Westfalenliga

Westfalenliga
Founded 1956
Country  Germany
State  North Rhine-Westphalia
Region  Westphalia
Confederation Westphalian Football and
Athletics Association
Divisions 2
Number of teams 32
Level on pyramid Level 6
Promotion to Oberliga Westfalen
Relegation to Landesliga Westfalen
(4 divisions)
Current champions Group 1: TuS Haltern
Group 2: SC Westfalia Herne
(2016–17)

The Westfalenliga (formerly the Verbandsliga Westfalen) is the second highest amateur football league in the region of Westphalia which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the sixth tier of the German football league system. It operates in two groups which run parallel below the Oberliga Westfalen. 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.

Overview

The league was formed as a tier-three league under the name Verbandsliga Westfalen in two groups of 16 clubs in 1956 to provide a more streamlined top level for the regional football governing body, the Westphalian Football Association. In earlier years, the Landesliga Westfalen, operated in five groups, was the highest levels of football in the region. The Landesliga still remains as the tier below the Verbandsliga until today.

Despite being operated in two groups, called Nordost or (Gruppe 1) and Südwest or (Gruppe 2), the Verbandsliga Westfalen has to be seen as one league with two regional groups as clubs have been moved frequently between groups, according to geographical needs. The administration and history of the two groups have always been closely tied.

In the early years, the league held a championship series between the two group winners for the title of Westphalian champions at the end of the season. The winner of this series however was not automatically the team promoted to the tier-two 2. Oberliga West. Instead, promotion was determined by a series of games involving the two Verbandsliga Westfalen group winners as well as the champions of the Verbandsliga Niederrhein and Verbandsliga Mittelrhein. This championship series was abandoned after the Oberliga Westfalen was introduced in 1978 as a highest league for the region.

With the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963, the Verbandsliga came a feeder the also new implemented Regionalliga West but remained, unchanged otherwise, as the third tier of the league system. The same applied when the Regionalliga was replaced by the 2nd Bundesliga Nord in 1974. The league champions however now had to gain promotion through a play-off system with the winners of the other tier-three leagues in northern Germany.

In 1978, the Amateur-Oberliga Westfalen was formed as the third tier of football in Westfalen. One of the main reasons for this move was to provide direct promotion for the tier-three champions again. The clubs placed one to nine in each Verbandsliga group were admitted to the new Oberliga. The Verbandsliga became the feeder league for the new Oberliga, but now as a tier-four competition. Both champions, and some years one or both runners-up, were directly promoted to Oberliga. With the re-introduction of the Regionalligen in 1994, the league slipped to tier-five but remained unchanged otherwise.

In 2008, with the introduction of the 3. Liga, the Verbandsliga was downgraded to the sixth tier. Also, the league now became a feeder to the new founded NRW-Liga, a merger of the Oberliga Nordrhein and the Oberliga Westfalen. The champions of both Verbandsliga groups were still directly promoted. Promotions for the runners-up was abolished due to the merger. The league also changed their name to Westfalenliga.[1]

In 2012 the Oberliga Westfalen was reintroduced as the league above the Westfalenliga, replacing the NRW-Liga again. The number of Landesligas below the Westfalenliga was also reduced from five to four.

League champions

From 1957 to 1978 a championship decider was played to determine the Westfalen champion, usually played on home-and-away base with a third game if necessary. Some seasons however, there was only one game, on neutral ground and in 1966 and 1968 no games were played.

