Eastern Province Soccer Board was established on 18 August 1954. Its inaugural meeting was held at the Port Elizabeth City Hall basement with delegates from the
- EP Coloured Football Association (EPCFA),
- EP African Football Association (EPAFA),
- EP Indian Football Association (EPIFA) and the
- EP Hotel Employees Association (EPHEA).
Initially known as the Eastern Province Soccer Federation, Mala Moodaley was elected as the first President, with N. Vassen Vice-President, Eric Forbes Secretary and Tom Gundwana the Treasurer.
At a meeting held at the Blessed Oliver Plunket hall in South End on the 5 May 1957, the delegates from the EPCFA mooted a name change from EP Soccer Federation to EP Soccer Board. This change was ratified at a meeting on 9 June 1957. The next major change came into effect in 1962 when the AGM held on 9 April that year resolved that units should drop the reference to “race” in their names and all affiliates adopted a non-racial constitution. This was the EP African Football Association became the PE North Football Association, the EP Indian Football Association became the PE South Football Association and EP Coloured Football Association became the PE Central and District League.
The advent of the Group Areas Act had a severe impact on the EP Soccer Board (EPSB) during the late 60’s and early 70’s as communities were forced to move out of South End, Fairview, North End, Lakeville, Dowerville, Sidwell and Salisbury Park to Gelvandale, Salt Lake, Arcadia. Salsoneville and West End. Clubs like Swans, South End United, Melbourne, Trojans and Primrose all ceased to exist and the PE Central and District Football league became known as the Port Elizabeth Football Association (PEFA).
In 1974, teams of the West End, Arcadia and Salsoneville area formed the Western Suburbs Football Association (WESFA) and affiliated to EPSB. PE North FA with teams like PE United, CCX Callies, Dodgers, Boast Pirates and Eastern Jumpers left the EP Soccer Board to form the New Brighton Football Association. This introduced a period of splits and the formation of rival bodies until the Kwazakele Soccer Board (KWASBO) was established and affiliated independently to the South African Soccer Federation in 1976.
In 1983 the units in Uitenhage made up of Rosedale, Langa, Kabah, and Kwanobuhle formed the Uitenhage and Districts Soccer Board (UDISBO). As a result, the Eastern Cape then comprised three provincial organizations, namely the EPSB, KWASBO and UDISBO.
The EPSB took the initiative in 1985 to create a single controlling body in the Eastern Cape with the formation of the Eastern Cape Soccer League. Danny Jordaan was elected President, with Ihron Rensburg as Vice-President, Errol Heynes as Secretary, Yusuf Lorgat as Treasurer and Johnson Khula as PRO. Unfortunately, the Eastern Cape experienced serious problems in terms of unrest and repression during 1985 when teams had to defy the Group Areas Act which sought to prevent clubs from playing outside their own “group area”.
In 1988, the EPSB initiated the formation of a unified Eastern Cape Regional league comprising teams from EPSB, Kwasbo, Udisbo and the Border Soccer Board. A year later the EPSB extended executive was formed to supervise the affairs of all footballers in the Eastern Cape. This body was jointly chaired by Danny Jordaan and Merriman Zuma.
With the dawn of a new democratic society on the horizon, Danny Jordaan and Colin Trader of the EP Football Association were appointed as facilitators to form a unified football body in the Eastern Cape. This initiative gave birth to the formation of SAFA-EP in 1992. The various bodies in the province became known as Districts who were all affiliated to SAFA-EP. The EPSB then had to undergo another name change to become the Northern Areas Soccer Board (NASB).
It retained this name until 2008, when the South African Football Association directed all affiliates to adopt the “Football Association” tag behind their identity. As a direct result, the NASB became NAFA PE – Northern Areas Football Association-Port Elizabeth as it is known today.