Oceania's Club of the Century It is not possible to determine the club of the century from Oceania on the same basis as the other five football continents because there were in 1987, as well as 1999 and 2000, a total of only five OFC cup competitions. Also there was a need to take account of the periods in the 20th century, for this football continent, during which there was an increasing difference in performance between the Australian and New Zealand top clubs. Over and above that there was also an additional drop in performance between the clubs from New Zealand and those of the distant Pacific isles. Besides the Pacific islands (including New Caledonia) that were still colonies in the 1st half of the 20th century (and beyond). The IFFHS has decided to determine the Oceanian club of the century (1901-2000), and with it of the continental ranking of the century, by taking into consideration the following competitions: for all five OFC club competitions all individual match results from the quarter-finals onwards were taken into consideration; and the Oceania (South Pacific) Champions' Cup was claissified more highly than the Oceania (South Pacitic) Cup Winners Cup. The national championship (1977-2000) and the national cup competition (1977-1997) for Australia were taken into consideration, and, from New Zealand, the national championship (1970-2000) and the national cup competition (1923-2000). Finally, for Australia, the regional championships from New South Wales (NSW / 1928-1956), Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania (1920-1976) and Western Australia (1946-1976) were taken into consideration, as well as from NSW - at the time the dominant football state - the Newcastle & District championship (1920-1928 & 1956-1976), and those from Sydney Metropolitan (1920-1928) and Sydney Federation (1957-1976). The three first-placed clubs in the Australian regular national league championship were each awarded points. But when this league championship was palyed in two parallel groups, each of the three first-placed clubs were awarded the half of the fixed points, with the play-off winners getting an additional point. In 1984 Australia introduced play-off-rounds following the regular league programme but the outcomes were not taken into consideration because the play-off-system could allow a 4th or 5th placed team in the final league table to become national champions after very few matches. The champions and runners up in New Zealand and New South wales were awarded points, but only the champions of the other regional championships. For the national cup competitions in Australia and New Zealand both finalists were awarded points. Decisions by penalty shoot-outs were not taken into consideration - in such cases each team received the half points. This system of the determination of the Oceania club ranking of the century should reflect the realities of the football sport in Oceania. This ranking was led in 1950 by Wallsend FC Newcastle ahead of Leichhardt Annandale MSC Sydney, Adamstown FC Newcastle and Metters FC Sydney. All four clubs belonged to the Australian state of New South Wales. In the following two decades Wallsend Newcastle was able to extend its lead, while Cesswell FC (NSW) and Adelaide City – at this time still playing under the name of Juventus - from South Australia had caught up with Leichhardt Annandale and Adamstown Newcastle. Once three of the four national competitions began in the two leading football countries of this continent in the 1970s there was an increasing and noticeable development of the football. But, this change was reflected only slowly in the continental club ranking – and because the two clubs from Newcastle (Wallsend and Adamstown) could not collect additional points for this ranking. So in 1980 Sydney City FC led the continental ranking closely followed by Wallsend FC Newcastle, University-Mount Wellington AFC (New Zealand), Marconi Stallions FC Sydney (NSW), Brisbane City FC (Queensland) and Christchurch United AFC (New Zealand) In the final two decades of the 20th century South Melbourne FC (Victoria) recorded a colossal increase in performance. Melbourne Knight FC, Wollongong City FC (both Victoria), Adelaide City FC, Napier City Rovers AFC (New Zealand), Tafea FC Port Vila (Vanuatu) and Sydney United FC (Victoria) all reached still the "Top 10" of the century. Finally South Melbourne FC became Oceania's Club of the Century with a large lead. In the following ranking the current club names are used. Many clubs changed names in the course of the century - partly or wholly - or merged with other clubs and assumed their successes as the "new" club.
Oceania (South Pacific) Champions‘ Cup (1987) & Oceania Champions‘ Cup (1999-2000): Oceania (South Pacific) Cup Winners‘ Cup (1987 & 1999): Australia: Australien: Neuseeland: Neuseeland: Championship of New South Wales (1928-1956): Championship of Sydney Metropolitan (1920-1928) & Sydney Federation (1957-1976): Championship of Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Newcastle & District (each 1920-1976) and Western Australia (1946-1976): Championship of Tasmania (1920-1976):
Oceania's Club of the Century
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