Season Group 1 Group 2
1957 SpVgg Beckum Sportfreunde Gladbeck 5-1 3-3 -
1958 SpVgg Erkenschwick FV Hombruch 09 2-3 3-7 -
1959 SpVgg Beckum Sportfreunde Siegen 2-0 2-1 -
1960 BV Selm SSV Hagen 1-3 3-0 2-1
1961 Germania Datteln Sportfreunde Siegen 0-3 5-0 2-0
1962 Arminia Bielefeld BV Brambauer 2-1 0-0 -
1963 VfB 03 Bielefeld Lüner SV - - 1-3
1964 Eintracht Gelsenkirchen SC Dortmund 95 1-1 2-2 2-0
1965 SpVgg Erkenschwick VfL Bochum 1-4 3-2 1-1
1966 Hammer SpVg SSV Hagen - - -
1967 SpVgg Erkenschwick Lüner SV - - 0-0
1968 SpVgg Erkenschwick SSV Hagen - - -
1969 DJK Gütersloh SG Wattenscheid 09 - - 3-1
1970 Eintracht Gelsenkirchen Westfalia Herne - - 2-1
1971 Arminia Gütersloh VfL Klafeld-Geisweid - - 1-0
1972 STV Horst-Emscher Sportfreunde Siegen 3-1 0-4 6-7
1973 VfB 03 Bielefeld Rot-Weiß Lüdenscheid - - 2-1
1974 SC Recklinghausen TuS Neuenrade 0-3 2-4 -
1975 Arminia Gütersloh Westfalia Herne 0-2 2-4 -
1976 SC Herford SV Holzwickede 3-1 1-2 -
1977 Arminia Gütersloh Rot-Weiß Lüdenscheid 2-6 2-0 -
1978 1. FC Paderborn DSC Wanne-Eickel 0-2 2-1 -

With the introduction of the Oberliga Westfalen in 1978, the winner of this league was the official champion of Westfalen, deciders between the two Verbandsliga champions were therefore unnecessary. League winners were automatically promoted, some seasons the runners-up too.

Jahr Group 1 Group 2 Promoted runners-up
1979 VfB Waltrop Teutonia Lippstadt -
1980 Hammer SpVg STV Horst-Emscher -
1981 SC Eintracht Hamm Lüner SV -
1982 ASC Schöppingen VfL Bochum II -
1983 FC Gohfeld SV Langendreer 04 -
1984 VfL Reken Hellweg Lütgendortmund -
1985 1. FC Recklinghausen SuS Hüsten 09 -
1986 SC Verl SG Wattenscheid 09 II -
1987 SpVgg Marl Borussia Dortmund II SC Buer-Hassel
1988 VfB Rheine Sportfreunde Siegen -
1989 SpVgg Beckum VfR Sölde VfL Bochum II
1990 VfB Hüls Rot-Weiß Lüdenscheid 1. FC Recklinghausen
1991 FC Gütersloh VfL Gevelsberg -
1992 FC Schalke 04 II Sportfreunde Siegen SV Brakel, SG Wattenscheid 09 II
1993 TSG Dülmen SV Holzwickede -
1994 VfB Hüls Sportfreunde Siegen -
1995 TuS Ahlen Sportfreunde Oestrich-Iserlohn SV Rotthausen
1996 TSG Dülmen TuS Hordel -
1997 Blau-Weiß Recklinghausen FC Schalke 04 II VfL Bochum II
1998 FC Eintracht Rheine VfB Kirchhellen SV Lippstadt 08, SV Langendreer
1999 SC Herford Westfalia Herne SV Rotthausen
2000 Lüner SV TSG Sprockhövel -
2001 VfB Fichte Bielefeld SC Buer-Hassel Hövelhofer SV
2002 Arminia Bielefeld II TSG Sprockhövel SpVgg Emsdetten, Sportfreunde Siegen II
2003 LR Ahlen II SV Schermbeck Vorwärts Kornharpen
2004 Sportfreunde Lotte SpVgg Erkenschwick -
2005 Delbrücker SC Westfalia Herne -
2006 Hammer SpVg DSC Wanne-Eickel Sportfreunde Oestrich-Iserlohn
2007 SV Schermbeck TSG Sprockhövel SC Wiedenbrück 2000, DJK Germania Gladbeck
2008 VfB Hüls SG Wattenscheid 09 -
2009 SC Wiedenbrück 2000 TSG Sprockhövel -
2010 Westfalia Rhynern SpVgg Erkenschwick -
2011 TuS Dornberg TuS Erndtebrück -
2012 SV Lippstadt 08 SG Wattenscheid 09 see note
2013 SV Rödinghausen SV Zweckel Eintracht Rheine
2014 SuS Stadtlohn ASC 09 Dortmund -
2015 TSV Marl-Hüls SC Paderborn 07 II SV Schermbeck
2016 SC Hassel FC Brünninghausen 1. FC Kaan-Marienborn
2017 TuS Haltern Westfalia Herne -

References

  1. ↑ "League reform" (in German). www.ruhrnachrichten.de. 1 May 2008.

Sources

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