The Landesliga Weser-Ems, called the Bezirksoberliga Weser-Ems from 1979 to 1994 and 2006 to 2010,Fußball-Journal Niedersachsen Official monthly publication of the NFV. May 2010. p. 65. Retrieved 5 February 2011 is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the second highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony (German:Niedersachsen). It covers the region of the now defunct Regierungsbezirk Weser-Ems.
It is one of four leagues at this level in Lower Saxony, the other three being the Landesliga Lüneburg, the Landesliga Hannover and the Landesliga Braunschweig.
The term Landesliga can be translated as State league.
Overview
The league's history goes back to 1979, when four new Bezirksoberligas (Braunschweig, Hannover, Lüneburg and Weser-Ems) were formed in the state of Lower Saxony. The Bezirksoberligas (6th tier) were set below the Verbandsliga Niedersachsen (4th tier) and the two Landesligas (5th tier) in the German football league system. In 1994, the two old Landesligas were dissolved, while the four Bezirksoberligas were renamed into Landesliga Braunschweig, Landesliga Hannover, Landesliga Lüneburg, and Landesliga Weser-Ems respectively. Due to the introduction of the new Regionalliga (IV) the new Landesligas still remained at the 6th tier of German football, however.
In 2006, the Landesliga was renamed into Bezirksoberliga again. The new Bezirksoberliga Weser-Ems was made up of sixteen clubs,Bezirksoberliga Weser-Ems table 2006-07 Fussball.de. Retrieved 12 July 2009 three from the tier-five Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-West, nine from the Landesliga and two each from the two Bezirksligas. The league was formed in a reorganisation of the league system in Lower Saxony, whereby the four regional Landsligas were replaced by the Bezirksoberligas. Below these, the number of Bezirksligas was increased. In Weser-Ems, the two Bezirksligas were expanded to five, while the other three regions operate with four Bezirksligas at this level.Spielordnung des Niedersächsischen Fußballverbandes e.V. Rules and regulations of the Lower Saxony football association. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2009
The Bezirksoberliga, like the Landesliga before, was set in the league system below the Verbandsliga and above the now five Bezirksligas, which were numbered from one to five. The winner of the Bezirksoberliga was directly promoted to the Verbandsliga, while the bottom placed teams, in a varying number, were relegated to the Bezirksliga. The Bezirksoberligas of Weser-Ems and Hanover form the tier below the Verbandsliga West, while those of Lüneburg and Braunschweig form the tier below the eastern division of the Verbandsliga.
In the leagues first season, 2006–07, the runners-up of the league, SV Holthausen-Biene, had to play-off with the runners-up of the Bezirksoberliga Hannover, TSV Stelingen, a game they lost 1-0 and thereby failed to gain promotion.Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen - Die Saison 2006-07 DSFS. p. 260 In the following two seasons, only the league champions were eligible for promotion.
At the end of the 2007-08 season, with the introduction of the 3. Liga, the Verbandsliga was renamed Oberliga Niedersachsen-West.Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen - Die Saison 2007-08 DSFS. p. 238 For the Bezirksoberliga, this had no direct consequences, but the league was increased to eighteen clubs.
After the 2009-10 season, the two Oberligas () in Lower Saxony were merged to one single division. The four Bezirksoberliga champions that season were not automatically promoted, instead they had to compete with the four teams placed ninth and tenth in the Oberliga for four more spots in this league.Oberliga Niedersachsen 2009-10: Regulations NFV website. Retrieved 9 July 2009
On 17 May 2010, the Lower Saxony football association decided to rename the four Bezirksoberligas to Landesligas from 1 July 2010. This change in name came alongside the merger of the two Oberliga divisions above it into the Oberliga Niedersachsen.
Champions Bezirksoberliga Weser-Ems 1979–1994
Landesliga Weser-Ems 1994–2006
Bezirksoberliga Weser-Ems 2006–2010 Season Champions Runners-up Third2006–07Germania LeerSV Holthausen/BieneVfL Löningen2007–08SV Bad RothenfeldeSV BrakeVfL Oythe2008–09VfL OytheVorwärts NordhornSC Spelle-Venhaus2009–10FC Schüttorf 09SC BW PapenburgSC Melle 03 Landesliga Weser-Ems 2010–present Season Champions Runners-up Third2010–11SV Holthausen/BieneSSV Jeddeloh SV Bad Rothenfelde2011–12SSV JeddelohSC Melle 03VfL Oldenburg2012–13VfL OldenburgBlau-Weiß HollageSV Bad Rothenfelde2013–14SC Spelle-VenhausSV Holthausen/BieneSV Bad Rothenfelde2014–15TuS LingenVfL OytheKickers Emden2015–16TuS BersenbrückTSV OldenburgSV Bad Rothenfelde2016–17Atlas DelmenhorstBlau-Weiß LohneSC Melle 032017–18VfL OytheKickers EmdenTV Dinklage2018–19SV BevernKickers EmdenBlau-Weiß Lohne2019–20Blau-Weiß LohneSC Melle 03SV Holthausen/Biene2020–21Season curtailed and annulled by COVID-19 pandemic in Germany2021–22Blau-Weiß PapenburgSV BevernSV Hansa Friesoythe2022–23SV Meppen IISV Holthausen/BieneSV Wilhelmshaven2023–24SV WilhelmshavenSV Holthausen/BieneSC Melle 032024–25SV Holthausen/BieneBlau-Weiß PapenburgVorwärts Nordhorn Promoted teams in bold.
References
Sources 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. Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945-2005 History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables. DSFS. 2006.
External links Das deutsche Fussball Archiv Historic German league tables The Oberliga Niedersachsen at Fussball.de The Lower Saxony Football Association (NFV)
de:Landesliga Niedersachsen nl:Bezirksoberliga Weser-Ems