2013–14 B Group Explained

Competition:Bulgarian B Group
Season:2013–14
Promoted:Marek
Haskovo
Relegated:Vitosha
Kaliakra
Dunav
Akademik
League Topscorer:Atanas Chipilov (13 goals)
Matches:182
Total Goals:399
Prevseason:2012–13
Nextseason:2014–15

The 2013–14 B Group was the 58th season of the Bulgarian B Football Group, the second tier of the Bulgarian football league system. The season starts on 3 August 2013 and finished in May 2014.

On 21 June the executive committee of Bulgarian Football Union confirmed that the number of teams for the new season will remain 14. The teams play twice against each other, once home and once away, as it was the previous season. At the end of this season again there are just 2 teams promoted to the top tier of Bulgarian football (A PFG), but since there are 4 teams relegated from the top league so as to reduce the number of teams in it, there will be 4 teams relegated from B PFG at the end of the season as well, in order to keep the number of teams in the division 14.

Team changes from 2012–13

Movement between A PFG and B PFG

At the end of season 2012-1013 the first two teams of the second division of Bulgarian football were promoted to the top division (A PFG). These were Neftochimic Burgas and Lyubimets.

Because of the changes made in the number of teams in A PFG for season 2013-2014 the bottom four teams in A Group at the end of season 2012-2013 were relegated to B Group for season 2013–2014. These were Botev Vratsa, Minyor Pernik, Montana and Etar 1924.

Movement between B PFG and V AFG

During season 2012-2013 OFC Sliven 2000 was suspended due to their inability to field at least 7 players in their senior team and was relegated finishing last in the group. Additionally the other three bottom teams - Vidima-Rakovski Sevlievo, Shumen 2010 and Septemvri Simitli - relegated as of their positions in the group table. However, before the beginning of this season, the teams of Spartak Pleven and Etar 1924 that participated in B PFG in the previous season, did not receive a professional license from the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) and were relegated to V AFG for the new season.

The four V AFG champions - Botev Galabovo (South-East), Dobrudzha Dobrich (North-East), Marek Dupnitsa (South-West) and Akademik Svishtov (North-West) - were promoted to B PFG because of their standings in their places in their respective groups the previous season. Nevertheless, at that time, B Group was two participants short of its 16-team quota because of the teams that did not receive license to play professional football in Bulgaria.

Moreover, after the end of season 2012–2013, on 30 July, Svetkavitsa Targovishte sent an official letter to the Bulgarian Football Union, announcing it will not take part in the 2013–2014 B PFG season. On the next day a similar decision was taken by Chavdar Etropole.[1] Both teams were experiencing financial difficulties at that time. Further, the football union was still awaiting word from Minyor Pernik on whether they will be able to participate in the group, because of speculations in the media of their inability to cover their financial costs for B PFG for the whole season.

On a special meeting on 1 August 2013 BFU approved the filed decisions by Svetkavitsa Targovishte and Chavdar Etropole, and gave final notice to Minyor Pernik to sign the required 7 players at least. The same day the leadership of Minyor Pernik declared that they will abolish the current club and intend to found a new one, which will take a license to participate in the third division (V AFG) of the Bulgarian football system. The BFU confirmed the exclusion of Minyor the next day.[2]

On 3 August the season started awaiting a decision of the BFU with some games postponed and fewer than intended participants.

On 6 August, the Bulgarian Football Union announced its decision to replace the 3 teams (Svetkavitsa, Chavdar, and Minyor) with 3 of the second placed teams in the 2012-13 V AFGs. Since FC Botev Kozloduy, the second placed team in last season's North-West V AFG declined to participate in the professional B PFG, the places were automatically delegated to the second placed clubs from the other three regional divisions - FC Dunav Ruse (North-East), FC Haskovo (South-East) and FC Vitosha Bistritsa (South-West). Dunav Ruse would take the schedule of Svetkavitsa Targovishte, Haskovo would take the schedule of Chavdar Etropole, while Vitosha would take the one meant for Minyor Pernik. The three postponed games of those teams from the first round would be played during the break for the UEFA qualifications for the World Cup in Brazil 2014, between September 6 and September 10.[3]

For season 2013-2014 B Group would have only 14 participants.

Stadia and locations

TeamCityStadiumCapacity
Akademik align=center 13,500
Saint Peter align=center 3,000
Energetik align=center 3,000
align=center 32,000
align=center 12,500
align=center 19,960
7,500
5,000
16,050
8,000
Pirin align=center 2,000
Legia align=center 3,000
13,000
Bistritsa 2,000

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of 3 May 2014

RankScorerClubGoals
1 Atanas ChipilovBansko13
2 Dimitar DimitrovPirin Razlog9
3 Ventsislav IvanovMontana8
4 Sergey GeorgievBansko7
Nedyalko HubenovHaskovo7
Blagoy NakovMontana7
7 Dimitar AleksievHaskovo6
Emil AngelovHaskovo6
Deyan HristovSpartak Varna6
Chetin SadulaVitosha Bistritsa6
Lyuboslav VoynovBansko4
8 Ivaylo DimitrovDobrudzha Dobrich5
Enyo KrastovchevMarek Dupnitsa5
Petar TonchevMarek Dupnitsa5
7 Ivan PetkovKaliakra Kavarna4
Yanislav IvanovKaliakra Kavarna4
Dimitar AndonovMarek Dupnitsa4
Aleksandar ManolovMarek Dupnitsa4
Ivan TsachevDobrudzha Dobrich4
Boris KondevPirin Razlog4-->

Notes and References

  1. http://football24.bg/novina/114086-oficialno-bez-chavdar-etropole-v-b-grupa Official: Chavdar Etropole out of B PFG
  2. http://www.sportal.bg/news.php?news=440806 The saga around Minyor is over
  3. http://www.sportal.bg/news.php?news=441396 БФС взе решение - ето кои отбори попълниха "Б" група