1966 National Soccer League
President: Bill Boytchuk
Vice-president: Ostap Wynnyckyj
Review of the season
Bill Boytchuk of Toronto Ukraina was re-elected as president for the fourth consecutive time. Ostap Wynnyckyj, also of Toronto Ukraina, was elected as vice-president.
The league started the campaign with nine clubs but after only one week Olympia dropped out. The season opened with Toronto Ukraina beating Windsor Teutonia 4-2 in Toronto.
Windsor Teutonia won the playoff championship. This was the first time since 1950 that the playoffs were won by a team from outside of Toronto.
Final standings
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
| Sudbury Italia | 28 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 30 | 12 | 42 |
| Hellas | 28 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 60 | 26 | 42 |
| Toronto Ukraina | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 51 | 28 | 39 |
| Toronto Hungaria | 28 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 50 | 36 | 30 |
| Toronto Croatia | 28 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 42 | 33 | 29 |
| Windsor Teutonia | 26 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 22 | 27 | 24 |
| Kitchener Kickers | 28 | 4 | 20 | 4 | 23 | 42 | 12 |
| Portuguese United | 26 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 21 | 95 | 2 |
National Soccer League Play-offs
Group A Semi-finals
October ??, 1966
Sudbury Italia
Toronto Ukraina
October ??, 1966
Sudbury Italia
Toronto Croatia
October 12, 1966 at Stanley Park, Toronto
Toronto Croatia 2
Toronto Ukraina 0
Toronto Croatia won the Group A semi-finals series.
Group B Semi-finals
October 2, 1966 at Stanley Park, Toronto
Hungaria 4
Windsor Teutonia 1
October 5, 1966 Toronto
Toronto Hungaria 4
Toronto Hellas 4
October 15, 1966
Windsor Teutonia 2
Toronto Hungaria 1
October 16, 1966
Windsor Teutonia 2
Toronto Hellas 1
Windsor Teutonia won the Group B semi-finals series
NSL Play-off finals
October 23, 1966 at Stanley Park, Toronto
Toronto Croatia 1
Windsor Teutonia 1
October 30, 1966 at Wigle Park, Windsor
Windsor Teutonia 1
Toronto Croatia 0
Windsor Teutonia won the two-game, total-points finals.
Exhibition games
July 3, 1966 Toronto
National Soccer League All-Stars 5
Azores All-Stars (Portugal) 2
July 10, 1966 Sudbury
Sudbury Italia 0
Toronto Roma (ECPSL) 1
July 25, 1966 Toronto
Attendance:
National Soccer League All-Stars vs Vojvodina (Yugoslavia) ppd
1966 Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League
Referees
Referees included Art King (Toronto), Hugh McLean (Guelph, Ontario) and Stan Tait (Montreal, Quebec).
Review of the season
The opening game of the 1966 Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League season was played in Montreal on Sunday May 8. Montreal International and Toronto Inter-Roma played to a 1-1 tie in front of 2,000 fans.
Toronto Roma won their first title since the 1961 season. In the last ever game of the Eastern Professional Soccer League they defeated Toronto Italia-Falcons 2-0 at Varsity Stadium in front of 2,043 on September 7. The win meant that Roma won the best-of-three-games series 2-0.
After this season the league folded. Toronto Italia Falcons joined the National Professional Soccer League. Toronto Inter-Roma and Hamilton Primos joined the semi-professional National Soccer League for the 1967 NSL season.
Results (incomplete)
May 8, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance: 4,500
Referee:
Primo Hamilton 0
Toronto Italia 1 (Peter Short 87:00 – unassisted)
May 8, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance: 2,000
Referee:
Montreal Inter 1 (Mike Campo 40:00 – penalty)
Toronto Inter-Roma 1 (Ron Clayton 4:00 – penalty)
Montreal Inter: goalkeeper; right fullback; left fullback; right half; centre half; left half; outside right; inside right; centre forward; inside left; outside left. Subs:
Toronto Inter-Roma: goalkeeper; right fullback; left fullback; right half; centre half; left half; outside right; inside right; centre forward; inside left; outside left. Subs:
May 15, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal Inter 2 (Willi Cognee 44:00, Nick Filippone 53:00)
Hamilton Primos 1 (John Simpson 38:00)
May 15, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 6,413 (paid)
Referee:
Toronto Italia (H) 1 (Carlos Metidieri 75:00)
Toronto Roma (A) 2 (Frank Rosati 57:00, Rosati 85:00)
Roma forward Joe Tonani broke his leg 12 minutes into the game.
May 17, 1966 – Transfer news: Toronto Italia’s bid to sign Scottish international and Glasgow Rangers half-back Eric Caldow is turned down.
May 29, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee: Bill Von Essen
Montreal International 0
Toronto Italia 2 (Peter Simpson 18:00, George Piotti 75:00 – penalty)
This was Montreal’s first loss in 16 starts.
May 29, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 2,510
Referee:
Toronto Roma 1 (Dave Demaine – assist Ted Purdon)
Hamilton Primos 2 (Dan McLardy 20:00 – assist John Simpson, Dan McLardy 66:00 – assist Bob Lewis)
June 1, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 3,156
Referee: Hugh McLean (Guelph, Ontario)
Toronto Italia 3 (Giorgio Piotti 2, Carlos Metidieri)
Toronto Roma 0
Italia’s Anders Yrfelt and Roma’s Ruben Bertolinin were sent off in the last five minutes of play.
