Soviet Second League Explained

Soviet Second League
Pixels:80
Country:Soviet Union
Founded:1971
Folded:1991
after 52 seasons
Promotion:Soviet First League
Relegation:Soviet Second League B
or KFK competitions
Levels:Level 3
Champions:Karpaty Lviv
Asmaral Moscow
Okean Nakhodka
Most Champs:11 clubs (2)

The Soviet Second League (Russian: Чемпионат СССР по футболу (вторая лига), Soviet football championship (Second League)) was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The league was formed in 1971 in place of the Class A Second Group of the Soviet football championship just a year after the division was downgraded to the third tier. Previously, the third-tier competition predecessor Class B was liquidated completely. The Second League remained in force until dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Overview

The Soviet third tier competitions were conducted since the establishment of the Soviet football championship among teams of masters in 1936. At first they were called as the Group V (Cyrillic letter of V) of the Soviet football championship, but was discontinued after the 1937. The experimental edition of the third-tier competition was re-introduced in 1946 as the Third Group of the Soviet football championship. But the consistent competitions really took off in 1963 when the Class B of the Soviet football championship was downgraded to the third tier.

The most titles of the League won was two by 11 different teams out of various now independent republics. The last winners of the League were FC Karpaty Lviv, FC Asmaral Moscow, and FC Okean Nakhodka.

Between 1963 and 1970 football competitions in Class B were split by republican principle at first as tier two, then as tier three, and at the end in 1970 it was downgraded to the auxiliary tier four (or lower tier three). Each territorial Class B competition had multiple number of sub-groups that were known as zones. Winners of each territorial (republican) Class B was granted promotion to Class A Second Group (First League). Also on occasions, there were relegation play-offs to allow rotation for the collective of physical culture (KFK).

In 1970–71, the Soviet league system was restructured for lower leagues and Class B competitions were discontinued. Republican competitions were conducted with the Soviet Second League which consisted of multiple groups (zones). There was no explicit designation of zones as they were simply numerated. Initially the league consisted of six groups, but for the next couple of season was increased to seven before reducing back to six again. Normally winners of group were getting promoted to the First League.

In 1980 the league was expanded to 9 groups, winners of which qualified for a mini-tournament that consisted of three groups with three teams. The three winners of that mini-tournament received promotion to the First League. This format remained in place until 1989.

Republican competitions continued to be conducted among collective of physical culture and were considered as amateur.

In 1990 the league again went through another transformation reducing the number of groups from 9 to 3, winners of which would have been promoted to the First League. Due to withdrawal of teams, promotion and relegation was disrupted and the 1991 season became the last.

Third tier competition names

Winners

Group V

SeasonWinnerRunners-upThirdNotes
1936 (spring)FC Dinamo Rostov/DonStroiteli BakuDynamo Odessa
1936 (autumn)Dinamo KazanSpartak KharkivDynamo Dnipropetrovsk
1937Dynamo OdessaLokomotyv KyivStakhanovets Staline

Third Group

SeasonZoneWinnerRunners-upThirdNotes
19461Spartak UzhhorodKrylya Sovetov Tbilisifive groups winners and runners-up of which qualified for the two final groups
2Dinamo RigaZenit Kaliningrad

Class B

SeasonZoneWinnerRunners-upThirdNotes
1963RussiaVolga KalininDinamo KirovZvezda Serpukhovthree zones
UkraineSKA OdessaLokomotyv VinnytsiaAzovstal Zhdanov
RepublicsLokomotivi TbilisiDinamo Batumi
1964RussiaRostselmash Rostov/DonTerek GroznyTekstilshchik Ivanovothree zones
UkraineLokomotyv VinnytsiaSKA KievPolissya Zhytomyr
RepublicsGranitas KlaipėdaVostok Ust-KamenogorskPolitodel Tashkent Oblast
1965RussiaSpartak NalchikRubin KazanSokol Saratovthree zones
UkraineSKA LvivSKA KievAvanhard Zhovti Vody
RepublicsDynamo KirovobadDynamo BakuPamir Leninabad
1966RussiaLokomotiv KalugaSpartak OrdzhonikidzeMetallurg Tulafour zones
UkraineAvanhard Zhovti VodyDynamo KhmelnytskyiLokomotyv Kherson
Central AsiaPamir LeninabadMetallurg ChimkentDynamo Tselinograd
RepublicsMeshakhte TkibuliPolad SumgayitNeman Grodno
1967RussiaDinamo MakhachkalaVolga UlyanovskVolgar Astrakhanfour zones
UkraineAvtomobilist ZhytomyrKhimik SeverodonetskDnipro Kremenchuk
Central AsiaZarafshon NawoyiSverdlovets Tashkent OblastMetallurg Temirtau
RepublicsNeman GrodnoPolad Sumgait
1968RussiaMashuk PyatigorskKalinenets SverdlovskSpartak Belgorodfour zones
UkraineAvanhard TernopilBukovyna ChernivtsiShakhtar Kadiivka
Central AsiaSverdlovets Tashkent OblastAk Altyn Andizhan OblastSamarqand
KazakhstanEmbek DjezkazghanADK Alma‑AtaMetallurg Temirtau
1969RussiaDruzhba MaykopSaturn RybinskIskra Smolenskfive zones
UkraineSpartak Ivano-FrankivskShakhtar HorlivkaSpartak Sumy
Central AsiaTashavtomash TashkentSamarkandYangiyer
KazakhstanTraktor PavlodarTsementnik SemipalatinskEmbek Djezkazghan
CaucasusDila GoriGuria LanchkhutiAvtomobilist Yerevan

