Oberliga Hamburg

Oberliga Hamburg
Founded
1945
Nation
 Germany
States
Hamburg
Promotion To
Regionalliga Nord
Relegation To
Landesliga Hamburg-Hammonia
Landesliga Hamburg-Hansa
Number of Clubs
18
Level on Pyramid
Level 5
Current champions 2010-11
FC St. Pauli II

The Oberliga Hamburg, sometimes referred to as Hamburg-Liga, is in the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Hamburg, incorporating some of its surrounding districts. It is one of eleven Oberligas in German Football.

Contents

Overview

1945-1963

The league was re-formed in 1945 as Stadtliga Hamburg (English: Hamburg City League) by thirteen clubs, in the newly recreated state of Hamburg which was then part of the British occupation zone in Germany. The very first league in the Hamburg & Altona area had been inaugurated as early as 1895.

In its first two seasons, the league was actually the first tier of the German league system for Hamburg, holding clubs like the Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli in its ranks.

From 1947, the Hamburgliga was a feeder league to the Oberliga Nord which its champion had the option of promotion to. Promotion had to be archived through a play-off with teams from the Amateurligen of Niedersachsen, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein. As such, the league was now the second tier of the northern German league system. The league was renamed Verbandsliga Hamburg (English:Hamburg FA League), and split into two groups of ten teams, the Alsterstaffel and Elbestaffel, named after the two main rivers in Hamburg. The top four clubs of the 1946-47 season left the league for the new Oberliga Nord, those clubs being the Hamburger SV, FC St. Pauli, Concordia Hamburg and Victoria Hamburg. Traditionally, the league also accommodated clubs from neighboring Niedersachsen and Schleswig-Holstein (which it still does today), like Lüneburger SK and VfL Stade.

The two divisions were increased in strength to twelve clubs each in 1949. The year after, the league was reunited in one single division with sixteen clubs. It received the new name of Amateurliga Hamburg. The league operated on a strength of sixteen for most of the coming seasons.

1963-1974

In 1963, with the introduction of the Bundesliga, the disbanding of the Oberliga Nord and the formation of the Regionalliga Nord, the league fell to tier three and was again renamed, now Landesliga Hamburg (English:Hamburg State League), but remained unchanged otherwise, with sixteen clubs as its strength. The champion of Hamburg continued to have to play-off for promotion, now to the Regionalliga, with the same opposition as before.

From 1970, the number of leagues below the Hamburgliga was reduced from three to two, resulting in the Hammonia-Staffel and Hansa-Staffel which still exist today, first at the name of Verbandsliga, then, from 1978, as Landesliga.

1974-1994

After the 1973-74 season, the Regionalliga Nord was disbanded in favor of the 2nd Bundesliga Nord. The new Oberliga Nord was now introduced in northern Germany, as the third tier of the league system, below the 2nd Bundesliga. This meant for the Landesliga a slip to tier four. The top two teams of the league were however promoted to the new Oberliga. The system for promotion from the league remained mostly unchanged with an ongoing play-off system that saw the top two teams from Hamburg qualified for it.

In 1978, the league went through another name change, this time reverting to Verbandsliga Hamburg.

1994-2008

In 1994, the Regionalliga Nord was re-established, now as the third tier of the league system. The Oberliga Nord was in turn replaced by two parallel Oberligen, Niedersachsen/Bremen and Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein. For the Verbandsliga Hamburg, this meant a further slip, now to tier five, but also, for the first time in its history, direct promotion for the league champion. Along with its champion being promoted to the new Regionalliga, the league also saw the clubs placed two to eight elevated to the Oberliga.

The 1999-2000 season saw another league system change with the reduction of numbers of Regionalligen, this however had only one effect on the Verbandsliga, no promotion was available this year.

In 2004, it was decided to restore the Oberliga Nord in favor of the two separate Oberligen.

The 2006-07 league winner, SC Victoria Hamburg, did not apply for an Oberliga licence and was not promoted[1].

