The 2010–11 season was the 128th season of competitive soccer in Australia. Promotion and relegation (pre-season) Teams promoted to the A-League 2010-11 Melbourne Heart Teams promoted to the New South Wales Premier League 2010 Rockdale City Suns FC Teams demoted to the New South Wales Super League Penrith Nepean United FC (Now Defunct) Teams promoted to the Victorian Premier League 2010 Bentleigh Greens FC Northcote City SC Teams demoted to the Victorian State League Division One Preston Lions FC Whittlesea Zebras FC Managerial changes A-League New South Wales Premier League Victorian Premier League Events January 6th: Australia play their final away game for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Kuwait in Kuwait City and draw 2–2. February 9th: Central Coast Mariners manager Lawrie McKinna is sacked from his position as head manager, and reassigned to director of footballing operations at the club, following a 2009 AFC Champions League campaign in which the Mariners failed to win a game, as well as missing out on the finals for the 2009–10 A-League season. 10th: Former Socceroos player and manager Graham Arnold is announced as the second-ever manager of the Central Coast Mariners the day after Lawrie McKinna was reassigned other duties within the club. 14th: Sydney FC defeat Melbourne Victory 2–0 at the Sydney Football Stadium in their final round 27 match to win the Premiers Plate, and book their position into the Asian Champions League March 3rd: Australia play Indonesia in Brisbane and win 1–0, clinching qualification through to the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. 20th: Sydney FC defeat arch rivals Melbourne Victory 4–2 on penalties at Etihad Stadium in the 2010 A-League Grand Final giving Sydney FC their 2nd Championship and first Premiership & Championship double. April 6th: North Queensland Fury manager Ian Ferguson announces he will be leaving the club as head manager and joining the Perth Glory following a turbulent season which saw him come under much scrutiny following results, players chosen as well as off field issues, including a public spiff with marquee player Robbie Fowler, who also signed with Perth Glory in the off season. 10th: Australia national team coach Pim Verbeek announced he will be quitting as Socceroos coach post-World Cup and will join the Morocco Football Federation as National Youth Technical Director. 27th: Adelaide United lose the final match of their Group H match against Shandong Luneng in the 2010 AFC Champions League group