Amateurliga Südwest

For the history of the Amateurliga Südwest after 1978, see Verbandsliga Südwest.
Amateurliga Südwest
Founded
1952
Disbanded
1978
Nation
 Germany
State
Rheinland-Pfalz
Region
Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Promotion To
2nd Oberliga Südwest 1952-63
Regionalliga Südwest 1963-74
2nd Bundesliga Süd 1974-78
Number of Seasons
26
Replaced by
Oberliga Südwest (III)
Verbandsliga Südwest (IV)
Level on Pyramid
Level 3
Domestic Cups
South West Cup
Last Champions 1977-78
FSV Mainz 05

The Amateurliga Südwest was the highest football league in the region of the Südwest FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1952 to the formation of the Oberliga Südwest and the Verbandsliga Südwest below it in 1978.

Contents

Overview

The Amateurliga Südwest was formed in 1952 in the southern half of the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. Before its inception, three separate leagues operated in the area as the highest level of play. The league was a feeder league to the 2nd Oberliga Südwest. From 1952 until the establishment of the Oberliga Südwest in 1978, it was the third tier of the football league system.

The winner of the Amateurliga Südwest was not automatically promoted to its superior league but rather had to take part in a promotion play-off. The champion would have to compete with the winners of the Amateurligas Saarland and Rheinland.

Until 1933, the region covered by the Südwest FA was politically part of two other German states. The south, the Pfalz region, was part of Bavaria and the north, the Rheinhessen region, was part of Hessen. After the war, these regions were incorporated into the new state of Rheinland-Pfalz. The separation of these areas from their original states results from the outcome of World War II when they became part of the French occupation zone, while Hessen and Bavaria where in the US zone.

The league was established in 1952 with sixteen teams, the winner gaining promotion to the 2nd Oberliga Südwest. The founder members were:

With the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963 the Amateurliga was placed below the new Regionalliga Südwest but still retained its third-tier status. It continued to do so after the introduction of the 2nd Bundesliga Süd in 1974.

The 1. FC Kaiserslautern II holds the record for years in the league, having spent 21 continuous seasons in it from 1957 to 1978.

There is room for some confusion with the existence of the Oberliga Südwest as well as the Verbandsliga Südwest and the now defunct leagues Regionalliga Südwest and Amateurliga Südwest. While the Oberliga and Regionalliga of that name cover and covered the whole states of Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland, the Verbandsliga and Amateurliga only covered the southern part of Rheinland-Pfalz and operated as feeders for the first two. The root of the problem lies in the lack of common history in the region and therefore the lack of a common name.

Disbanding of the Amateurliga Südwest

In 1978, the Oberliga Südwest was formed to allow direct promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga Süd for the Amateure champion of the area. The teams placed one to five gained entry to the Oberliga while the next eleven teams were put into the new Verbandsliga Südwest, now the fourth tier of the football league system. The bottom four teams were relegated to the Bezirksliga.

Admitted to the new Oberliga:

Relegated to the new Verbandsliga:

Relegated to the Bezirksliga:

Winners of the Amateurliga Südwest

Season Club
1952-53 BSC Oppau
1953-54 SpVgg Weisenau
1954-55 FC Sobernheim
1955-56 Normannia Pfiffigheim
1956-57 Hassia Bingen
1957-58 SC Ludwigshafen
1958-59 Hassia Bingen
1959-60 1. FC Kaiserslautern II
1960-61 FC Sobernheim
1961-62 Phönix Bellheim
1962-63 ASV Landau
1963-64 Eintracht Kreuznach
1964-65 SV Alsenborn
Season Club
1965-66 VfR Kaiserslautern
1966-67 SC Ludwigshafen
1967-68 1. FC Kaiserslautern II
1968-69 ASV Landau
1969-70 VfR Frankenthal
1970-71 Phönix Bellheim
1971-72 Eintracht Kreuznach
1972-73 Eintracht Kreuznach
1973-74 FK Clausen
1974-75 Eintracht Kreuznach
1975-76 VfR Wormatia Worms
1976-77 VfR Wormatia Worms
1977-78 FSV Mainz 05

Source:"Verbandsliga Südwest". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. http://www.f-archiv.de/. Retrieved 2008-03-19. 

References

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External links