Verbandsliga Westfalen
Encyclopedia
| Westfalenliga |
|---|
| Founded |
| 1956 |
| Nation |
 Germany |
 |
| State |
 North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Promotion To |
| NRW-Liga |
| Relegation To |
| Landesliga Westfalen 1 Ost |
| Landesliga Westfalen 2 Süd |
| Landesliga Westfalen 3 West |
| Landesliga Westfalen 4 Nord |
| Landesliga Westfalen 5 Mitte |
| Number of Teams (2011-12) |
| Group 1: 17 |
| Group 2: 17 |
| Level on Pyramid |
| Level 6 German football league system The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation... |
| Current Champions 2010–11 |
| Group 1: TuS Dornberg |
| Group 2: TuS Erndtebrück |
The Westfalenliga (formerly the ) is the second highest football league in the region of Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
which is part of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It operates in two separate groups which run parallel below the NRW-Liga. Currently the sixth tier of the German football league system
German football league system
The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation...
, the Westfalenligen were the fifth tier until the 3. Liga
3rd Liga
The 3rd Liga is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2...
was introduced in 2008.
Overview
The league was formed in two groups of 16 clubs in 1956 to provide a more streamlined top level for the Westphalian Football Association. Previous to this, the five LandesligenLandesliga
The Landesliga is the 7th tier of football in most of Germany, one division below the Verbandsliga. In Bavaria, Sachsen, Thüringen, Bremen, Lower Saxony and Hamburg the Landesligas are set right below the Oberliga and therefore are the 6th tier...
were the highest levels of football in the region. The Landesligen still remain as the tier below the Verbandsligen
Verbandsliga
The Verbandsliga is the 6th tier of football in Germany, played on a regional basis by Bundesland. In Saxony, Thuringia, Hamburg, Bremen and Bavaria the 6th tier is called Landesliga, which is the 7th tier in some of the other Bundesländer...
to this day.
From the beginning, the league was operated in two parallel groups with a championship series for the title of Westphalian champions at the end of the season. This series was however abandoned after the Oberliga Westfalen was introduced in 1978 as a highest league for the region. The winner of this series however was not automatically the promoted team. Promotion was determined by a series of games involving the two Westfalen league winners and the champions of the Verbandsliga Niederrhein
Verbandsliga Niederrhein
The Niederrheinliga, formerly the Verbandsliga Niederrhein, is the highest football league in the region of Niederrhein which is part of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is the 6th tier of the German football league system...
and Verbandsliga Mittelrhein
Verbandsliga Mittelrhein
The Mittelrheinliga, formerly the Verbandsliga Mittelrhein, is the highest Football League in the region of Mittelrhein which is part of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is the 6th tier of the German football league system...
.
Despite having always operated on the two group system, the Verbandsliga Westfalen has to be seen as one league with two regional divisions as clubs frequently move between groups, according to geographical needs. The administration and history of the two groups have always been closely tied.
The league started out with its two groups, then called Nordost (Gruppe 1) and Südwest (Gruppe 2), as the third tier of the German league system. The winner of the championship matches would gain entry to the 2nd Oberliga West
2nd Oberliga West
The 2nd Oberliga West was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the west of Germany from 1949 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, the most populous state of Germany....
, the second tier of the league system.
The two leagues have always operated on a set number of 16 teams per league but in some seasons deviation in numbers was necessary to balance out promotion and relegation.
With the introduction of the Bundesliga in 1963, the two Verbandsligas came under the new Regionalliga West
Regionalliga West (1963-74)
The Regionalliga West was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the west of Germany from 1963 until the formation of the 2nd Bundesliga in 1974...
but remained, unchanged otherwise, as the third tier of the league system. The same applied when the Regionalliga was replaced by the 2nd Bundesliga Nord
2nd Bundesliga Nord (1974-81)
The 2. Fußball-Bundesliga Nord was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the north of Germany from 1974 until the formation of the single-division 2. Fußball-Bundesliga in 1981...
in 1974. The league champions however now had to gain promotion through a play-off system
Promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga (Football)
The Promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga was an end-of-season competition, held annually to determined the clubs that were promoted from the Amateurligas, later the Amateur Oberligas to the 2nd Bundesligas...
with the winners of the other tier-three leagues in northern Germany.
