Oberliga Westfalen

From 1978 to 2008, the Oberliga Westfalen was the highest Football League in the region of Westphalia which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In its last season, it was one of nine Oberligas in German Football, the 4th tier of the German football league system. In 2008, it was replaced by the NRW-Liga, a new state-wide league.

With the reform of the league system in 2012, which sees the Regionalliga West reduced to clubs from North Rhine-Westphalia only and the disbanding of the NRW-Liga below it, the Oberliga Westfalen will be reintroduced again as the highest tier in the region and the fifth level overall in Germany.^[1]

Overview

The league was formed in 1978 as a highest level of play for the region of Westphalia, which previously was split into two groups and covered the eastern half of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The main reason for the creation of this league was to allow its champion direct promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga Nord rather than having to go through a promotion play-off. The league was created from nine clubs from the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost and eight from the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Südwest. The SC Herford was relegated from the 2. Bundesliga Nord to the new league.

Originally, the league was called Amateur-Oberliga Westfalen, from 1994 this was shortened to just Oberliga Westfalen.

With the introduction of the unified 2nd Bundesliga in 1981, direct promotion for the Oberliga champions became impossible again because there were eight of them competing for four promotion spots. The champion of the Oberliga Westfalen had to compete with the winner and the runner-up of the Oberliga Nord and the winners of the Oberliga Berlin and of the Oberliga Nordrhein for two 2. Bundesliga spots.

Upon creation of the Regionalligas in 1994, the champions of the Oberligas were directly promoted again, however the Oberligas slipped to fourth tier in the German football league system. The top six team of the Oberliga that year were admitted to the new Regionalliga West/Südwest, the clubs being:

• TuS Paderborn-Neuhaus
• Preußen Münster
• Arminia Bielefeld
• SpVgg Erkenschwick
• SC Verl
• SG Wattenscheid 09 II

With the reduction of the number of Regionalligas from four to two in 2000, the Oberliga Westfalen was now located below the Regionalliga Nord. However, the Sportfreunde Siegen, based in the very south of the region, played in the Regionalliga Süd.

With the creation of the 3rd Liga in 2008 the Oberliga Westfalen was replaced by the NRW-Liga, which now is the fifth tier of the league system. The Oberliga Westfalen ceased to exit after 30 seasons. Its clubs were split up over three league levels. The first four teams were promoted to the new Regionalliga West, clubs from place five to eleven went to the new Oberliga while the bottom seven teams were relegated to the Verbandsligas.

Throughout the leagues existence the two leagues below the Oberliga were:

• Verbandsliga Westfalen 1
• Verbandsliga Westfalen 2

Champions of the Oberliga Westfalen

Source:"Oberliga Westfalen". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. http://www.f-archiv.de/. Retrieved 2008-01-16. 

Placings in the Oberliga Westfalen 1979 to 2008

Source:"Oberliga Westfalen". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. http://www.f-archiv.de/. Retrieved 2008-01-16. 

• ♦ denotes club played in a league higher than the Oberliga.
• In 1992, the ASC Schöppingen withdrew from the league.
• In 1994, the VfB Rheine changed its name to Eintracht Rheine.
• In 1997, the VfR Sölde withdrew from the league.
• The Tus Ahlen and BW Ahlen merged in 1996 to form LR Ahlen, which changed its name to Rot-Weiß Ahlen in 2006.
• The Tus Schloß Neuhaus merged with FC Paderborn to form TuS Paderborn-Neuhaus in 1985 and changed its name to SC Paderborn 07 in 1997.
• The SG Wattenscheid 09 II had to withdraw from the league in 2004 because the first team of the club was relegated to the Oberliga.

Founding Members of the Oberliga Westfalen

From the 2nd Bundesliga Nord:

• SC Herford

From the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost:

• 1. FC Paderborn
• VfB Rheine
• TuS Schloß Neuhaus
• SV Ahlen
• Bünder SV
• SV Emsdetten
• SV Beckum
• DJK Gütersloh, (The DJK Gütersloh merged with Arminia Gütersloh to form FC Gütersloh in 1978)

• TSG Harsewinkel

From the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Südwest:

• SpVgg Erkenschwick
• VfL Gevelsberg
• Sportfreunde Siegen
• Hellweg Lütgendortmund
• SuS Hüsten 09
• SV Holzwickede
• Eintracht Recklinghausen
• VfB Altena

Disbanding of the league

At the end of the 2007-08 season, the Oberliga Westfalen was disbanded and its clubs distributed to various leagues according to the seasons final standings:

To the Regionalliga West:

• FC Schalke 04 II
• Preußen Münster
• VfL Bochum II
• Sportfreunde Lotte

To the Oberliga Nordrhein-Westfalen:

• Westfalia Herne
• Hammer SpVg
• Delbrücker SC
• Arminia Bielefeld II
• SV Schermbeck
• FC Gütersloh
• SF Oestrich Iserlohn

To the Verbandsligas Westfalen:

• Germania Gladbeck
• SpVgg Erkenschwick
• Rot Weiß Ahlen II
• FC Eintracht Rheine
• SV Lippstadt 08
• SC Wiedenbrück 2000
• TSG Sprockhövel

References

Sources

• Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, (German) An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFS
• Kicker Almanach, (German) The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine

External links

• (German) Das deutsche Fussball Archiv Historic German league tables
• (German) Westfalen Football Association (FLVW)