Football League in Australia
Football league
Western Premier League Founded 1994 (reformed in 2020) Country Australia Number of teams 7 Level on pyramid 5 Current champions Bathurst 75 (8th title) (2022 ) Current premiers Bathurst 75 (9th title) (2022 ) Current: 2024 Western Premier League season
The Western Premier League is a regional Australian association football league, comprising teams from the Central West region of New South Wales . The competition is run under the Western NSW Football body, an associate of Football NSW - a member federation of Football Australia . It fits below the national A-League and NSW wide divisions including National Premier Leagues NSW , being level 5 league in the Australian league system .
History
The Western Premier League was founded in 1994 as the Central West Soccer League, with East Dubbo United taking out the inaugural championship, defeating Bathurst 75 on penalties 4–3 in the grand final, after the score was locked at 2-all at the end of extra-time .
The competition ran from 1994 until the end of 2012 before collapsing after Westside Panthers and Dubbo Bulls all pulled out in quick succession, leaving just three teams in the competition.[ 1] The competition was later revived ahead of the 2020 season, with nine teams initially entering the first WPL season in eight years,[ 2] later reduced to seven teams by July when the season commenced after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic .
As of the 2023 season, the competition consists of nine teams from around the Central West region of New South Wales . Each team will play each other twice, to form a 18-round, round robin format. The current finals format is yet to be determined, but it will concluded with a grand final to determine the champion, usually held at the ground of the highest-ranked team.
Current clubs and location
The following clubs will participate in the 2023 Western Premier League:
45km 30miles
Bathurst 75
Parkes Cobras
Panorama
Orange Waratahs
Orana Spurs
Macquarie United
Locations of the 2023 WPL clubs.
Club
Location
Ground
Founded
Champions
Champions years
Bathurst 75
Bathurst
Proctor Park
1975
7
1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2023
Dubbo Bulls
Dubbo
Hans Claven Oval Victoria ParkApex Oval
2005
4
2010, 2011, 2012, 2020
Macquarie United (Dubbo)
Dubbo
Hans Claven Oval Victoria ParkApex Oval
2013
0
Orana Spurs
Dubbo
Hans Claven Oval Victoria ParkApex Oval
1992
1
2001
Orange Waratahs
Orange
Waratah Sports Ground
1967
5
1995, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2022
Panorama
Bathurst
Proctor Park
2012
0
Parkes Cobras
Parkes
Woodward Oval Harrison Park
2020
0
Club
Location
Founded
Champions
Champions years
Current status
Barnstoneworth United
Orange
1998
0
Orange & District Football Association
Bathurst City Red Tops
Bathurst
1962
0
Bathurst District Football
Bathurst City Colts
Bathurst
0
Disbanded
Canobolas Rangers
Orange
1
1999
Orange & District Football Association
Cowra Wildcats
Cowra
0
Disbanded
East Dubbo United
Dubbo
1984
1
1994
Dubbo & District Football Association
Lithgow City Rangers
Lithgow
1970
0
Bathurst District Football
Lithgow Workmen's
Lithgow
1982
0
Bathurst District Football
Macquarie United (Bathurst)
Bathurst
1984
0
Bathurst District Football
Mudgee Wolves
Mudgee
0
Bathurst District Football
Orange CYMS
Orange
1975
0
Orange & District Football Association
Oxford United
Bathurst
0
Disbanded
SASS Strikers
Dubbo
1983
0
Dubbo & District Football Association
Westside Panthers
Dubbo
1979
3
2004, 2008, 2009
Dubbo & District Football Association
Young Rebels
Young
0
Disbanded
Grand final results
There are seven clubs who have won the Western Premier League title.
Teams in bold compete in the Western Premier League as of the 2022 season.
Club
Winners
Runners-up
Winning years
Runners-up years
Bathurst 75
8
5
1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2023, 2024
1994, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
Orange Waratahs
5
4
1995, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2022
1998, 2009, 2010 2012
Dubbo Bulls
4
2
2010, 2011, 2012, 2020
2005, 2024
Westside Panthers
3
2
2004, 2008, 2009
2002, 2011
Canobolas Rangers
1
2
1999
1995, 2003
East Dubbo United
1
1
1994
2001
Orana Spurs
1
0
2001
Orange CYMS
0
3
1997, 1999, 2000
Macquarie United (Bathurst)
0
1
1996
Macquarie United (Dubbo)
0
1
2020
Panorama
0
1
2022
Barnstoneworth United
0
1
2023
Lower grades
Reserve Grade
1994 - Lithgow Workmen's
1995 - Canobolas Rangers
1996 - Bathurst 75
1997 - Bathurst 75
1998 - Bathurst 75
1999 - Canobolas Rangers
2000 - East Dubbo United
2001 - Bathurst 75
2002 - Bathurst 75
2003 - Orange Waratahs
2004 - Orana Spurs
2005 - Orange Waratahs
2006 - Bathurst 75
2007 - Canobolas Rangers
2008 - Orange Waratahs
2009 - Westside Panthers
2010 - Dubbo Bulls
2011 - Orange Waratahs
2012 - Dubbo Bulls
Under 18s
1995 - Canobolas Rangers
1996 - Cowra Wildcats
1999 - Lithgow City Rangers
2001 - Dubbo SASS
2002 - Dubbo SASS
2003 - Orana Spurs
2004 - Bathurst 75
2005 - Orange Waratahs
2006 - Dubbo Bulls
2007 - Westside Panthers
2008 - Westside Panthers
2009 - Orana Spurs
2010 - Lithgow Workmen's
2011 - Dubbo Bulls
2012 - Dubbo Bulls
References
External links