1958 National Soccer League
President:
Secretary Frank W. Thirkettle
Chief-referee: Jock Craig (Richmond Hill, Ontario)
Review of the season
The league was again an Inter-Provincial League as it added three teams from Montreal. The three new teams from Montreal were Cantalia, Hungaria and Sparta.
Before the season started the league borrowed $50,000 to buy the Fred Hamilton ground in Toronto. By the end of the season $30,000 was said to have been repaid on the loan.
In an interview with Canadian Press before the season started, secretary Frank Thirkettle said «It’s my opinion that play in our league ranks with that in the second divison in the English Soccer League». It was certainly a time were the strength of the teams were at a higher level than for many years. This as many team imported good players from Europe and South America. It was said that the players in the NSL could earn up to $100 per week, this was more than players in Scotland and England were being paid.
The season started on Saturday April 26 when Polish White Eagles beat Ulster United 4-0. The following day Toronto Olympia won 3-2 over Sparta.
On Sunday September 28 Montreal Hungaria clinched the league championship when they beat Hamilton Italo-Canadians 1-0.
Montreal Hungaria won the National Soccer League trophy when they beat Toronto Italia 3-2 on October 26, 1958. The first match in the two-game, total-goals series, ended in a 2-2 draw. That first game in Toronto attracted a record crowd of 8,442 fans with another 3,000 fans having to be turned away.
The three Montreal clubs lost $25,000 between them. The games in Montreal drew a total of 64,000 fans. The Toronto games were said to average 1,800 fans and the games in Hamilton 1,200. The league was very satisied that it it looked like they had curbed the problem with trouble at games in Toronto. It was said that in the more than 140 games played in Toronto there had only been one game were there was a brawl.
After the season the Toronto East End Canadians and Malta United were dropped from the league. They were ousted by a 6-2 vote of the other Toronto teams. The constitution of the NSL dictated that the two bottom teams at the season’s end must re-apply for membership. Not happy with this decision both clubs took the case to court but Mr. Justice John L. Wilson of the Ontario Supreme Court dismissed the motion by the two expelled clubs as no rights had been infringed when they were cut.
Leading goalscorer – Gerhard Borchert
1957 NSL leading goalscorer Gerhard Borchert repeated as the leading goalscorer in the 1958 season with 39 goals.
Leading goalkeeper – Ted Piskozub
Polish White Eagles goalkeeper Ted Piskozub was voted as the best goalkeeper in the 1958 National Soccer League season. He was awarded a trophy sponsored by Labatts at the NSL banquet at the King Edward Hotel in December 1958.
1958 Clubs
Montreal Sparta
Final standings
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
| Montreal Hungaria | 28 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 77 | 49 | 44 |
| Toronto Italia | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 51 | 26 | 39 |
| Olympia-Harmonie | 28 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 82 | 50 | 39 |
| White Eagles | 28 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 71 | 36 | 38 |
| Toronto Ukraina | 28 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 59 | 37 | 37 |
| Montreal Cantalia | 28 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 65 | 35 | 35 |
| Montreal Sparta | 28 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 63 | 46 | 31 |
| Hamilton Hungaria | 28 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 46 | 59 | 25 |
| Tridents | 28 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 46 | 66 | 24 |
| Ulster United | 28 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 49 | 64 | 22 |
| Toronto Sparta | 28 | 10 | 16 | 2 | 37 | 58 | 22 |
| Toronto Hungaria | 28 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 44 | 69 | 22 |
| Hamilton Italo-Can. | 28 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 47 | 77 | 21 |
| East End Canadians | 28 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 41 | 78 | 11 |
| Malta United | 28 | 4 | 22 | 2 | 41 | 69 | 10 |
| Leading goalscorers |
| 1. Gerhard Borchert (Olympia) – 39 goals |
| 2. Stewart Cochrane (Mtl Sparta) – 25 goals |
| 3. Tibor Stankovitz (Montreal Hungaria) – 22 goals |
| 4. Arpad Kiraly (Montreal Hungaria) – 21 goals |
National Soccer League Play-offs
In Montreal
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
| Montreal Hungaria | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Montreal Cantalia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Olympia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
In Toronto
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
| Toronto Italia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Toronto Ukraina | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| White Eagles | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Montreal Hungaria and Toronto Italia qualified for Labatt Trophy Finals
Labatt Trophy Finals
October 19, 1958 Fred Hamilton Park, Toronto
Attendance: 8,442
Toronto Italia 2
Montreal Hungaria 2
October 26, 1958 Faillon Stadium, Montreal
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Hugh McLean (Hamilton)
Montreal Hungaria 3 (Imre Dora, Tibor Stankovics, Kurt Horvath)
Toronto Italia 2 (Pete Cassin, Eric Erbach)
Montreal Hungaria won the two-game, total-goals series
Exhibition games
May 8, 1958 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 8,000
NSL All-Stars 1
Mexican National Team 3
Match report
May 11, 1958 Delorimier Stadium, Montreal
Attendance: 4,000
Montreal Cantalia 0
Mexican National Team 0
Read about the match here
May 23, 1958 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 10,000
Referee:
Ontario All-Stars 0
Heart of Midlothian 6 (Willie Bauld 2, Jimmy Wardaugh 2, Johnny Hamilton, Alex Young)
Read about the match here
June 8, 1958 University of Detroit Stadium
Attendance: 6,000
Ulster United 2 (Jim Creighton, Ernest Stanfield)
Manchester City 8 (Colin Barlow 6, Don Revie 2)
Read about the match here
July 21, 1958 Toronto
Attendance: 5,200
Toronto Ukraina 0
Admira Wien (Austria) 3
July 24, 1958 Delorimier Stadium, Montreal
Attendance: 5,000
Montreal Hungaria 5
Admira Wien (Austria) 6
September 6, 1958 Buffalo, New York
Attendance:
Simon Pure FC (Buffalo) 2 (Ron Maierhoffer, Dan Zaivabinskyi)
Ulster United 4 (Jim Feeney 2, Gordon Fraser 2)
National Soccer League 