Second Group (Class A)

SeasonZoneWinnerRunners-upThirdNotes
1970UkraineMetalurh ZaporizhiaTavriya SimferopolAvtomobilist Zhytomyrthree zones; top two teams of second and third groups played in final Russian group
RussiaAvtomobilist NalchikSpartak Yoshkar‑OlaKuzbass Kemerevo

Second League

SeasonWinnerRunners-upNotes
1971Kryvbas Kryvyi RihIskra Smolensksix groups
1972Spartak Ivano-FrankivskDinamo Rigaseven groups
1973Uralmash SverdlovskTavriya Simferopol
Kuban Krasnodar		winners of seven groups play in final
1974Alga FrunzeRubin Kazan
Metalist Kharkiv		six groups
1975Terek GroznyDinamo Riga
Stroitel Asgabat		six groups
1976Dinamo LeningradKryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Uralmash Sverdlovsk		six groups
1977Kuban KrasnodarŽalgiris Vilnius
SCA Odessa		six groups
1978FC Zvezda PermSpartak Nalchik
Metalist Kharkiv		six groups
1979Iskra Smolensk
Kolos Nikopol
Dinamo Stavropol
Guria Lanchkhuti
Sugdiyona Jizzakh
SKA Khabarovsk		Textilschik Ivanovo
SKA Kyiv
Rotor Volgograd
Lokomotivi Samtredia
Shakhrikhonchi Shakhrikhan
FC Shakhter		six groups, no final, six winners
1980Spartak Kostroma
Traktor Pavlodar
CSKA Kyiv		Rotor Volgograd
Dynamo Samarqand
Khimik Grodno		nine groups, three final groups
1981Daugava Riga
Dinamo Kirov
Rotor Volgograd		Kotayk Abovyan
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Textilschik Ivanovo		nine groups, three final groups
1982Textilschik Ivanovo
Dnepr Mogilev
Kuzbass Kemerevo		Spartak Orjonikidze
Dynamo Samarqand
Shakhter		nine groups, three final groups
1983Irtysh Omsk
Spartak Orjonikidze
Dinamo Batumi		Metallurg Lipetsk
Znamya Truda Orekhovo-Zuevo
Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev		nine groups, three final groups
1984Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev
Kotayk Abovyan
Dinamo Stavropol		Nyva Vinnytsia
Geolog Tumen
Dynamo Samarqand		nine groups, three final groups
1985Rostselmash Rostov/Don
Atlantas Klaipėda
Iskra Smolensk		Tavriya Simferopol
FC Zvezda Perm
Meliorator Chimkent		nine groups, three final groups
1986Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev
Geolog Tumen
Zoria Voroshilovgrad		Kapaz Kirovobad
Metallurg Lipetsk
Sokhibkor Khalkabad		nine groups, three final groups
1987Tavriya Simferopol
FC Zvezda Perm
Kuban Krasnodar		Iskra Smolensk
Meliorator Chimkent
Nistru Chisinau		nine groups, three final groups
1988Nistru Chisinau
Torpedo Kutaisi
Fakel Voronezh		Neftchi Fergona
Tsement Novorossiysk
Bukovyna Chernivtsi		nine groups, three final groups
1989Lokomotiv Gorkiy
Textilschik Tiraspol
Dinamo Sukhumi		Irtysh Omsk
Volyn Lutsk
Neftchi Fergona		nine groups, three final groups
1990Bukovyna Chernivtsi
Uralmash Sverdlovsk
Neftchi Fergona		Daugava Riga
Textilschik Kamyshyn
Novbakhor Namangan		three groups
1991Karpaty Lviv
Asmaral Moscow
Okean Nakhodka		Zorya Luhansk
Krylya Sovetov Samara
Kopetdag Asgabat		three groups

All-time table (top 20)

There were over 520 teams that played in the third tier competitions.[1]

TeamRepublicSeasonsFirst
season		Last
season		PlayedWonDrawnLostGoals
for		Goals
against		Points11st2nd3rd
Bukovina ChernovtsyUkraine26196319891175508318349146611151842
Polesie ZhitomirUkraine2419631988108645531032112949861675
Druzhba MaikopRussia28196319901085470243372137411231653
Tselinnik TselinogradKazakhstan261964199097447621528313609681643
Neftyanik FerganaUzbekistan231963198990847917825115068701615
Metallurg LipetskRussia241963199094844824225812818551586
Khimik DzhambulKazakhstan27196319901013446242325143911271580
Krivbass Krivoi RogUkraine2219631988100342829528012679671579
Sudostroitel NikolaevUkraine23196319891043425295323125710031570
Zakarpatie UzhgorodUkraine26196319891155426291438123512881569
Niva VinnitsaUkraine2219631990100242728628912308851567
Podolie KhmelnitskiyUkraine24196319881084404286394119111671498
Mashuk PiatigorskRussia241936 (f)198991643120228312249531495
Volyn LutskUkraine27196319901206386332488114814161490
Avangard RovnoUkraine25196319881113388309416109711521473
Sokol SaratovRussia2419631990923421209293141610651472
Zenit IzhevskRussia261963199097240725131412799881472
Spartak KostromaRussia231963198889139926023212258851457
Meliorator ChimkentKazakhstan2419631990918418202298135210181456
Kristall KhersonUkraine24196319881076387289400123312701450
1Three points for a win. In 1973, a point for a draw was awarded only to a team that won the subsequent penalty shootout. In 1978–1988, the number of draws for which points were awarded was limited.

See also

References

  1. Web site: Чемпионат СССР, вторая лига, Все матчи.

External links

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