1963 National Soccer League
President: Walter Popowich
Review of the season
The newly-formed Toronto Hakoah club joined the league. Another new club was Estonia.
The opening game of the 1963 season was played on Sunday April 28, 1963. Olympia and Ukraina played to a 3-3 tie.
Italian Virtus secured the league championship by beating Ukraina on September 26. Italian Virtus finished the season With 27 points, one more than Hakoah who had 26 points.
Toronto Ukraina beat Toronto Hakoah in the NSL play-offs finals to win the O’Keefe Trophy. Ukraina took the best-of-three series in two successive game. They won the opening game 2-0. In the second game they won 3-2 with Fred Patterson, Leo Dowhaluk and John Ihnatovych scoring the goals for Ukraina.
After the season it was rumoured that the league could lose possession of Stanley Park as they were struggling with huge debts. It was even a big question if there would even be a 1964 season with talks of the ECPSL creating a second division to accommodate more teams. Toronto Ukraina applied for a place in the ECPSL but were turned down.
After the season Hakoah dropped out from the NSL and tried to join the ECPSL. Instead they ended up playing the 1964 season in the Ontario Soccer League and in the 1965 they rejoined the National Soccer League. Estonia also dropped out of the league and joined the Ontario Soccer League.
Final standings
GP | W | L | T | Pts | |
Italian Virtus | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
Hakoah | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 26 |
Toronto Ukraina | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 24 |
Toronto Hungaria | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 21 |
Olympia-Harmonie | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 17 |
Estonia | 18 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 10 |
Toronto Croatia | 18 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 1 |
Macedonia dropped out during the season.
National Soccer League Playoffs
Semi-finals
October 1, 1963 Stanley Park, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee: Bobby Reid
Hakoah 3 (Jim Lefkos 4:00; Lutz Wolanski 65:00; Jim Lefkos 70:00)
Hungaria 2 (Frank Kili 27:00; Vic Ivonyi 77:00)
October 4, 1963 Stanley Park, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Hakoah 5 (Jim Lefkos; Jim Lefkos; Jim Lefkos; Noel DiCastro; Noel DiCastro)
Hungaria 0
Hakoah won the best-of-three series in two straight games
October 3, 1963 Stanley Park, Toronto
Attendance:
Ukraina 1 (Leo Dowhaluk 10:00)
Italia Virtus 0
October 6, 1963 Stanley Park, Toronto
Attendance:
Ukraina 1 (Jackie O’Neill 82:00)
Italia Virtus 0
Ukraina won the best-of-three game series in two straight games
O’Keefe Cup Finals
October 13, 1963 Stanley Park, Toronto
Hakoah 0
Ukraina 2 (Jack O’Neill; John Ihnatowych)
October 20, 1963 Stanley Park, Toronto
Attendance: 1200
Referee: Hugh Morrow
Hakoah 2 (Jim Lefkos; Noel DiCastro)
Ukraina 3 (Fred Patterson; Leo Dowhaluk; John Ihnatowych – penalty)
Ukraina won the best-of-three game series in two straight games.
Exhibition games
June 8, 1963 Stanley Park, Toronto
Attendance:
Hakoah 0
New York Hungaria 4
July 27, 1963 Edgerton Park, Rochester, New York
Attendance:
Rochester Ukrainians 0
Toronto Ukraina 1