Football West State League Division 1 Explained

Pixels:f
Country:Australia
Teams:11
Levels:3
Promotion:NPL
Relegation:State League 2
Domest Cup:Australia Cup
WA State Challenge Cup
Champions:Western Knights (2023)

The Football West State League Division 1 is a regional Australian semi-professional association football league comprising teams from Western Australia. The league sits at Level 2 on the Western Australian league system (Level 3 of the overall Australian league system). The competition is administered by Football West, the governing body of the sport in the state. The league has been called the All Flags State League Division 1 due to sponsorship arrangements since 2011.[1]

Format

The league operates with a promotion and relegation system. Promotion for the Champion of the Division to the National Premier Leagues Western Australia (NPL WA) was introduced for the 2015 season, and is subject to eligibility criteria.[2] The team that finishes as Premier (top of the table) is promoted to the NPL, with the teams that finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th competing in a promotion/relegation playoff series with the NPL team that finished 11th.

The team that finishes bottom of the table is relegated to the Football West State League Division 2, with the 2nd bottom team competing in a promotion/relegation playoff series with the teams that finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Football West State League Division 2.

Format history

Mandurah City were the 2015 champions but did not meet all of the Football West eligibility criteria to be promoted to the 2016 National Premier Leagues WA. Mandurah City and Joondalup United were promoted after the 2016 season to the NPL WA to make it a 14 team division,[3] [4] Mandurah City were relegated in 2017 after being defeated by Forrestfield United in a promotion/relegation play off.

After review by Football West the 2019 NPLWA season was decided to return to a 12 team competition; as a result, Subiaco AFC, Forrestfield United and Joondalup United were relegated and Rockingham City were promoted.[5]

In 2020, promotion and relegation was suspended for the season, due to the impacts on the competition from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[6]

Clubs

The following 12 clubs competed in the 2023 WA State League Division 1 season.

Clubs
Dianella White Eagles
Forrestfield United
Fremantle City FC
Gosnells City FC
Gwelup Croatia
Joondalup United
Mandurah City
Rockingham City
Subiaco AFC
Swan United
UWA-Nedlands FC
Western Knights

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Football West: All Flags State League. www.footballwest.com.au. 2015-12-01.
  2. Web site: WA football enters new era - Football West - NPL.
  3. Web site: NPLWA unchanged in 2017 season. www.footballwest.com.au. 12 November 2016. 14 November 2016.
  4. Web site: NPLWA expansion for 2017. www.footballwest.com.au. 1 December 2016. 2 December 2016.
  5. Web site: NPLWA Review Report to guide future. www.footballwest.com.au. 18 September 2017. 21 September 2017.
  6. Web site: Bayswater-Perth to kick off revamped season. Football West. 11 June 2020. 14 June 2020.