In 1978, the Amateur-Oberliga Westfalen
Oberliga Westfalen
From 1978 to 2008, the Oberliga Westfalen was the highest Football League in the region of Westphalia which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In its last season, it was one of nine Oberligas in German Football, the 4th tier of the German football league system...
was formed as the third tier of football in Westfalen. One of the main reasons for this move was to provide direct promotion for the tier-three champions again. The clubs placed one to nine in each league were admitted to the new Oberliga, these being:
From the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Nordost:
- 1. FC PaderbornSC Paderborn 07SC Paderborn 07 is a German association football club based in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the 2. Bundesliga.-History:...
- VfB RheineFC Eintracht RheineFC Eintracht Rheine is a German association football club from the city of Rheine, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The club was formed through the 10 June 1994 union of VfB Rheine and SG Eintracht Rheine...
- TuS Schloß NeuhausSC Paderborn 07SC Paderborn 07 is a German association football club based in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the 2. Bundesliga.-History:...
- SV Ahlen
- Bünder SV
- SV Emsdetten
- SV Beckum
- DJK GüterslohFC GüterslohFC Gütersloh 2000 is a German association football club based in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :The club was formed in 1978 out of the merger of the football sides of Sport Verein Arminia and Deutsche Jugendkraft Gütersloh in the hopes that the new club would be more successful than...
, (DJK Gütersloh merged with Arminia Gütersloh to form FC Gütersloh in 1978)
- TSG Harsewinkel
From the Verbandsliga Westfalen-Südwest:
- DSC Wanne-EickelDSC Wanne-EickelDSC Wanne-Eickel is a German association football club that plays in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The club was founded in 1954 as TB Eickel when it left behind Sportfreunde Wanne-Eickel, a short-lived union it had formed with SV Preußen 04 Wanne in 1950. It took on the name DSC...
, gained promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga, therefore did not take part in the Oberliga Westfalen - SpVgg ErkenschwickSpVgg ErkenschwickSpVgg Erkenschwick is a German football club based in Oer-Erkenschwick in North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :Founded as Sportverein Erkenschwick in 1916, they joined Emscher-Lippe-Spielverband to form Sportfreunde Erkenschwick in 1918, which in then merged with Turn- und Leichtathletikverein TV...
- VfL Gevelsberg
- Sportfreunde SiegenSportfreunde SiegenSportfreunde Siegen is a German association football club based in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was founded in 1899 as the football department of the gymnastics club Turn Verein Jahn von 1879 Siegen...
- Hellweg Lütgendortmund
- SuS Hüsten 09
- SV Holzwickede
- Eintracht Recklinghausen
- VfB AltenaVfB AltenaVfB Altena is a German football club from the city of Altena, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has spent most of its existence in lower level local play with the exception of seven seasons spent in third tier competition...
The two Verbandsligen remained as a feeder league for the new Oberliga, but now as a tier-four competition. Its champion, and some years the runners-up, were directly promoted to the Oberliga Westfalen.
With the re-introduction of the Regionalligen in 1994, the league slipped to tier five but remained unchanged otherwise.
From 2008, with the introduction of the 3. Liga, the Verbandsligen Westfalen were downgraded to the sixth tier. The league above it was then the new NRW-Liga, a merger of the Oberligen Nordrhein and Westfalen. The champions of the Verbandsligen continued to be directly promoted but since there now was four Verbandsligen below the Oberliga, the runners-up didn't have the option of promotion unless the league winner declined. The leagues also changed their names to Westfalenliga.
The reason for Group 1 only playing with 15 clubs in the season 2007-08 was somewhat and oddety in German football. When SG Wattenscheid 09
SG Wattenscheid 09
SG Wattenscheid 09 is a German association football club, located in Wattenscheid which is part of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club claims an official founding date of 18 September 1909 as Ballspiel-Verein Wattenscheid out of the merger of two earlier sides known as BV Sodalität der...
was relegated to Group 2 after the 2006-07 season, its reserve team was already scheduled to play in Group 1. Two teams from the same club can not be in the same league at this level, but they could be quite legally in parallel leagues. SG Wattenscheid 09 declined to have two teams playing parallel but the Westfalen FA still listed them as having two Verbandsliga teams in their official pre-season league listings. By the time Wattenscheid declined in early August it was to late to promote a replacement to the league and the number was left at 15 for this season.
