The Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord is currently the seventh tier of the German football league system in the northern half of the Bavarian Regierungsbezirk of Swabia. Until the disbanding of the Bezirksoberliga Schwaben in 2012 it was the eighth tier. From 2008, when the 3. Liga was introduced, was the seventh tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the sixth tier. From the leagues interception in 1968 to the introduction of the Bezirksoberliga in 1988 it was the fifth tier.
Overview
Before the Bezirksoberligas in Bavaria were introduced in 1988 the Bezirksligas were the leagues set right below the Landesligas Bayern in the football pyramid. From 1963 to 1968 the Bezirksliga Schwaben was played in one single division, in 1968 it was split in a northern and a southern division. For the purpose of administration, the two leagues are still seen as one and teams can be shifted between the two halves at the end of season. The winner of the Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord, like the winner of the Bezirksliga Schwaben-Süd, is now directly promoted to the Landesliga Bayern-Südwest. From 1968 to 1988, the league champions were promoted to the Landesliga Bayern-Süd, from 1988 to 2011 to the Bezirksoberliga Schwaben. In the later years of the league the runners-up were also given the opportunity to earn promotion by playing a promotion round with the runners-up of the southern division and the three Bezirksligas from Upper Bavaria. The bottom three teams of each group find themselves relegated to one of the six Kreisligas. At the same time the six Kreisliga winners are promoted to the Bezirksliga. The runners-up of those face a play-off with each other and the 13th placed teams in the Bezirksliga. The area covered by the Schwaben FA is not identical with the Bezirk Schwaben, there is a large number of clubs from Oberbayern playing in Schwaben, especially in the north. The Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord is fed by the following Kreisligas.
Kreisliga Schwaben-Nord
Kreisliga Schwaben-West
Kreisliga Schwaben-Ost
Without doubt the greatest player ever to play in the Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord was the legendary Gerd Müller. In his last season before signing with FC Bayern Munich in 1963–64 he scored 51 goals in 31 matches for his hometown club TSV 1861 Nördlingen and helped them win promotion! In 2008–09, the FC Schrobenhausen, league champion in 2006–07 and Schwaben Cup finalist in 2008, failed to win or draw any of their league games and scored only five goals in 30 games, while conceding 223. With the league reform at the end of the 2011–12 season, which included an expansion of the number of Landesligas from three to five, the Bezirksoberligas were disbanded. Instead, the Bezirksligas took the place of the Bezirksoberligas once more below the Landesligas. The following qualifying modus applied at the end of the 2011–12 season:
Champions: Promotion round to the Landesliga, winners to the Landesliga, losers to the Bezirksliga.
Teams placed 2nd to 7th: Remain in the Bezirksliga.
Teams placed 8th to 13th: Three additional Bezirksliga places to be determined in a play-off round, winners to the Bezirksliga, losers to the Kreisliga.
Teams placed 14th to 16th: Directly relegated to Kreisliga.
League timeline
The league went through the following timeline of name changes, format and position in the league system:
Years
Name
Tier
Promotion to
1963–68
Bezirksliga Schwaben
V
Landesliga Bayern-Süd
1968–88
Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord
V
Landesliga Bayern-Süd
1988–94
Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord
VI
Bezirksoberliga Schwaben
1994–2008
Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord
VII
Bezirksoberliga Schwaben
2008–12
Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord
VIII
Bezirksoberliga Schwaben
2012–
Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord
VII
Landesliga Bayern-Südwest
League champions
The following teams have won the league:
League title from 1963 to 1968 are for the single-division Bezirkliga Schwaben.
With the SV Klingsmoos in 1973 and 1991, the FC Schrobenhausen in 2007 and the DJK Langenmosen in 2010, the title went four times to a club from Oberbayern.
In 1982, the DJK Langenmoosen was promoted to the Landesliga as runners-up, the only club to do so from 1968 to 1988.
Multiple winners
The following clubs have won the league more than once:
