The Landesliga Bayern sits at step 6 of the German football league system and is the third highest level in the Bavarian football league system, below the Bayernliga and organised in five regional divisions. The current Landesligas were formed in 1963, when the Bundesliga was established. From 2012, when the Regionalliga Bayern was established, the Landesligas were expanded from three to five divisions.
Previous to that, from 1945 to 1950, the Landesliga Bayern existed as a tier-two league below the Oberliga Süd.
Overview
Landesliga Bayern 1945 to 1950 From 1945 to 1950, the Bayernliga was called Landesliga Bayern. It was then the second tier of Southern German Football.Süddeutschlands Fußballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988 . p. 142.
The league was established after the Second World War, consisting of nine clubs, with the league winner promoted to the Oberliga Süd. After its first season, 1945–46, it expanded to two divisions, north and south, with eleven clubs each. At the end of season, the two league champions played for the Bavarian title and Oberliga promotion. In 1947–48, each division had 13 clubs.Süddeutschlands Fußballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988 . p. 148.
In its last two seasons, 1948–49 and 1949–50, the league returned to a single division format. In 1948–49, it consisted of 16 clubs with the top two teams earning promotion. In 1949–50, 14 clubs were in the league and the best five teams earned entry to the newly formed 2. Oberliga Süd, which became the second tier in Southern Germany. The remaining nine clubs plus seven promoted teams formed the new Amateurliga Bayern, now the third tier.Süddeutschlands Fußballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988 . p. 157.
Alongside the Landesliga Bayern, four other regional Landesligas existed as the second tier below the Oberliga Süd, these being: Landesliga Hessen Landesliga Nordbaden Landesliga Südbaden Landesliga Württemberg
Landesligas from 1963 to 2012
After the inception of the three Landesligas in 1963 the winners of these leagues were automatically promoted to the Bayernliga. The runners-up faced a relegation play-off with the team of the Bayernliga that is placed just above the relegation zone, usually the 15th placed team unless the league held more or less than the desired number of 18 teams, for a final promotion spot. Since the start of the promotion play-offs in 1981, Landesliga Süd had won the extra spot 17 times, Landesliga Mitte 8 times and Landesliga Nord only 5 times. In 1985, 1994, 1996 and 2003 additional spots were available on top of the usual four.
The German word Landesliga can be pretty literally translated as State League.
The three Landesligas cover the following areas: Landesliga Bayern-Süd: Bavarian Swabia and Upper Bavaria Landesliga Bayern-Mitte: Upper Palatinate, Middle Franconia and Lower Bavaria Landesliga Bayern-Nord: Lower Franconia and Upper Franconia
From 1988 to 2012 the seven Bezirksoberligas were set below the Landesligas, covering the above-mentioned seven Bezirke. The winners of those gained promotion, the runners-up faced a promotion play-off for a number of promotion spot which vary from season to season. Previous to that, the Bezirksligas were set below the Landesligas, with the slight fluctuations in the number of leagues.
Only four teams in Bavaria have never dropped down to Landesliga level, these being FC Bayern Munich, TSV 1860 Munich, 1. FC Nürnberg and FC Augsburg, with the SpVgg Fürth, now SpVgg Greuther Fürth, being by far the most prominent club to have played in any of the three Landesligas, having three German championships to their name (1914, 1926, 1929).
Since 1980, the reserve teams of Landesliga clubs are permitted to enter the league system. Previous to that, they had to compete in separate reserve leagues, with only teams in the Bayernliga and above being permitted to enter their reserve teams in league football.50 Jahre Bayerischer Fußball-Verband, p. 28
Landesligas since 2012
The Bavarian football federation decided on drastic changes to the league system from 2012 onwards. With the introduction of the Regionalliga Bayern from 2012 to 2013, it placed two Bayernligas, north and south, below the new league as the new fifth tier of the German league system. Below those, five Landesligas instead of the existing three were set, which would be geographically divided to limit travel and increase the number of local derbies.Attraktive Gegner, regionale Einteilung, weniger Fahrtkosten BFV website. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011
The five new leagues were:Auf- und Abstiegsregelung der Bayernliga und der Landesligen für das Qualifikationsspieljahr 2011/2012 Bavarian FA website - Regulations for promotion and relegation in 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2011 Landesliga Bayern-Nordost Landesliga Bayern-Nordwest Landesliga Bayern-Mitte Landesliga Bayern-Südost Landesliga Bayern-Südwest
The clubs in these leagues were made up from Landesliga clubs who failed to qualify for the Bayernliga, a set number of Bezirksoberliga clubs and, through a promotion round, the Bezirksliga champions.
League champions
Landesliga Bayern: 1945 to 1950 Season Champions Runners–up 1945–46 1. FC Bamberg Jahn Regensburg 1946–47 FC Wacker München FC Bayern Hof 1947–48 BC Augsburg 1. FC Bamberg 1948–49 Jahn Regensburg SpVgg Fürth 1949–50 1. FC Bamberg FC Bayern Hof
Landesligas from 1963 to 2012 Season Landesliga Süd Landesliga Mitte Landesliga Nord 1963–64 TSG Augsburg SpVgg Weiden FV Würzburg 04 1964–65 SpVgg Kaufbeuren 1. FC Nürnberg II FC Bayreuth 1965–66 MTV Ingolstadt SSV Jahn Regensburg SpVgg Hof 1966–67 FC Bayern Munich II ESV Nürnberg-West VfB Coburg 1967–68 SpVgg Kaufbeuren FC Passau FC Münchberg 1968–69 MTV Ingolstadt SpVgg Vohenstrauss FC Bayreuth 1969–70 FC Memmingen FC Herzogenaurach FV Würzburg 04 1970–71 SC Fürstenfeldbruck ASV Neumarkt FC Kronach 1971–72 BSC Sendling ASV Herzogenaurach FC Bayreuth 1972–73 FC Bayern Munich II TSV Roth VfB Coburg 1973–74 SpVgg Kaufbeuren ASV Neumarkt ATS Kulmbach 1974–75 VfR Neuburg FC Amberg 1. FC Bamberg 1975–76 TSV 1860 Rosenheim SpVgg Plattling 1. FC Haßfurt 1976–77 MTV Ingolstadt FC Herzogenaurach TSV Trebgast 1977–78 SB/DJK Rosenheim FC Vilshofen TSV Hirschaid 1978–79 TSV Ampfing FC Herzogenaurach VfB Helmbrechts 1979–80 SC Fürstenfeldbruck 1. FC Nürnberg II VfL Frohnlach 1980–81 SpVgg Unterhaching FC Vilshofen 1. FC Bamberg 1981–82 FC Wacker München TSV Straubing VfB Coburg 1982–83 TSV Eching SSV Jahn Regensburg FC Bayern Hof 1983–84 ESV Ingolstadt 1. FC Nürnberg II 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 1984–85 SC Fürstenfeldbruck SpVgg Weiden SV Heidingsfeld 1985–86 TSV Großhadern FC Amberg FC Schweinfurt 05 1986–87 FC Wacker München TSV Vestenbergsgreuth FC Kronach 1987–88 SV Türk Gücü München SpVgg Weiden FC Bayern Hof 1988–89 SpVgg Starnberg SpVgg Plattling VfB Helmbrechts 1989–90 TSV Eching SSV Jahn Regensburg Kickers Würzburg 1990–91 TSV Schwaben Augsburg SpVgg Fürth SC 08 Bamberg 1991–92 SpVgg Starnberg FC Passau VfL Frohnlach 1992–93 Wacker Burghausen SpVgg Plattling VfB Helmbrechts 1993–94 SV Türk Gücü München Jahn Forchheim FC Bayern Hof 1994–95 TSV 1860 Rosenheim SG Quelle Fürth SC Weismain 1995–96 TSV 1860 Munich II SG Post/Süd Regensburg SpVgg Stegaurach 1996–97 TSV 1860 Rosenheim 1. SC Feucht Kickers Würzburg 1997–98 TSV Schwaben Augsburg SC 04 Schwabach SpVgg Bayreuth 1998–99 FC Kempten SSV Jahn Regensburg FV Würzburg 04 1999–2000 FC Ismaning ASV Neumarkt 1. FC Sand 2000–01 Falke Markt Schwaben SpVgg Greuther Fürth II SpVgg Bayreuth 2001–02 SC Fürstenfeldbruck SG Post/Süd Regensburg TSV Gerbrunn 2002–03 FC Memmingen SpVgg Landshut FV Würzburg 04 2003–04 MTV Ingolstadt 1. FC Bad Kötzting VfL Frohnlach 2004–05 Wacker Burghausen II SG Quelle Fürth FV Würzburg 04 2005–06 SV Heimstetten SpVgg Weiden SpVgg Bayern Hof 2006–07 FC Kempten SpVgg Ansbach FC Schweinfurt 05 2007–08 TSV Buchbach FSV Erlangen-Bruck VfL Frohnlach 2008–09 TSV 1860 Rosenheim SV Schalding-Heining SV Memmelsdorf 2009–10 SV Heimstetten Freier TuS Regensburg Würzburger FV 2010–11 SB/DJK Rosenheim SC Eltersdorf VfL Frohnlach 2011–12 Wacker Burghausen II SpVgg Landshut Kickers Würzburg
Five divisions: since 2012 Season Landesliga Nordost Landesliga Nordwest Landesliga Mitte Landesliga Südost Landesliga Südwest 2012–13 SpVgg SV Weiden SV Erlenbach TSV Bogen SV Pullach FC Pipinsried 2013–14 TSV Neudrossenfeld SpVgg Ansbach 1. FC Bad Kötzting TSV Dachau TSV Landsberg 2014–15 1. SC Feucht DJK Don Bosco Bamberg SpVgg Ruhmannsfelden SV Kirchanschöring TSV Kottern 2015–16 ASV Neumarkt SpVgg Ansbach DJK Ammerthal FC Ismaning FC Gundelfingen 2016–17 TSV Kornburg 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 II DJK Gebenbach TuS Holzkirchen TSV Schwaben Augsburg 2017–18 ATSV Erlangen TSV Abtswind SSV Jahn Regensburg II Türkgücü-Ataspor Munich TSV 1861 Nördlingen 2018–19 FC Eintracht Bamberg TSV Karlburg SV Donaustauf TSV 1880 Wasserburg TSV Landsberg 2019–20No champions. Season suspended by COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and later extended to 2021 2020–21 1. SC Feucht Vatan Spor Aschaffenburg ASV Neumarkt VfB Hallbergmoos FC Gundelfingen 2021–22 TSV Kornburg 1. FC Geesdorf SpVgg SV Weiden SV Erlbach TSV 1861 Nördlingen
Source:
References
Sources Die Bayernliga 1945 - 1997 . DSFS. 1998 Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga. DSFS. Kicker Almanach, The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937. Kicker Sports Magazine. Süddeutschlands Fußballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988 History of Southern German football in tables, by Ludolf Hyll. 50 Jahre Bayerischer Fußball-Verband 50-year-anniversary book of the Bavarian FA. Vindelica Verlag. 1996
External links Bayerischer Fußball-Verband (Bavarian FA) Das deutsche Fußball Archiv Historic German league tables Website with tables and results from the Bavarian Oberliga to Bezirksliga