Soviet Second League


The Soviet Second League was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of USSR in 1991.

Overview

The League was established in 1936, but was discontinued after the 1937 season for over 15 years. The experimental edition of the League was introduced in 1946. But the consistent League takes its roots from 1963. Prior to 1990, the league was divided into multiple regional zones and the top finishers of those zones would take part in an additional mini-tournament to determine which teams get promoted to the Soviet First League. In 1991, the regional zones became a part of Soviet Second League B, while the Soviet Second League was split into 3 major regional zones, West, Center, and East. The group winners of these zones would now qualify for the Soviet First League.
The most titles of the League won was two by 11 different teams out of various now independent republics. The last winners of the League were FC Karpaty Lviv, FC Asmaral Moscow, and FC Okean Nakhodka.
Between 1960 and 1970 football competitions in Class B were split by republican principle at first as tier two, that as tier three, and at the end in 1970 it was downgraded to the auxiliary tier four. Each competition had multiple number of groups that were known as zones.
In 1970-1971 the Soviet league system was restructured for lower leagues and Class B competitions were discontinued. Republican competitions were conducted with the Soviet Second League which consisted of multiple groups. There was no explicit designation of zones as they were simply numerated.
Republican competitions continued to be conducted among collective of physical culture and were considered as amateur.

Names

Group V

Third Group

Class B

Second Group (Class A)

Second League

All-time table (top 20)

There were over 520 teams that played in the Soviet Second League.
TeamRepublicSeasonsFirst
season		Last
season		PlayedWonDrawnLostGoals
for		Goals
against		Points11st2nd3rd
Bukovina ChernovtsyUkraine26196319891175508318349146611151842
Polesie ZhitomirUkraine2419631988108645531032112949861675
Druzhba MaikopRussia28196319901085470243372137411231653
Tselinnik TselinogradKazakhstan261964199097447621528313609681643
Neftyanik FerganaUzbekistan231963198990847917825115068701615
Metallurg LipetskRussia241963199094844824225812818551586
Khimik DzhambulKazakhstan27196319901013446242325143911271580
Krivbass Krivoi RogUkraine2219631988100342829528012679671579
Sudostroitel NikolaevUkraine23196319891043425295323125710031570
Zakarpatie UzhgorodUkraine26196319891155426291438123512881569
Niva VinnitsaUkraine2219631990100242728628912308851567
Podolie KhmelnitskiyUkraine24196319881084404286394119111671498
Mashuk PiatigorskRussia241936 198991643120228312249531495
Volyn LutskUkraine27196319901206386332488114814161490
Avangard RovnoUkraine25196319881113388309416109711521473
Sokol SaratovRussia2419631990923421209293141610651472
Zenit IzhevskRussia261963199097240725131412799881472
Spartak KostromaRussia231963198889139926023212258851457
Meliorator ChimkentKazakhstan2419631990918418202298135210181456
Kristall KhersonUkraine24196319881076387289400123312701450

1Three points for a win. In 1973, a point for a draw was awarded only to a team that won the subsequent penalty shootout. In 1978–1988, the number of draws for which points were awarded was limited.