The Landesliga Lüneburg, called the Bezirksoberliga Lüneburg 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 Lüneburg.
It is one of four leagues at this level in Lower Saxony, the other three being the Landesliga Braunschweig, the Landesliga Weser-Ems and the Landesliga Hannover.
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 Lüneburg was made up of seventeen clubs,Bezirksoberliga Lüneburg table 2006-07 Fussball.de. Retrieved 12 July 2009 one from the Verbandsliga Niedersachsen-Ost, eleven from the Landesliga and five 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 Lüneburg, the two Bezirksligas were expanded to four, as in the other regions, except Weser-Ems, which was expanded to five.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 four Bezirksligas, which were numbered from one to four. 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, Rot-Weiß Cuxhaven, was also promoted, like the runners-up from Braunschweig.Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen - Die Saison 2006-07 DSFS. p. 237 In the following season, only the league champions were promoted while, in 2009, the Rot-Weiß Cuxhaven moved up a level as runners-up once more.
At the end of the 2007-08 season, with the introduction of the 3. Liga, the Verbandsliga was renamed Oberliga Niedersachsen-Ost.Deutschlands Fussball in Zahlen - Die Saisonn 2007-08 DSFS. p. 238 For the Bezirksoberliga, this had no direct consequences.
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 Lüneburg 1979–1994
Landesliga Lüneburg 1994–2006
Bezirksoberliga Lüneburg 2006–2010 Season Champions Runners-up Third2006–07Rotenburger SVRot-Weiß CuxhavenTeutonia Uelzen2007–08TSV OttersbergSV Eintracht LüneburgTeutonia Uelzen2008–09SV Ahlerstedt/OttendorfRot-Weiß CuxhavenVfL Stade2009–10Teutonia UelzenSV Rot-Weiss KöhlenVfL Stade Landesliga Lüneburg 2010–present Season Champions Runners-up Third2010–11Rotenburger SVBlau-Weiß Bornreihe SV Ahlerstedt/Ottendorf2011–12SV Drochtersen/AsselTB UphusenTuS Celle FC2012–13TB UphusenTeutonia UelzenMTV Treubund Lüneburg2013–14Teutonia UelzenHeeslinger SCFC Eintracht Cuxhaven2014–15Heeslinger SCMTV Treubund LüneburgFC Hagen/Uthlede2015–16Blau-Weiß BornreiheFC Hagen/UthledeMTV Eintracht Celle2016–17MTV Eintracht CelleTuS HarsefeldFC Hagen/Uthlede2017–18FC Hagen/UthledeMTV Treubund LüneburgBlau-Weiß Bornreihe2018–19MTV Eintracht CelleTuS HarsefeldSV Ahlerstedt/Ottendorf2019–20Rotenburger SVMTV Treubund LüneburgTuS Harsefeld2020–21Season curtailed and annulled by COVID-19 pandemic in Germany2021–22SV Ahlerstedt/OttendorfFC Verden 04Blau-Weiß Borneihe2022-23Blau-Weiß BornreiheFC Verden 04TuS Harsefeld2023-24FC Verden 04Lüneburger SK HansaSV Lindwedel-Hope2024-25Lüneburger SK HansaSV Ahlerstedt/OttendorfSV Drochtersen-Assel II 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 Lower Saxony Football Association (NFV)
de:Landesliga Niedersachsen nl:Bezirksoberliga Lüneburg