June 4, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Italia 5 (Yanko Daucik 2, Peter Simpson, George Piotti, Alfredo Maggiacomo)
Montreal International 0
June 5, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos 1 (Bob McCafferty 47 min)
Montreal International 3 (Alan Bristowe 5 min, Nicola Filipponi 18 min, Nicola Del Zoppo)
June 8, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 2,802
Referee:
Toronto Italia Falcons 2
Primo Hamilton 1
June 11, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 4,976
Referee:
Toronto Roma (H) 1 (Frank McColgan 68 min)
Toronto Italia Falcons (A) 1 (Vittorio Benevena 62 min)
Roma’s Frank Rosati and Italia’s Peter Simpson were sent off in the first half for fighting.
June 12, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal International 0
Hamilton Primos 0
June 15, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Roma
Montreal International
June 16, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Primo Hamilton 0
Toronto Inter-Roma 1
June 18, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Italia 1 (Carlos Metidieri 26 min)
Montreal International 0
June 19, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos 1
Toronto Italia Falcons 2
Italia Falcons’ stars Yanko Daucik and Jorge Piotti were fined by after the game by their club’s management for lack of effort.
June 19, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance: 5,000
Referee:
Montreal International 0
Toronto Roma 1 (Joe Bentivegna)
Roma goalkeeper Gerhard Fehler was the star of the game.
June 22, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 4,113
Referee:
Toronto Italia 0
Hamilton Primos 3
June 25, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Roma 3
Hamilton Primos 2
June 26, 1966 Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal International
Toronto Italia
June 26, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos 0
Toronto Roma 2
June 29, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Italia 1
Montreal International 1
June 30, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos
Toronto Roma
July 2, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Italia (H) 2 (Carlos Metidieri, Jorge Garcia)
Toronto Roma (A) 1 (Jorge Bentivegna)
July 3, 1966 Jarry Park, Montreal
Attendance: 1,500
Referee:
Montreal International 0
Hamilton Primos 1 (Ernie Schlote)
July 6, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Inter-Roma 0
Montreal Inter 2 (Alex Bandl 13:00 – assist Willi Cognee; Peter Short 17:00)
July 9, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 2,602
Referee:
Toronto Inter-Roma (H) 2
Toronto Italia Falcons 4 (Jorge Piotti 20:00,
July 10, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos 0
Montreal International 0
July 13, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee: Bob Davidson (Airdrie, Scotland)
Montreal International 1 (Andy Oronato)
Toronto Italia Falcons 2 (Carlos Metidieri 2)
July 13, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Inter-Roma 3
Hamilton Primos 2
July 16, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 2,345 (!)
Referee:
Toronto Italia Falcons 3 (Bernardo Vargas 2, Yanko Daucik)
Hamilton Primos 2 (John Keating, Ernst Schlote)
Bernardo Vargas scored the winning goal late in the second half to secure the win for Italia.
July 17, 1966 Hamilton, Ontario
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos 1 (John Kerr)
Toronto Italia-Falcons 3 (Carlos Metidieri 3)
July 17, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal International 0
Toronto Inter-Roma 1 (Frank Rosati 57 min)
July 20, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Italia Falcons (H) 3 (Carlos Metidieri 2, George Piotti)
Toronto Inter-Roma (A) 0
July 24, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal International 1 (Raoul Seoanne 74:00)
Toronto Italia Falcons 3 (Peter Simpson 10:00, Carlos Metidieri 48:00, Yanko Daucik 88:00)
July 24, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos 1
Toronto Inter-Roma 1
July 27, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Italia Falcons 3 (Peter Simpson 2, Yanko Daucik)
Hamilton Primos 0
July 30, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Inter-Roma 3
Montreal International
July 31, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos 0
Montreal International 0
August 3, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal International
Toronto Roma
August 6, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 3,043
Referee:
Toronto Italia Falcons (H) 2 (Peter Simpson, George Piotti penalty)
Toronto Roma (A) 1 (Carlo Giacovino)
This was Toronto Italia’s 17th win.
August 7, 1966 Jarry Stadium, Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal International 1 (Alan Bristow)
Hamilton Primos 2 (Bob McCafferty, Bob Williams)
August 10, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Roma
Hamilton Primos
August 13, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Italia
Montreal International
August 14, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Primos
Montreal International
August 17, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance:
Referee:
Toronto Roma (H) 0
Toronto Italia Falcons (A) 3
This was Toronto Italia’s 11th straight win.
August 20, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 200
Referee:
Toronto Roma 3
Montreal Inter 0
August 28, 1966 Civic Stadium, Hamilton
Attendance:
Referee:
Hamilton Steelers
Toronto Italia
August 28, 1966 Montreal
Attendance:
Referee:
Montreal International
Toronto Roma
Final standings
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
| Toronto Italia-Falcons | 24 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 57 | 16 | 44 |
| Toronto Inter-Roma | 24 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 35 | 38 | 26 |
| Hamilton Primos | 24 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 27 | 42 | 14 |
| Montreal International | 24 | 3 | 15 | 6 | 16 | 39 | 12 |
Leading goal scorers
| Players | Goals |
| 1. Carlos Metidieri (Toronto Italia) | 17 |
President’s Cup
September 4, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Toronto Inter-Roma 1
Toronto Italia-Falcons 0
September 7, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 2,043
Toronto Inter-Roma 2 (Frank Rosati, Rosati)
Toronto Italia-Falcons 0
Inter-Roma won the best-of-three games series 2-0. This was Roma’s first title since when they won the 1961 National Soccer League championship.
Exhibition games
June 15, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Attendance: 4,721
Referee:
Toronto Roma 0
Bologna (Italy) 4
August 26, 1966 Varsity Stadium, Toronto
Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League All-Stars 1
Independiente (Argentina) 10
National Soccer League 