Schwaben football league system

The Schwaben football league system is a league system operating in the Bavarian Bezirk of Schwaben ["Das Fussball-Jahresjournal, an annual publication by the Schwaben FA, publisher: Schwäbischer Fussball Verband] .

Overview

The Schwaben football league system operates within the Bavarian and German football league system. The highest league in Schwaben is the Bezirksoberliga Schwaben, currently the 7th tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008 it was the 6th tier of the league system.

The league system in Schwaben currently consists of five tiers, these being:

*Bezirksoberliga (VII)
*Bezirksliga (VIII), in two groups
*Kreisliga (IX), in six groups
*Kreisklasse (X), in fourteen groups
*A-Klasse (XI), in seventeen groups

Unlike most other parts of Germany, Schwaben does not allow all reserve teams to take part in the main league system. Reserve teams from clubs in the Kreisliga and below play in separate, parallel leagues without promotion or relegation. A reserve side can only enter the main league system when the first team gains entry to the Bezirksliga. When a first team is relegated back down from the Bezirksliga, the second team has to leave the main system again.

Clubs in the "A-Klasse" do not have to worry about relegation as there is nowhere else to go but up.

In the other regions of Germany, where reserve sides are fully integrated, there is further leagues below the A-Klasse, usually the B and C-Klasse. In some ares there can also be a D and E-Klasse, like in Berlin.

The Schwaben league system is home to some clubs not actually based in Schwaben. The best known of those clubs, all from the western part of Oberbayern, are the FC Pipinsried and the TSV Landsberg.

In turn, some clubs from the very west of Schwaben chose to play in the Württemberg league system, most successful of those are the SpVgg Au/Iller and the SpVgg Lindau.

The league system

*All leagues on same level run parallel.

Recent changes

In 1998, the Bavarian FA renamed the three lowest football leagues:

*A-Klasse became Kreisliga
*B-Klasse became Kreisklasse
*C-Klasse became A-Klasse

On top of this, in some of the seven "Bezirke", two new lowest levels were introduced and named B and C-Klasse. Only Oberbayern introduced both of this new levels.

Schwaben Cup

Annually since 1947, the Schwaben FA, like the other six Bavarian FA's, stages a domestic cup competition, the "Schwaben Cup", open to all senior teams from the Schwaben league system and Swabian clubs up to the Regionalliga. The winner of this competition is qualified for the Bavarian Cup. Through this competition, the winner and runners-up in turn gain entry to the German Cup. The record number of winns is held by FC Augsburg which won its thirteens title in 2005 but is currently inellegible for the competition due to the fact that the club plays in the 2nd Bundesliga.

Clubs above the Schwaben league system

A number of clubs currently plays in the Bavarian league system, either in the Oberliga Bayern or the Landesliga Bayern-Süd.

Only one club from Schwaben is currently playing in the German league system, the FC Augsburg, in the 2nd Bundesliga in 2007-08. The club is by far the most prolific of all Swabian clubs and since its formation in 1969 has never played below the Oberliga Bayern. In 38 years since then, the club has finished as the highest placed Swabian club in all seasons but one. In 1991, the FC Memmingen finished better, the "FCA" coming in 8th and the "FCM" 7th.

In the 2007-08 season, there will be four clubs from Schwaben in the Oberliga Bayern, the highest number since 2001, when there was five.

In the 2006-07 season, the first four places in the Landesliga all went to clubs from Schwaben, a unique event.

List of clubs and placings in 2007-08 (with last year they played in the Schwaben league system):

2nd Bundesliga:
*FC Augsburg 14th

3rd Liga:
*"currently none"

Regionalliga:
*"currently none"

Oberliga Bayern:
*FC Memmingen 6th (1970)
*TSG Thannhausen 7th (2004)
*TSV Aindling 12th (1992)
*FC Kempten 18th, relegated (1997)

Landesliga Bayern-Süd:
*TSV Rain am Lech 3rd, promoted (1997)
*FC Augsburg II 4th (2004)
*1. FC Sonthofen 10th (2007)
*FC Pipinsried 12th (1999)
*FC Affing 13th (2005)
*TSV Gersthofen 15th (2007)
*TSV 1861 Nördlingen 17th, relegated (2004)
*FC Königsbrunn 18th, relegated (2006)

Oberliga Bayern clubs from Schwaben

Only two clubs from Schwaben have played above the level of the Bavarian league system since 1945, these being the FC Augsburg, with its predecessor BC Augsburg, and the TSV Schwaben Augsburg. While the "FCA" does so now (2008-09), the TSV Schwaben has last done so in 1969, when the club got relegated from the Regionalliga Süd.

The following thirteen clubs from Schwaben or the Schwaben league system have reached Bayernliga level since 1963 (years in the Bayernliga in brackets):

*BC Augsburg II (1963-64), "now FC Augsburg II"
*BC Augsburg/FC Augsburg (1964-66, 1967-73, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1983-94, 2000-02)
*TSG Augsburg (1964-65)
*SpVgg Kaufbeuren (1965-67, 1968-70, 1974-76)
*FC Memmingen (1970-87, 1989-2002, 2003-current)
*TSV Schwaben Augsburg (1981-84, 1988-90, 1991-92,1998-2001, 2002-03)
*FC Gundelfingen (1993-97)
*FC Enikon Augsburg (1994-95), "club defunct"
*TSV Aindling (1996-current)
*TSV Landsberg (1997-98)
*FC Kempten (1999-2001, 2005-06, 2007-2008)
*TSG Thannhausen (2007-current)
*TSV Rain am Lech (2008-current)

The TSV Landsberg is a club from Oberbayern, playing in Schwaben.

Apart from the Oberliga Bayern, clubs from Schwaben also play in the Landesliga Bayern-Süd. In the history of this league from 1963 to 2008, 44 clubs from Schwaben have gone through the league, including all of the above except FC Augsburg.

Champions 2006-07

*Schwaben Cup winner: "TSV 1861 Nördlingen"

Tier VI:
*Bezirksoberliga Schwaben: "1. FC Sonthofen"

Tier VII:
*Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord: "FC Schrobenhausen"
*Bezirksliga Schwaben-Süd: "TSV Landsberg"

Tier VIII:
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Nord: "SpVgg Altisheim-Leitheim"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Ost: "DJK Langenmosen"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-West: "Türk Gencler Birligi Günzburg"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Augsburg: "SSV Margertshausen"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Mitte: "TSV Mindelheim"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Süd: "SV Pforzen"

Tier IX:
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Nord I: "SG Alerheim"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Nord II: "VSC Donauwörth"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Neuburg: "BSV Neuburg"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Aichach: "DJK Stotzard"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-West I: "VfR Jettingen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-West II: "TSV Binswangen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Nordwest: "SpVgg Auerbach-Streitheim"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Mitte: "BC Oberhausen Augsburg"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Süd: "FSV Großaitingen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Mindelheim: "FSV Amberg"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Memmingen: "FC Westerheim"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Ostallgäu: "TSV Bertoldshofen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Oberallgäu: "FC Oberstdorf"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Allgäu-Mitte: "FC Azzurri Kempten"

Tier X:
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Nord I: "SC Athletik Nördlingen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Nord II: "SV Eggelstetten"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Neuburg: "SV Holzheim/Neuburg"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Aichach: "SC Oberbernbach"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-West I: "Eintracht Autenried"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-West II: "SpVgg Gundremmingen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-West III: "VfL Zusamaltheim"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Nordwest: "TSV Welden"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg I: "TSV Firnhaberau Augsburg"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg II: "FC Stätzling II"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg III: "SV Hammerschmiede Augsburg II"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Südwest: "Türk SV Bobingen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Mindelheim: "TSV Pfaffenhausen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Memmingen: "TGS Memmingen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Ostallgäu: "TSV Unterthingau"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Oberallgäu: "SSV Niedersonthofen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Allgäu-Mitte: "SpVgg Baisweil-Lauchdorf"

