbody's SantosBattswood F.C.Port Elizabeth Blackpool
When the league folded in December 1990, six teams continued for the next season, at the highest level of South African football, known as NSL Castle League. Those six highest ranked teams were: Real Taj, Tongaat Crusaders United, Bosmont Chelsea, Santos, Manning Rangers, Dangerous Darkies.
TeamTitlesYears Cape Town Spurs 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1981 Lightbody's Santos 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990 Glenville 1972, 1980 Swaraj United 1977, 1985 Verulam Suburbs 1969 Berea 1975 Durban City 1978 Glendene 1982 Battswood 1989
Player awards
Player of the year YearPlayerClub 1973 Danny Abrahams Cape Town Spurs 1974 Daya Maistry Berea 1975 Virgil Padayachee Swaraj 1976 Michael Moodley Manning Rangers 1977 Bernie Van Niekerk Cape Town Spurs 1978 Deena Nai- doo Manning Rangers 1979 Paul Bishop Avalon Athletic 1980 Boebie Solomons Cape Town Spurs 1981 Edwin Fredericks Berea 1982 Noel Goodall Chelsea 1983 Farouk Abrahams Maritzburg United 1984 Ravi Pillay Maritzburg United 1985 Der- eck Naidoo Manning Rangers 1986 Dorrington Webster Real Taj
Top goalscorers
YearPlayerClub 1970 Bernard Hartze Cape Town Spurs 1971 Bernard Hartze Cape Town Spurs 1972 Patrick "Bomber" Chamane Maritzburg City 1973 James George Cape Town Spurs 1974 Neville Londt Cape Town Spurs 1975 Scampy Bissessor Berea 1976 Vincent Julius Sundowns 1977 Jimmy Joubert Swaraj 1978 Ian Gillies Maritzburg City 1979 Kader Sulia- man Cape Town Spurs 1980 Elvis Singh Leeds 1981 Kader Sulaiman Cape Town Spurs 1982 Duncan Crowie Glendene 1983 Duncan Crowie Glendene 1984 Derrick Eastwood Swaraj 1985 Michael Mtshali Real Taj 1986 Harry de la Cruz Maritzburg United 1987 1988 1989 Duncan Crowie Lightbody's Santos 1990
References