League president: Joe Piccininni
League secretary: Ivan Habus
Referees
Referees: Paul Avis (Rexdale, Ontario) and Stan Tait (Montreal, Quebec).
Clubs and players
First Portuguese
Founded: September 23, 1956
Head Coach:
Key players:
Hamilton City
Formed:
Stadium:
Head Coach:
Hamilton Croatia
Founded: 1957
Stadium:
Head Coach:
Roster included goalkeeper Boroccetti; fullback James Sinclair (left fullback); Enoch Gilchrist; forwards Stjepan Lovaric (centre forward) and Slavko Cetina (outside left).
Hamilton Italo-Canadians
Formed:
Head Coach:
Key players: Ray Trevisan
Homer
Formed:
Homer was a largely Greek team, featuring three national team players from Greece. Goalkeeper Nikos Christidis was signed from Aris. From 1964 to 1978 he played in 29 international games for Greece. Themis Rigas was signed from A.O. Kavalas. They also signed Athanasios Intzoglou, formerly of Ethnikos and Panionios, who had just been banned for life after having taken a bribe not to play well in a cup game in Greece.
Kitchener Srbija
Formed:
Head Coach:
Key players:
London City
Founded: February 14, 1973
Stadium: Cove Road Field, London, Ontario
President: Markus Gauss
General manager: Harry Gauss
Head Coach:
Roster included goalkeepers Phil Brooman and Stan Puskas; defender Ray Flanigan; midfielder Alan Fusco; forwards John Swan and Alan Anderson
Macedonia
Formed:
Head Coach:
Key players:
Melita
Formed:
Head Coach:
Key players:
Montreal Cantalia
Founded: 1973
Before the season started Montreal Cantalia failed to come to terms with 1974 coach Franco Gallina. Instead they hired Ottavio Cucuraghi as player-coach. After a disastrous start to the season, with just five points from 11 matches, Cucuraghi was replaced by Salvatore Italiano. Italiano had been coaching local Montreal teams for the past years. The directors also brought in four players from an Italian third-division team. In addition, they signed former Toronto Metros player Felix Angel. Returning players included Aldo DeSimone and Paolo Ferrante.
Ottawa Tigers
Founded: 1965
Stadium: Mooney’s Bay Sport Complex, Ottawa
Head Coach:
Roster included goalkeeper Carlos Costa; Danny Trickovic, Jim Tedesco, Walter Stoicjkovic; forward Nino Flamini
Late in June the Tigers signed Joaquin Santos from Portugal. He was the first import signed by the Tigers that season.
Polonia
Formed:
Head Coach:
Key players:
Quebec Selects
Founded: January 1974
In January 1974 the Quebec Soccer Federation decided to field a team in the NSL for the 1974 season. The team was called the Quebec Football Club but was commonly known as the Quebec Selects. The team was made up the best amateur players in Quebec and was coached by former Montreal Olympique (NASL) coach Graham Adams. Adams had previously also coached in South Korea and Bermuda. The team was supposed to play at Marquette Stadium but due to the poor facilities there ended up playing at Jarry Park. The players were borrowed from their parent clubs and played for both, meaning they often played two games a day. Key players were Guy Lefebvre, Jim Corsi, Zach Bregansky and Chris Horrocks. Late in August they were strengthened by the addition of Gordon Wallace who had been playing for the Toronto Metros in the NASL.
St. Catharines Heidelberg
Founded: 1952
Stadium:
Head Coach:
Roster included goalkeeper Sam Buccitelli; forwards Danny McIntosh and Ziggy Wiebe
Serbian White Eagles
Founded: 1968
Head Coach:
Key players: Momcilo Stojanovic
Toronto Croatia
Founded: 1956
With the suspension of Zeljko Bilecki for the whole season Toronto Croatia added two new goalkeepers in Zeljko Poleto and Darko Grisbaher. Poleto was a former Dinamo Zagreb youth player. Croatia also signed Miralem Fazlic and Alberto Altarac from the Sloboda club in Yugoslavia. Ibrahim Arslanovic returned to boss the midfield and Goran Peric again led the attack. Boris Psaker joined the club in July 1974.
Toronto Hungaria
Formed: 1949
Stadium:
Head Coach: Tom Boljkovac
Roster included Imre Kily, Tibor Molnar, Dave Thomson, John Fahy and Uhrin
Toronto Hungaria used the name Canadian-Hungarians this season. They were coached by Tom Boljkovac. Hungarian-born players Imre Kily and Tibor Molnar were key players, as was veteran NSL-player Dave Thomson. John Fahy did much of the goalscoring before he was sold to Toronto Italia.
Toronto Italia
Founded: 1972
Stadium: Borough of York Stadium, Borough of York, Ontario
Owner:
Player-coach: Franco Gallina
Toronto Italia hired Franco Gallina, formerly of Montreal Cantalia, as player-coach before the start of the season. In addition they signed experienced players like Pedro Kozak from Serbian White Eagles and Francisco Montero from Toronto Croatia. They also had young Canadian players like Robert Iarusci, Carmine Marcontonio and 18-year old Carmilo Barbieri.
Sport Association Ukraina
Founded: May 16, 1948
Head Coach:
Key players:
Review of the season
On Friday June 7, Serbian White Eagles defeated Kitchener Srbija 16-1. Momcilo Stojanovic scored eight goals. The highest score in the NSL was recorded in 1965 when Toronto Ukraina beat Toronto Macedonia 18-1.
Serbian White Eagles won the league championship.
Toronto Croatia won the league playoff final.
Toronto Italia won the league cup.
Results and standings
Leading goalscorer Gls Ass Pts
1. Momcilo Stojanovic (White Eagles) 54 12 120
Top goalkeeper Min. Svs GA SO GAA.
1. Blajoe Tamindzic (White Eagles) 28
Playoffs quarter-finals
October 6, 1974
Serbian White Eagles 3 (Momcilo Stojanovic 2, John Fahy)
Macedonia 0
October 7, 1974 C.N.E. Stadium, Toronto
Homer 6 (Gus Hatoupis 4, ????)
Hamilton Croatia 0
October 8, 1974 C.N.E. Stadium, Toronto
Toronto Croatia 1 (Marijan Bilic)
First Portuguese 0
after overtime
October 9, 1974
Toronto Italia
Playoffs semi-finals
October 10, 1974 C.N.E. Stadium, Toronto
Toronto Croatia 1 (Alija Solak)
Serbian White Eagles 0
October 15, 1974 C.N.E. Stadium, Toronto
Toronto Italia 1
Homer 2
Playoff final
October 20, 1974 C.N.E. Stadium, Toronto (att: 2,149)
Toronto Croatia 1 (Boris Psaker)
Homer 0
NSL Cup Final
October 4, 1974
CNE Stadium
First Portuguese 1 (Jorge Felix)
Toronto Italia 0
October 6, 1974
C.N.E. Stadium, Toronto
Toronto Italia 2 (Carmelo Barbieri, Saban Romanovic)
First Portuguese 0
Italia won the two-game total-points series 3-1.
