Amateurliga Saarland

:"For the history of the Amateurliga Saarland after 1978, see Verbandsliga Saarland."

The Amateurliga Saarland was the highest football league in the state of Saarland and the third tier of the German football league system from 1951, when the clubs from the Saar returned to Germany, till the formation of the Oberliga Südwest and the Verbandsliga Saarland below it in 1978.

Overview

The Ehrenliga Saarland was formed in 1947 in the state of Saarland. The league was originally a feeder league to the Oberliga Südwest. Due to the special situation of Saarland, its clubs left the German football league system from 1949 to 1951 with the 1. FC Saarbrücken playing a year in the French second division [ [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesf/fran2hist.html France - List of Final Tables Second Level ] ] . From its return in 1951, now under the name of Amateurliga Saarland, until the establishment of the Oberliga Südwest in 1978, it was the third tier of the football league system.

The league was established in 1947 with ten teams, the winner gaining promotion to the Oberliga Südwest. The founder members were:

*FC Homburg
*Spfr. Burbach
*FC Ensdorf
*SC Brebach
*Preußen Merchweiler
*FV Püttlingen
*SV Ludweiler
*ASC Dudweiler
*SV Bliekastel
*Viktoria Hühnerfeld

With the return to the German league system in 1951, two teams from the Amateurliga were admitted to the Oberliga Südwest, the 1. FC Saarbrücken and Borussia Neunkirchen.

The year after, three clubs were admitted to the new 2nd Oberliga Südwest, the Viktoria Hühnerfeld, SC Altenkessel und Spfr. Saarbrücken.

The winner of the Amateurliga Saarland was not automatically promoted to its superior league but rather had to take part in a promotion play-off. The champion would have to compete with the winners of the Amateurligas Südwest and Rheinland.

With the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963 the Amateurliga was placed below the new Regionalliga Südwest but still retained its third-tier status. It continued to do so after the introduction of the 2nd Bundesliga Süd in 1974.

Disbanding of the Amateurliga Saarland

In 1978, the Oberliga Südwest was formed to allow direct promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga Süd for the Amateure champion of the area. The last league winner, Borussia Neunkirchen, was promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga. The teams placed two to seven gained entry to the Oberliga while the other twelve teams were put into the new Verbandsliga Saarland, now the fourth tier of the football league system.

Admitted to the new Oberliga:

*SV Röchling Völklingen
*SV St.Wendel
*VfB Dillingen
*ASC Dudweiler
*SV Auersmacher
*FSV Saarwellingen

Relegated to the new Verbandsliga:

*SC Friedrichsthal
*SSV Überherrn
*SV Bliesen
*FV Eppelborn
*SV Hasborn
*VfB Theley
*FC Ensdorf
*Saar 05 Saarbrücken
*SV Oberthal
*SV Weiskirchen
*SV Fraulautern
*SV St. Ingbert

Winners of the Amateurliga Saarland ["Kicker Almanach" The Football Yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine]

1948 FC Homburg 1964 Viktoria Sulzbach 1949 Borussia Neunkirchen 1965 SV Ludweiler 1950 Spfr. Saarbrücken 1966 FC Homburg 1951 1. FC Saarbrücken 1967 SC Friedrichsthal 1952 Spfr. Saarbrücken 1968 SV Landsweiler-Reden 1953 VfB Dillingen 1969 SC Friedrichsthal 1954 SV Ludweiler 1970 VfB Theley 1955 SV St. Ingbert 1971 SV Fraulautern 1956 Viktoria Hühnerfeld 1972 VfB Theley 1957 FC Homburg 1973 FC Ensdorf 1958 VfB Theley 1974 SV St.Ingbert 1959 SC Friedrichsthal 1975 ASC Dudweiler 1960 SV Röchling Völklingen 1976 Borussia Neunkirchen 1961 SV Röchling Völklingen 1977 Borussia Neunkirchen 1962 SV Fraulautern 1978 Borussia Neunkirchen 1963 Viktoria Sulzbach

Bold denotes team gained promotion.

*In 1951, the Borussia Neunkirchen was also promoted, despite only finishing ninth in the league.
*In 1952, the league winner was promoted for a last time to the Oberliga Südwest and the teams placed second to fourth went to the new 2nd Oberliga Südwest.
*In 1953, promotion went to the fourth placed ASC Dudweiler.

External links

[http://www.f-archiv.de/ Das deutsche Fussball Archiv ]

[http://www.saar-fv.de/ The Saarland FA]

References