2008 onwards

At the end of the 2007-08 season, the new 3rd Liga was established and the Oberliga Nord disbanded, again. The four northern German states were then the only region without an Oberliga and the five Verbandsligen sit right below the Regionalliga Nord, parallel to the two NOFV-Oberligas. At the end of this season, the five winners of the northern Verbandsligas played with the sixth placed team from the Oberliga Nord for one last spot in the Regionalliga[2]. In the future seasons, promotion for the Hamburg champion will only be available through a set of play-off matches with the league winners from Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein. These three teams will compete for one promotion spot to the Regionalliga.

The Verbandsliga Hamburg will however maintain its status as a tier five league, but now under the name of Oberliga Hamburg, reflecting the fact that its on the same level as the Oberligas[3]. Breaking with a long tradition, the league now operates with eighteen clubs, not sixteen which it had throughout most of its history.

Position of the Hamburgliga in the league system

Years Tier Promotion to
1945-47 I Independent league
1947-63 II Oberliga Nord
1963-74 III Regionalliga Nord
1974-94 IV Oberliga Nord
1994-2004 V Oberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein
2004-08 V Oberliga Nord
2008- V Regionalliga Nord

Source:"Verbandsliga Hamburg". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. http://www.f-archiv.de/. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 

Founding Members of the Stadtliga Hamburg

The league was formed in 1945 from thirteen clubs from Hamburg, these being:

Source: "Stadtliga Hamburg". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. http://www.f-archiv.de/. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 

League champions

Season Club
1945-46 Hamburger SV
1946-47 FC St. Pauli
1947-48 Eimsbütteler TV
FC Altona 93
1948-49 ASV Bergedorf 85
Harburger TB
1949-50 Post SV Hamburg
FC Altona 93
1950-51 SC Victoria Hamburg
1951-52 Harburger TB
1952-53 SC Victoria Hamburg
1953-54 SC Concordia Hamburg
1954-55 SC Victoria Hamburg
1955-56 SC Concordia Hamburg
1956-57 TSV Uetersen
1957-58 ASV Bergedorf 85
1958-59 Eimsbütteler TV
1959-60 SC Victoria Hamburg
1960-61 Harburger TB
1961-62 SC Victoria Hamburg
1962-63 HSV Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst
1963-64 VfL Pinneberg
1964-65 SC Sperber Hamburg
1965-66 HSV Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst
Season Club
1966-67 SV St.Georg
1967-68 VfL Pinneberg
1968-69 TSV Langenhorn
1969-70 TSV Langenhorn
1970-71 VfL Pinneberg
1971-72 ASV Bergedorf 85
1972-73 VfL Pinneberg
1973-74 SC Victoria Hamburg
1974-75 VfL Pinneberg
1975-76 ASV Bergedorf 85
1976-77 VfL Pinneberg
1977-78 ASV Bergedorf 85
1978-79 VfL Stade
1979-80 Hummelsbüttler SV
1980-81 SV Lurup
1981-82 Hummelsbüttler SV
1982-83 SV Lurup
1983-84 Hummelsbüttler SV
1984-85 Holstein Quickborn
1985-86 Hamburger SV II
1986-87 Hamburger SV II
1987-88 Meiendorfer SV
1988-89 Hamburger SV II
Season Club
1989-90 VfL Stade
1990-91 VfL 93 Hamburg
1991-92 SV Lurup
1992-93 SC Concordia Hamburg
1993-94 SC Concordia Hamburg
1994-95 SC Victoria Hamburg
1995-96 SC Condor Hamburg
1996-97 Vorwärts/Wacker 04 Billstedt
1997-98 Rasensport Elmshorn
1998-99 TuS Dassendorf
1999-2000 ASV Bergedorf 85
2000-01 SC Concordia Hamburg
2001-02 Meiendorfer SV
2002-03 Harburger TB
2003-04 HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst
2004-05 TSV Sasel
2005-06 VfL 93 Hamburg
2006-07 SC Victoria Hamburg
2007-08 SC Victoria Hamburg
2008-09 SC Victoria Hamburg
2009-10 SC Victoria Hamburg
2010-11 FC St. Pauli II
2011-12

Source:"Verbandsliga Hamburg". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. http://www.f-archiv.de/. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 

References

Sources

External links