Illawarra Premier League
The Illawarra Premier League is a regional, semi‑professional soccer league in New South Wales, Australia. It has 12 clubs from the Illawarra and South Coast areas and sits at level 4 in the Australian league system (level 3 within NSW). The league runs under Football South Coast, which is part of Football NSW.
The league was founded in 1977. Berkeley won the first championship in 1977 by beating Fairy Meadow 1–0 in the grand final, while Fairy Meadow were the first premiers. The major sponsor is the Illawarra Mercury, so the league is often called the Illawarra Premier League or South Coast Premier League.
In a season, each of the 12 teams plays the others twice (22 rounds). The top five teams move into a finals series that lasts about a month, with the grand final deciding the champion. Relegation is to Illawarra Premier League 2.
Port Kembla FC is the most successful club, with 9 grand finals and 7 premierships since 1977. The player of the season earns the George Naylor Medal. The league also competes in domestic cups such as the Australia Cup and the Bert Bampton Cup.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:00 (CET).