Bezirksoberliga Schwaben


The Bezirksoberliga Schwaben was the seventh tier of the German football league system in the Bavarian Regierungsbezirk of Swabia. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the sixth tier of the league system, until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fifth tier.
The league was disbanded at the end of the 2011–12 season, when major changes to the Bavarian football league system were carried out. Above the Bezirksoberligas, the Landesligas were expanded in number from three to five divisions and the Bezirke have two to three regional leagues, the Bezirksligas, as its highest level again, similar to the system in place until 1988.

Overview

The Bezirksoberligas in Bavaria were introduced in 1988 upon the suggestion of the 1. FC Sonthofen in 1986, to create a highest single-division playing level for each of the seven Regierungsbezirke. The term Bezirksoberliga translates roughly into County Premier League, a Regierungsbezirk being a similar administrative entity to a County.
Before the introduction of the Bezirksoberligas, the Bezirksliga was the level of play below the Landesliga. The Bezirksliga Schwaben-Nord and Schwaben-Süd fed the Landesliga Bayern-Süd as they afterwards feed the Bezirksoberliga Schwaben. From 1963 to 1968 there was only one common Bezirksliga in Schwaben, similar to what the Bezirksoberliga does now. From 1968 onwards the Bezirksligas were always split.
The winner of the Bezirksoberliga Schwaben, like the winner of the Bezirksoberliga Oberbayern, was directly promoted to the Landesliga Bayern-Süd. The two second placed teams out of those league's played-off for another promotion spot. The winner went to Landesliga, the loser faced the 15th placed team out of the Landesliga for the last spot there. However, in some years additional promotion places were available in the Landesliga. In 1994, 2000 and 2004, three teams from Schwaben gained promotion to the Landesliga.
The three bottom teams of the Bezirksoberliga were relegated to the Bezirksliga, the team just above those faced a play-off against the second placed Bezirksliga teams.
The area covered by the Schwaben FA is not identical to the Bezirk Schwaben, mainly because that the Bezirks borders, like everywhere in Bavaria, were altered in the 1970s in a border reform. Therefore, there are quite a few clubs playing in Schwaben that are actually at home in Oberbayern. The TSV Landsberg and the FC Pipinsried are the most successful of those but others have made it into the Bezirksoberliga too. Also, some clubs from western Schwaben are playing in the Baden-Württemberg football league system. These are called the Iller Vereine after the river Iller that forms the border in this area. These mostly left the Schwaben FA in 1946, but some, like the SpVgg Lindau, have always played in Württemberg.
Another oddity is the club SV Casino Kleinwalsertal, playing in the Schwaben but being at home in Austria. The Kleinwalsertal can only be accessed by land via Germany.
The Schwaben Cup, one of the seven now defunct Bezirkspokale, featured another oddity. It heavily favours low-level clubs. A lower-level club always had home advantage to the higher one and also only need a draw to advance. In 1994 the SC Altenmünster and in 1998 the BC Aichach both won the cup against higher classed Bayernliga club FC Memmingen by drawing after extra time. The rule was changed for the cup-final game after 1998.
The region of Schwaben is actually much larger than the Bavarian region of Schwaben, it compromises all of the state of Baden-Württemberg and event relates linguistically into Austria and Switzerland. In football however, the only region that carries the name is the Bavarian region of Schwaben.
With the league reform at the end of the 2011–12 season, which includes an expansion of the number of Landesligas from three to five, the Bezirksoberligas were disbanded. Instead, the Bezirksligas took the place of the Bezirksoberligas below the Landesligas once more.
The clubs from the Bezirksoberliga joined the following leagues:
The top-three finishers in the league since its interception:
SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird
1988–89TSV DasingFC PipinsriedTSV 1861 Nördlingen
1989–90TSG Thannhausen +SVO Germaringen +TSV 1861 Nördlingen
1990–91TSV MindelheimTSV LandsbergFC Kempten
1991–92TSV 1861 NördlingenTSV AindlingTSV Landsberg
1992–93TSV KotternFC Enikon Augsburg +TSV Landsberg +
1993–94SpVgg KaufbeurenFC KemptenTSV Landsberg
1994–95TSV BobingenDJK Lechhausen +TSV Friedberg +
1995–96BC Aichach +TSV Mindelheim +FC Pipinsried
1996–97TSV Rain am LechFC KemptenTSV Kottern
1997–98SpVgg KaufbeurenTSV FriedbergFC Pipinsried
1998–99FC PipinsriedFC GundelfingenSC Bubesheim
1999–2000SC Bubesheim +FC Königsbrunn +TSV Schwabmünchen
2000–01TSV 1861 NördlingenTSG Thannhausen +SpVgg Kaufbeuren +
2001–02TSV KotternTSV NeusässTSV Schwabmünchen
2002–03DJK LechhausenTSV SchwabmünchenTSV Bobingen
2003–04FC Augsburg IITSG ThannhausenTSV 1861 Nördlingen
2004–05TSV KotternFC Affing +FC Gundelfingen +
2005–06FC Königsbrunn +TSV Gersthofen +1. FC Sonthofen
2006–071. FC SonthofenTSV GersthofenFC Memmingen II
2007–08TSV SchwabmünchenFC Memmingen IIDJK Lechhausen
2008–09FC GundelfingenTSV LandsbergTSV Marktoberdorf
2009–10TSV KotternSC BubesheimTSV Schwaben Augsburg
2010–11BC AichachVfB Durach1. FC Sonthofen
2011–12FC AffingSV MeringTSV 1861 Nördlingen

The following clubs have won the league more than once:
ClubWinsYears
TSV Kottern41993, 2002, 2005, 2010
BC Aichach21996, 2011
TSV 1861 Nördlingen21992, 2001
SpVgg Kaufbeuren21994, 1998

League placings

The final placings in the league since its interception:
ClubS899091929394959697989900010203040506070809101112
TSV Aindling3L452LLLLBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
TSV Rain am Lech251LLLLLLLLLLLBBBB
TSV Gersthofen414422LLLLB
FC Pipinsried72LLLL853631LLLLLLLLLLLLL
FC Augsburg II 12121LLLLLLLL
TSG Thannhausen81L614131282LL2LLLBBBLL
TSV Schwabmünchen793L32L1691LLLL
FC Gundelfingen7LLLLLBBBBL2LLLL63104101LLL
TSV Landsberg13LL2333LLLBL134548121582LLL
TSV Kottern15131651LLL391110131L121LL961LL
BC Aichach7LLLLLLL1LLLL1413141051L
VfB Durach51045102L
1. FC Sonthofen101076865831LLL3L
FC Affing342LLLLLL1
SV Mering12
TSV 1861 Nördlingen143341LLLLL11491L53LLLL4873
TSV Mindelheim11651LL462LLLL1681144
SpVgg Kaufbeuren22786641L741L531077109779695
TSV Ottobeuren2166
TSV Bobingen16671111111LLLLLLL39761311127137
FC Memmingen II14141110565155432L468
FC Königsbrunn9LLLLLLLLL462LLLL61LL131259
SV Egg an der Günz110
TSV Marktoberdorf1181311137563131111
TSV Wertingen599141612
TSV Babenhausen71215151014813
TSV Dinkelscherben114
Schwaben Augsburg4BBLBLLLLLLBBBLBLLLL1431215
TSV Rain am Lech II21016
SC Bubesheim11914831LLLLL5657214
DJK Langenmosen115
BCA Oberhausen2916
FC Kempten811113962LL2LLBBLLLLBLBL14
Türkspor Augsburg51111121115
DJK Lechhausen962LLLL4541LLL8314
FC Kempten II115
TSG Thannhausen II21316
FC Schrobenhausen115
SSV Höchstädt21216
TSV Neusäss115544915672LLL815
TSV Haunstetten3171216
TSV Friedberg815367213914
TSV Hilgertshausen3131116
FC Stätzling4961014
TSV Pöttmes115
TSV Krumbach21115
ASV Fellheim51399816
BC Rinnenthal21217
FC Lauingen415121213
SVO Germaringen115287791412101314
TSV Betzigau21115
TSV Wemding41511716
TSV Leitershofen57811815
SpVgg Wiesenbach71477811141416
SSV Glött116
FC Heimertingen4105717
FC Zell-Bruck810131310981014
TSV Ziemtshausen21316
SSV Dillingen3141216
TSV Göggingen410141114
SV Grasheim49151216
SC Altenmünster51310101215
TSV Dasing21LLLLLL16
FC Enikon Augsburg 212LB
TSV Burgau3151215
TSG Augsburg78798121316
BSC Memmingen64121112816
TSV Friesenried21016
Stadtwerke SV Augsburg3101215
SV Klingsmoos116
VfL Kaufering115
VfL Günzburg1L13
TG Viktoria Augsburg116

Key

The SpVgg Kaufbeuren leads the all-time table of this league with 1,061 points, 326 points ahead of the TSV 1861 Nördlingen, third placed is the TSV Kottern. The SV Klingsmoos holds the 71st and last place with 16 points. The SpVgg Kaufbeuren has spent 22 out of a possible 24 seasons in the Bezirksoberliga, only interrupted by two one-year stints in the Landesliga. For the 2011–12 season, the last of the league, three clubs joined it that have never before played in it, the TSV Dinkelscherben, SV Mering and SV Egg an der Günz.