Regionalliga Südwest (1963–1974)


The Regionalliga Südwest was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the southwest of Germany from 1963 until the formation of the 2. Bundesliga in 1974. It covered the states of Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz.

Overview

Along with the Regionalliga Südwest went another four Regionalligas, these five formed the second tier of German football until 1974:
The new Regionalligas were formed along the borders of the old post-World War II Oberligas, not after a balanced regional system. Therefore the Oberligas Berlin and West covered small but populous areas while Nord and Süd covered large areas. Südwest was something of an anachronism, neither large nor populous. It was basically a remainder of the former French occupation zone.
Originally only the winners, later also runners-up of this league were admitted to the promotion play-off to the new Bundesliga, which was staged in two groups of originally four, later five teams each with the winner of each group going up.
The bottom three teams were relegated to the Amateurligas. Below the Regionalliga Südwest were the following Amateurligas:
The FSV Mainz 05, VfR Wormatia Worms, FK Pirmasens, SV Röchling Völklingen, Südwest Ludwigshafen and TuS Neuendorf all played every one of the eleven seasons of the Regionalliga Südwest.

Disbanding of the Regionalliga Südwest

The league was dissolved in 1974. According to their performance of the last couple of seasons, seven clubs of the Regionalliga went to the new 2. Bundesliga Süd. The nine remaining clubs were relegated to the Amateurligas.
The teams admitted to the 2. Bundesliga Süd were:
Relegated clubs:
From the Regionalliga Südwest, seven clubs qualified for the new 2. Bundesliga Süd, together with 13 teams from the Süd region.
The qualifying modus saw the last five seasons counted, whereby the last placed team in each season received one point, the second-last two points and so on. For a Bundesliga season within this five-year period, a club received 25 points, for an Amateurliga season none.
For the seasons 1969–70 and 1970–71, the received points counted single, for the 1971–72 and 1972–73 season double and for the 1973–74 season three times.
To be considered in the points table for the new league, a club had to play either in the Regionalliga Südwest in 1973-74 or to have been relegated from the Bundesliga to it for the next season, something which did not apply to the league that year.
The bottom three clubs in the league, nominally the relegated teams in a normal season, were barred from entry to the 2. Bundesliga, regardless of where they stood in the points ranking.
Points table:
RankClubPoints 1969-74Place in 1973-74
1Borussia Neunkirchen1331
2SV Röchling Völklingen1104
3FSV Mainz 051095
4FK Pirmasens1078
5SV Alsenborn 19510
6FC 08 Homburg903
7VfR Wormatia Worms906
81. FC Saarbrücken872
9ASV Landau829
10Südwest Ludwigshafen7611
11TuS Neuendorf7112
12FV Speyer4315
13Eintracht Bad Kreuznach307
14VfB Theley2713
15Sportfreunde Eisbachtal1514
16FC Ensdorf316

In 1994, the Regionalligas were reintroduced, this time as the third tier of German Football. The teams from the southwest were however integrated into the new Regionalliga West/Südwest with the clubs from Nordrhein-Westfalen. In 2000, when the number of Regionalligas was reduced from four to two, the south western clubs moved to the Regionalliga Süd. In 2008, with the introduction of the 3. Liga the southwestern clubs will again move, into the new Regionalliga West and again be with the teams from Nordrhein-Westfalen.

Winners and runners-up of the Regionalliga Südwest

The winners and runners-up of the league were:
SeasonWinnerRunner-Up
1963–64Borussia NeunkirchenFK Pirmasens
1964–651. FC SaarbrückenVfR Wormatia Worms
1965–66FK Pirmasens1. FC Saarbrücken
1966–67Borussia Neunkirchen1. FC Saarbrücken
1967–68SV AlsenbornTuS Neuendorf
1968–69SV AlsenbornTuS Neuendorf
1969–70SV AlsenbornFK Pirmasens
1970–71Borussia NeunkirchenFK Pirmasens
1971–72Borussia NeunkirchenSV Röchling Völklingen
1972–73FSV Mainz 05SV Röchling Völklingen
1973–74Borussia Neunkirchen1. FC Saarbrücken

The league placings from 1963 to 1974:
Club6465666768697071727374
Borussia Neunkirchen1BB1B541151
1. FC SaarbrückenB122536412132
FC 08 Homburg11109148973
SV Röchling Völklingen1314897121310224
FSV Mainz 0541134413127415
VfR Wormatia Worms325131281112746
Eintracht Bad Kreuznach7
FK Pirmasens27163422638
ASV Landau1979869
SV Alsenborn9811153810
Südwest Ludwigshafen 195117673310911
TuS Neuendorf116414228651112
VfB Theley161013
Sportfreunde Eisbachtal1414
FV Speyer11514111215
FC Ensdorf16
Eintracht Trier5313581010111315
Phönix Bellheim171012151416
VfR Frankenthal151271213151315
SpVgg Andernach16
SV Saar 05 Saarbrücken6461096915
SpVgg Weisenau149103111415
SC Friedrichsthal1416
FC Landsweiler16
SC Ludwigshafen1081415
SSV Mülheim16
Germania Metternich1816
BSC Oppau161315
TSC Zweibrücken181516
Sportfreunde Saarbrücken816
VfR Kaiserslautern717
Tura Ludwigshafen 112
SV Niederlahnstein20

Source:

Key

Records

The league records:
Highest win11–0SV Alsenborn 11 – 0 Saar 05 Saarbrücken 1. FC Saarbrücken 11 – 0 BSC Oppau
Most goals in a game14SV Alsenborn 6 – 8 FC Homburg
Season with most goals1,386 1963–64
Round with most goals45 Round 16, 1972–73

All-time table

The best and worst teams in the all-time table of the league from 1963 to 1974: