Verbandsliga Saarland


The Verbandsliga Saarland is currently the seventh tier of the German football league system in the German federal state of Saarland. Until the introduction of the Saarlandliga in 2009 it was the sixth tier, until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the fifth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fourth tier.
From the 2012-13 season onwards the league will be played in two regional divisions and the Landesligas below it increased in numbers from two to four.

Overview

The Verbandsliga was formed in 1947 under the name of Ehrenliga Saarland 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. 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:
With the return to the German league system in 1951, two teams from the league, now called Amateurliga Saarland 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 Sportfreunde 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 Amateurligen 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.
In 1978, the same time as the Oberliga Südwest, the Amateurliga Saarland was renamed Verbandsliga Saarland and was now the fourth tier of the league system. The top seven teams out of the Amateurliga went to the new Oberliga while the teams from place 8 to 19 found themselves in the Verbandsliga.
The winner of the Verbandsliga Saarland, like the winners of the Verbandsligen Südwest and Rheinland gains direct promotion to the Oberliga Südwest. The runners-up will only get a chance for promotion when there are additional spots to fill in the Oberliga, like 1994 when the Regionalligen were introduced and VfB Dillingen was promoted.
The Saarland was the youngest of the states of West Germany, until 1957 it was a separate entity under French supervision. Its football league was temporarily separate, too. The clubs from the Saar did not play in the German football league system from 1948 to 1951.
Feeder Leagues to the Verbandsliga Saarland
In May 2008, the Saarland Football Association decided to change the league system by introducing the new Saarlandliga as the sixth tier, between Oberliga and Verbandsliga, from 2009. For the Verbandsliga, this meant, it would lose almost all its clubs to the new league and be relegated to seventh tier. Otherwise, it remained unchanged.

League winners

The league champions in the single division era:
SeasonClub
1947–48FC 08 Homburg
1948–49Borussia Neunkirchen
1949–50Sportfreunde Saarbrücken
1950–511. FC Saarbrücken
1951–52Sportfreunde Saarbrücken
1952–53VfB Dillingen
1953–54SV Ludweiler
1954–55SV St. Ingbert
1955–56Viktoria Hühnerfeld
1956–57FC 08 Homburg
1957–58VfB Theley
1958–59SC Friedrichsthal
1959–60Röchling Völklingen
1960–61Röchling Völklingen
1961–62SV Fraulautern
1962–63Viktoria Sulzbach
1963–64Viktoria Sulzbach
1964–65SV Ludweiler
1965–66FC 08 Homburg
1966–67SC Friedrichsthal
1967–68SV Landsweiler–Reden
1968–69SC Friedrichsthal

SeasonClub
1969–70VfB Theley
1970–71SV Fraulautern
1971–72VfB Theley
1972–73FC Ensdorf
1973–74SV St.Ingbert
1974–75ASC Dudweiler
1975–76Borussia Neunkirchen
1976–77Borussia Neunkirchen
1977–78Borussia Neunkirchen
1978–79FC Ensdorf
1979–80SV Elversberg
1980–81Rot-Weiß Hasborn
1981–82FC St. Wendel
1982–83Röchling Völklingen
1983–84FC Ensdorf
1984–85FSV Saarwellingen
1985–86SSV Überherrn
1986–87Rot–Weiß Hasborn
1987–881. FC Saarbrücken II
1988–89FSG Schiffweiler
1989–90Saar 05 Saarbrücken
1990–91FC 08 Homburg II

SeasonClub
1991–92FSG Schiffweiler
1992–93SV Mettlach
1993–94SV Elversberg
1994–95SV Auersmacher
1995–96SSV Überherrn
1996–97SC 08 Halberg-Brebach
1997–981. FC Saarbrücken II
1998–99VfB Theley
1999–2000SV Mettlach
2000–01Saar 05 Saarbrücken
2001–02Röchling Völklingen
2002–03Spfr. Köllerbach
2003–04SC 08 Halberg-Brebach
2004–05Rot–Weiß Hasborn
2005–06FC Kutzhof
2006–07Spfr. Köllerbach
2007–08SV Elversberg II
2008–09SV Auersmacher
2009–10VfB Theley
2010–11SpVgg Hangard
2011–12Saar 05 Saarbrücken

The league champions in the two division era:
SeasonNordostSüdwest
2012–13VfL PrimstalSV Klarenthal
2013–14Preussen MerchweilerFSV Hemmersdorf
2014–15DJK Bildstock1. FC Riegelsberg
2015–16FV LebachTuS Herrensohr
2016–17FC 08 Homburg IIFV 09 Schwalbach
2017–18SV RohrbachFC Rastpfuhl
2018–19Rot-Weiß HasbornFV 09 Bischmisheim