Landesliga Bayern-Mitte

The Landesliga Bayern-Mitte () was the sixth tier of the German football league system in southern Bavaria. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, it was the fifth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fourth tier.

The winner of the Landesliga-Mitte automatically qualified for the Bayernliga, the runners-up needed to compete with the runners-up of the other four Landesligas and the 15th placed teams of the Bayernligas for another promotion spot.

The league was disbanded in 2012, when the Regionalliga Bayern was introduced as the new fourth tier of the German league system in Bavaria. Below this league, the Bayernliga was expanded to two divisions while the number of state leagues grew from three to five divisions. A new Landesliga Bayern-Mitte was formed but the territory it now covers varies from the old league, with the clubs from northern Middle Franconia and Upper Palatinate as well as the clubs from southern Lower Bavaria now playing in other leagues.Auf- und Abstiegsregelung der Bayernliga und der Landesligen für das Qualifikationsspieljahr 2011/2012
Bavarian FA website - Regulations for promotion and relegation in 2012, accessed: 16 July 2011

Overview

The ''Landesligen'' in Bayern were formed in 1963, in place of the '' 2nd Amateurligas'', which operated below the ''Bayernliga'' until then. In the region of the Landesliga Mitte, the ''2nd Amateurligen'' were split into three groups, ''Niederbayern'', ''Oberpfalz'' and ''Mittelfranken''. The league was formed from eighteen clubs, six of them from the ''Amateurligas'' (III) and twelve from the 2nd Amateurligas (IV).''Die Bayernliga 1945-1997'' publisher: DSFS, published: 1998, page: 55 & 56, accessed: 29 June 2009

In the first eighteen seasons, up until 1980, only the league champions were promoted to the Bayernliga. This was altered in 1981, when the three Landesliga runners-up were given the opportunity to earn promotion, too, via a promotion round.''Die Bayernliga 1945-1997'' publisher: DSFS, published: 1998, page: 116, accessed: 26 June 2009 The Bavarian football association actually stipulates in its rules and regulations that every league champion has to be promoted, unless it declines to do so, and every runners-up has to have the opportunity to earn promotion, too.

Below the league, the Bezirksligas were set as the fifth tier of league football, until 1988, when the Bezirksoberligas were formed. In the first year, three teams were promoted from the Bezirksligas, one from each region; from 1966, it was four clubs. The ''Landesliga Mitte'' was fed by the three '' Bezirksoberligen'' of '' Mittelfranken'', '' Oberpfalz'' and ''Niederbayern'' from 1988 onwards. The winner of those were automatically promoted, the runners-up played-off for another promotion spot with the 15th placed team of ''Landesliga'' to determine the winner of the last available spot in the ''Landesliga''. The ''Landesliga Mitte'' is the only one of the three Bavarian ''Landesligas'' to have had three ''Bezirksoberligas'' as feeder leagues, the other two only have two each.

For the most part of its history, the league has operated on a strength of eighteen clubs, only occasionally diverting from this when the number of teams relegated from the ''Bayernliga'' to it was more than one. With the change in the league system in 1994 and 2008, the introduction of the Regionalliga and the 3. Liga, there were two automatic promotion places available to each of the ''Landesligen'' in those seasons.

Disbanding

The Bavarian football federation carried out drastic changes to the league system at the end of the 2011–12 season. With the already decided introduction of the Regionalliga Bayern from 2012–13, it also placed two Bayernligas below the new league as the new fifth tier of the German league system. Below those, five Landesligas instead of the existing three were set, which would be geographically divided to limit travel and increase the number of local derbies.

The clubs from the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte joined the following leagues:
* Champions and runners-up: Promotion round to the Regionalliga, winners to the Regionalliga, losers to the Bayernliga.
* Teams placed 3rd to 8th: Directly qualified to the Bayernliga.
* Teams placed 9th to 15th: Promotion round to the Bayernliga, winners to the Bayernliga, losers to the Landesliga.
* Teams placed 16th or worse: Directly qualified to the Landesliga.

Founding members

When the league was formed in 1963 as the new fourth tier of the Bavarian league system in Middle Franconia, Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria, in place of the ''2nd Amateurligas'', it consisted of the following eighteen clubs from the following leagues:

* From the Amateurliga Südbayern
** SpVgg Weiden
** 1. FC Amberg
** SpVgg Landshut
* From the Amateurliga Nordbayern
** ESV Nürnberg-West
** TSV 04 Schwabach
** ASV Nürnberg-Süd
* From the 2nd Amateurliga Mittelfranken-Nord
** TV Erlangen
** 1. FC Hersbruck
** SpVgg Erlangen

* From the 2nd Amateurliga Mittelfranken-Süd
** 1. FC Nuremberg II
** FC Stein
** ASV Neumarkt
* From the 2nd Amateurliga Niederbayern
** SV Saal
** FC Dingolfing
** SpVgg Deggendorf
* From the 2nd Amateurliga Oberpfalz
** TuS Rosenberg
** FC Maxhütte-Haidhof
** 1. FC Schwarzenfeld

The clubs in the two ''Amateurligas'' placed seventh or better were admitted to the new ''Amateurliga Bayern'', all others went to the new ''Landesligas''. The top-three teams in the four regional ''2nd Amateurligas'' were each admitted to the ''Landesliga''.

Top-three of the Landesliga

The following teams have finished in the top-three in the league:Tables and results of the Landesliga Bayern-Mitte
Manfreds Fussball Archiv, accessed: 4 February 2011

* Promoted teams in bold.
* The Bavarian football association requires deciders to be played when two teams are on equal points at the end of the season to determine promotion/relegation. Championship deciders were necessary in the following years:
* For first place:
** 1964: SpVgg Weiden defeated ESV Nürnberg-West.
** 1970: FC Herzogenaurach defeated ASV Neumarkt.
** 1976: SpVgg Plattling defeated SpVgg Vohenstrauß.
** 1990: SSV Jahn Regensburg defeated 1. FC Passau.
** 1991: SpVgg Fürth defeated 1. FC Nuremberg II.
* For second place:
** 1989: SpVgg Fürth defeated 1. FC Passau.
** 1997: SSV Jahn Regensburg defeated SC 04 Schwabach 3–2.
** 2006: TuS Regensburg defeated FSV Erlangen-Bruck 3–2 aet.
** 2007: SV Schalding-Heining defeated FSV Erlangen-Bruck 1–0.
** 2009: SpVgg Landshut defeated ASV Neumarkt 1–0.

Multiple winners

The following clubs have won the league more than once:

All-time table 1963–2012

The SpVgg Landshut holds the top spot in the all-time table of the Landesliga Mitte, with the 1. FC Nuremberg II being second, 319 points behind, SpVgg Jahn Forchheim is third. The last place, number 133, goes to TSV Ergoldsbach on eight points. The 2011–12 season, the leagues last, saw three new teams in the league who had not played at this level before, SV Buckenhofen, FC Ergolding and Dergah Spor Nürnberg.

League placings 1988–2012

The complete list of clubs and placings in the league from the 1988–89 until 2011–12 seasons:Das deutsche Fussball Archiv: Landesliga Bayern-Mitte
Historic German league tables, accessed: 7 February 2011

Key

* S = No of seasons in league ''(until 2011-12)''

Notes

* ^''1'' In 1996, SpVgg Fürth and TSV Vestenbergsgreuth merged to form SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
* ^''2'' In 1995, 1. FC Amberg was declared bankrupt and folded. A new club, FC Amberg, was formed, initially within the TV Amberg system.
* ^''3'' In 2000, Jahn Forchheim withdrew from the Bayernliga to the lower amateur leagues.
* ^''4'' In 2000, SV Riedelhütte withdrew from the league.
* ^''5'' In 1988, Post SV Regensburg merged with TSG Süd Regensburg to form SG Post/Süd Regensburg. In 2002, SG Post/Süd Regensburg joined SSV Jahn Regensburg to become SSV Jahn Regensburg II.
* ^''6'' In 2003, SpVgg Grün-Weiß Deggendorf was formed through a merger of SpVgg Deggendorf and SV Grün-Weiß Deggendorf.
* ^''7'' In 1967, ASV Nürnberg-Süd merged with TSV Nürnberg to form SV 73 Nürnberg-Süd.Der Verein von 1873 bis heute
SV 73 Nürnberg-Süd website, accessed: 3 May 2011
* ^''8'' In 2011, SpVgg Weiden declared insolvency in the Regionalliga and was relegated to the Bezirksoberliga Oberpfalz.

League records 1963–2012

The league records in regards to points, wins, losses and goals for the clubs in the league were:

References

Sources

* ''Die Bayernliga 1945 - 1997'', published by the DSFS, 1998
* ''Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen'', An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFS
* ''Kicker Almanach'', The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine
* ''Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988'' History of Southern German football in tables, publisher & author: Ludolf Hyll
* ''50 Jahre Bayrischer Fussball-Verband'' 50-year-anniversary book of the Bavarian FA, publisher: Vindelica Verlag, published: 1996

External links

Bayrischer Fussball Verband (Bavarian FA)


Das deutsche Archiv
Historic German league tables

Bavarian League tables and results


Website with tables and results from the Bavarian Oberliga to Bezirksliga

{{Landesliga Bayern-Mitte champions

Mitte
1963 establishments in West Germany
2012 disestablishments in Germany
Sports leagues established in 1963
Sports leagues disestablished in 2012