Regionalliga Nord (1963–1974)


The Regionalliga Nord was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the north of Germany from 1963 until the formation of the 2. Bundesliga in 1974. It covered the states of Niedersachsen, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.

Overview

The Regionalliga Nord started out in 1963 with 18 teams in the league, had 17 clubs from 1964 to 1971 and then returned to a strength of 18.
It was formed from the thirteen clubs of the Oberliga Nord which were not admitted to the new Bundesliga and from five promoted clubs from the Amateurliga. The Regionalliga Nord was as such a continuation of the Oberliga Nord under a different name and a tier lower.
Along with the Regionalliga Nord went another four Regionalligas, these five formed the second tier of German football until 1974:
The new Regionalligas were formed along the borders of the old post-World War II Oberligas, not after a balanced regional system. Therefore, the Oberligas Berlin and West covered small but populous areas while Nord and Süd covered large areas. Südwest was something of an anachronism, neither large nor populous.
The winners and runners-up of this league were admitted to the promotion playoff to the Bundesliga, which was staged in two groups of originally four, later five teams each with the winner of each group going up.
The bottom two teams were relegated to the Amateurligas. Below the Regionalliga Nord were the following Amateurligas:
The FC St. Pauli, VfL Osnabrück, Holstein Kiel, Arminia Hannover, VfB Lübeck, VfL Wolfsburg and TuS Bremerhaven 93 all played all eleven seasons of the Regionalliga Nord. The VfL Osnabrück stands out in its consistency, having before that played every season of the Oberliga Nord and afterwards also every season of the 2. Bundesliga Nord. This 37-year run ended only in 1985 when the club was relegated from the 2. Bundesliga to the Oberliga, for a year.

Disbanding of the Regionalliga Nord

The league was dissolved in 1974. According to their performance of the last couple of seasons, six clubs of the Regionalliga went to the new 2. Bundesliga Nord, Eintracht Braunschweig, the champion, was promoted to the Bundesliga. Ten clubs were relegated to the new Oberliga Nord. The northern region was the only one of the five who chose to continue to run a unified highest league for its area, the new Oberliga Nord, not to be confused with the old Oberliga Nord which run till 1963. Two clubs were relegated all the way to the fourth tier, the Amateurligas.
The teams admitted to the 2. Bundesliga Nord were:
The relegated teams to the Oberliga Nord were:
Two teams were relegated all the way to the fourth tier:
The Regionalliga Nord reformed in 1994, now as the third tier of German football, taking over from the Oberliga Nord which was disband. In 2000, the Regionalligas were reduced in numbers to two, Nord now covered all of the northern half of Germany. In 2008, with the introduction of the 3. Liga, the Regionalliga became the fourth tier of German football. The clubs from Nordrhein-Westfalen joined the new Regionalliga West and the clubs based in the southern part of former East Germany which were playing in the Regionalliga Süd joined instead.

Winners and runners-up of the Regionalliga Nord

The winners and runners-up of the league were:
SeasonWinnerRunner-Up
1963–64FC St. PauliHannover 96
1964–65Holstein KielFC St. Pauli
1965–66FC St. PauliSC Göttingen 05
1966–67Arminia HannoverSC Göttingen 05
1967–68Arminia HannoverSC Göttingen 05
1968–69VfL OsnabrückVfB Lübeck
1969–70VfL OsnabrückVfL Wolfsburg
1970–71VfL OsnabrückFC St. Pauli
1971–72FC St. PauliVfL Osnabrück
1972–73FC St. PauliVfL Osnabrück
1973–74Eintracht BraunschweigFC St. Pauli

The league placings from 1963 to 1974:
Club6465666768697071727374
Hannover 962BBBBBBBBBB
Eintracht BraunschweigBBBBBBBBBB1
FC St. Pauli12154342112
VfL Osnabrück610777111223
VfL Wolfsburg96843729334
HSV Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst18141410105455
VfB Oldenburg7131291113917116
Olympia Wilhelmshaven1568127
SV Meppen18108
Arminia Hannover3461158141499
Concordia Hamburg1699613121710
OSV Hannover131511
SC Göttingen 0552224575412
Holstein Kiel5133883411713
TuS 93 Bremerhaven1274155968151414
Heider SV161691315
VfB Lübeck141151092736616
Itzehoer SV141212141212161617
VfL Pinneberg18
Phönix Lübeck66131312819
TuS Celle1511101017
SC Leu Braunschweig1411718
SC Sperber Hamburg1310171517
Polizei SV Bremen18
ASV Bergedorf 85881111151116
FC Altona 934310816
TuS Haste17
VfV Hildesheim13151516
Bremer SV1317
SV Friedrichsort151416
Victoria Hamburg111217
VfR Neumünster1016
Rasensport Harburg17
VfL Oldenburg17

Source:

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