League champions
From 1957 to 1978 a championship decider was played to determined the Westfalen champion, usually played on home-and-away base with a third game if necessary. Some seasons however, there was only one game, on neutral ground and in 1966 and 1968 no games were played.- Promoted teams in bold.
- In 1965, VfL Bochum was declared winner.
- In 1966 and 1968, no champion was determined; in 1967 the contest was drawn.
- In 1969, SpVgg Erkenschwick, runners-up of Group 1, was also promoted.
With the introduction of the Oberliga Westfalen in 1978, the winner of this league was the official champion of Westfalen, deciders between the two Verbandsliga champions were therefore unnecessary. League winners were automatically promoted, some seasons the runners-up too.
- In 2006, DSC Wanne-Eickel was refused promotion.
Founding members of the leagues
Verbandsliga Westfalen 1 Nordost:From the 2nd Oberliga West:
- VfB BielefeldVfB Fichte BielefeldVfB Fichte Bielefeld is a German association football club based in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was formed out of the merger of VfB Bielefeld 03 and SpVgg Fichte Bielefeld 06/07 on 1 July 1999.-History:...
From Landesliga 1 Ost:
- SpVgg BeckumSpVgg BeckumSpVgg Beckum is a German association football club from the city of Beckum, Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team first came to note as a third division side following the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963.-History:...
- Arminia GüterslohFC GüterslohFC Gütersloh 2000 is a German association football club based in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :The club was formed in 1978 out of the merger of the football sides of Sport Verein Arminia and Deutsche Jugendkraft Gütersloh in the hopes that the new club would be more successful than...
- Arminia BielefeldArminia BielefeldDSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
- TSV Detmold
- SV Brackwede
- Union Herford
From Landesliga 4 Nord:
- SV Erle 08
- SG Gronau
- BV Selm
- Germania Datteln
- VfB HülsVfB HülsVfB Hüls is a German association football club from Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia.The club was founded on 22 July 1948 as Eintracht Lippe and then re-named Verein für Rasenspiele 1948 e.V. Marl-Hüls on 27 January 1951. VfR merged with SuS Drewer-Süd in 1976 to create the current club...
From Landesliga 5 Mitte:
- TuRa BergkamenTuRa BergkamenTuRa Bergkamen is a German association football club from the city of Bergkamen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was established in July 1945 out of the union of the former memberships of Turn- und Sport Bergkamen, Turnverein Bergkamen, and Arbeiter Turnverein Bergkamen, a group of onetime...
- VfL Altenbögge
- SV Bockum-Hövel
- SV Herringen
Verbandsliga Westfalen 2 Südwest:
From Landesliga 2 Süd:
- Sportfreunde SiegenSportfreunde SiegenSportfreunde Siegen is a German association football club based in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was founded in 1899 as the football department of the gymnastics club Turn Verein Jahn von 1879 Siegen...
- Sportfreunde Neheim
- RSV Lüdenscheid-Höh
- TuS Eiringhausen
- SuS Menden 09
- SuS Niederschelden
From Landesliga 3 West::
- Union Günnigfeld
- SC Dahlhausen
- Arminia Ickern
- SpVgg Röhlinghausen
- SV Castrop
- SSV Hagen
- VfB Habinghorst
From Landesliga 4 Nord:
- Sportfreunde Gladbeck
From Landesliga 5 Mitte:
- FV Hombruch 09
- TBV Mengede
Sources
- Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFSDeutscher Sportclub für FußballstatistikenThe Deutscher Sportclub für Fußballstatistiken e.V., short DSFS is an association dedicated to collecting and publishing German football statistics, similar to the RSSSF, and is a member of the German Olympic Society.The club used to be best known for its annual publication, the Deutschlands...
- Kicker Almanach, The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports MagazineKicker (sports magazine)kicker Sportmagazin is Germany's leading sports magazine and is focused primarily on football. The magazine was founded in 1920 by German football pioneer Walther Bensemann and is published twice a week, usually Monday and Thursday, in Nuremberg...
- Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945-2005 History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables, publisher: DSFS, published: 2006