Champions 2007-08

*Schwaben Cup winner: "1. FC Sonthofen"

Tier VI:
*Bezirksoberliga Schwaben: "TSV Schwabmünchen"

Tier VII:
*Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord: "BC Aichach"
*Bezirksliga Schwaben-Süd: "TSV Mindelheim"

Tier VIII:
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Nord: "VfB Oberndorf"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Ost: "TSV Meitingen"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-West: "VfR Jettingen"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Augsburg: "BC Oberhausen Augsburg"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Mitte: "BSC Memmingen"
*Kreisliga Schwaben-Süd: "1. FC Sonthofen II"

Tier IX:
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Nord I: "SV Holzkirchen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Nord II: "SV Donaumünster-Erlingshofen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Neuburg: "FC Ehekirchen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Aichach: "TSV Dasing"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-West I: "FC Mindeltal"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-West II: "SSV Peterswörth"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Nordwest: "BSC Heretsried"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Mitte: "Stadtwerke SV Augsburg"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Süd: "TSG Stadtbergen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Mindelheim: "FC Buchloe"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Memmingen: "SV Amendingen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Ostallgäu: "FC Thalhofen"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Oberallgäu: "VFB Durach II"
*Kreisklasse Schwaben-Allgäu-Mitte: "TSV Betzigau"

Tier X:
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Nord I: "FC Birkhausen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Nord II: "SV Genderkingen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Neuburg: "TSV Ober-/Unterhausen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Aichach: "BC Aichach II"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-West I: "TSV Ziemetshausen II"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-West II: "SG Reisensburg-Leinheim (won all 24 league games of their season [ [http://ergebnisse.bfv.de/ligaPublicErgebnisse.do?reqCode=edit&showErgebnisse=1&liga_id=16062&filterType=combine&geschlecht_id=1&altersklasse_id=10&spielklasse_id=0&bezirk_id=3&kreis_id=0&spieltyp_id=1&vereinsname=&reset=1 Table of the A-Klasse Schwaben-West II] BFV, accessed:10 June 2008] )"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-West III: "SSV Steinheim"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-West IV: "SV Grün-Weiß Baiershofen"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Nordwest: "FC Emersacker"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg I: "SV Gold-Blau Augsburg"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg II: "TSG Augsburg"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg III: "BC Oberhausen Augsburg II"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Augsburg-Südwest: "SpVgg Lagerlechfeld"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Mindelheim: "TSV Mindelheim II"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Memmingen: "TV Boos"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Ostallgäu: "TSV Schwangau"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Oberallgäu: "TSV Fischen (finished league season unbeaten [ [http://ergebnisse.bfv.de/ligaPublicErgebnisse.do?reqCode=edit&showErgebnisse=1&liga_id=15774&filterType=combine&geschlecht_id=1&altersklasse_id=10&spielklasse_id=0&bezirk_id=3&kreis_id=0&spieltyp_id=1&vereinsname=&reset=1 Table of the A-Klasse Oberallgäu 2007-08] BFV, accessed: 10 June 2008] )"
*A-Klasse Schwaben-Allgäu-Mitte: "SV Stöttwang"

Source:Cite web
url = http://ergebnisse.bfv.de/ligaPublicErgebnisse.do?reqCode=save&filterType=combine&vereinsname=&bezirk_id=3&kreis_id=0&spielklasse_id=0&altersklasse_id=10&geschlecht_id=1&spieltyp_id=1
title = Schwaben football leagues
accessdate = 2008-06-10
publisher = Bavarian FA ("BFV")

External links

* [http://www.fussball.de/fussball/servlet/content/62 Bavarian league tables and results]
* [http://www.bfv.de/ Bavarian Football Assocciation - BFV] with league tables, results and cup competitions
* [http://www.bfv-schwaben.de/ Schwaben Football Assocciation - SFV]
* [http://www.schwabensoccer.de/ Schwabensoccer.de] Website with news, tables and results from the leagues of the greater Augsburg region

References