Amateurliga Rheinland

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

The Amateurliga Rheinland was the highest football league in the region of the Rheinland FA and the third tier of the German football league system from its inception in 1952 to the formation of the Oberliga Südwest and the Verbandsliga Rheinland below it in 1978.

Overview

The Amateurliga Rheinland was formed in 1952 in the northern half of the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. Before its interception, three separate leagues operated in the area as the highest level of play. The league was a feeder league to the 2nd Oberliga Südwest. From 1952 until the establishment of the Oberliga Südwest in 1978, it was the third tier of the football league system.

The winner of the Amateurliga Rheinland 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 Saarland and Südwest.

Until 1933, the region covered by the Rheinland FA was politically part of the now dissolved German state of Prussia. It was part of the Prussian Rhine Province.

The league was established in 1952 with sixteen teams, the winner gaining promotion to the 2nd Oberliga Südwest. The founder members were:

*SpVgg Bendorf
*FC Urbar
*VfL Trier
*SpVgg Neuwied
*SC Wirges
*SV Niederlahnstein
*SV Ehrang
*Germania Mudersbach
*TuS Konz
*SSV Heimbach-Weis
*SpVgg Zewen
*VfB Lützel
*SV Remagen
*TuS Mayen
*SV Trier-West
*SG Betzdorf

In 1956 the league was split into a western and an eastern group with twelve teams each. In 1963 it reverted to its old single group setup.

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.

The SC Bad Neuenahr and SC Sinzig hold the record for years in the league, each with 22 out of a possible 26.

Disbanding of the Amateurliga Rheinland

In 1978, the Oberliga Südwest was formed to allow direct promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga Süd for the Amateure champion of the area. The teams placed one to five gained entry to the Oberliga while the next ten teams were put into the new Verbandsliga Rheinland, now the fourth tier of the football league system. The bottom team was relegated to the Bezirksliga.

Admitted to the new Oberliga:

*TuS Neuendorf
*FSV Salmrohr
*SpVgg EGC Wirges
*Spfr. Eisbachtal
*SV Ellingen

Relegated to the new Verbandsliga:

*SV Leiwen
*VfL Neuwied
*SV Remagen
*SC Bad Neuenahr
*FC Bitburg
*TuS Mayen
*Alemannia Plaidt
*VfB Wissen
*SC Sinzig
*TuS Hahnstetten

Relegated to the Bezirksliga:

*Eintracht Höhr

Winners of the Amateurliga Rheinland ["Kicker Almanach" The Football Yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine] [ [http://www.fv-rheinland.de/html/Spielbetrieb/Titeltraeger/Titeltraeger_der_Vergange/Alle_Rheinlandmeister_He/titeltrager/cs_2571.html Alle Rheinlandmeister ] ]

1953 SpVgg Bendorf 1965 SpVgg Bendorf 1954 VfL Trier 1966 FC Germania Metternich 1955 VfL Trier 1967 SSV Mülheim 1956 SV Niederlahnstein 1968 SC Sinzig "league split" 1969 SSV Mülheim 1957 FC Germania Metternich 1970 VfL Neuwied 1958 Spfr. Herdorf 1971 SpVgg Andernach 1959 FC Germania Metternich 1972 Spfr. Eisbachtal 1960 FC Germania Metternich 1973 SpVgg Andernach 1961 SV Ehrang 1974 SV Leiwen 1962 VfB Wissen 1975 Eintracht Trier 1963 VfL Neuwied 1976 Eintracht Trier "league reunited" 1977 TuS Neuendorf 1964 FC Germania Metternich 1978 TuS Neuendorf Bold denotes team gained promotion.

*The Tus Neuendorf, winner of the last two league titles, changed it's name to TuS Koblenz in 1982.

External links

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

[http://www.frv-suedwest.de/ The Southwestern Regional FA]

[http://www.fv-rheinland.de/ The Rheinland FA]

References