The Soviet First League in football () was the second highest division of Soviet football,Evgeni Kazakov. The Soviet First Football League (Первая лига СССР по футболу) . History of Soviet football championships. Volume 1 (1936–1969). Litres, 2019 below the Soviet Top League.
While the second tier competitions in football among "teams of masters" (an official term for the Soviet professional clubs) existed since 1936, the First League has been officially formed in 1971 out of the Class A First Group. It followed the transitional 1970 season when the Class A was expanded to three groups (Vysshaya Gruppa, Pervaya Gruppa, Vtoraya Gruppa) and discontinuation of the Class B competitions for the 1971 season.
The league existed until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Overview The second tier competitions and predecessors of the First League has been known as Group B, Group 2, Class B, and Class A, group 2. The number of teams playing at this level fluctuated significantly during the history of Soviet football. In 1940s-1970s the league frequently consisted of several groups. The group winners qualified for the final tournament.
The second tier competitions among "teams of masters" existed since 1936 as part of four groups of eight All-Union competitions where each group represented a tier with Group A representing top tier, Group B representing second tier, Group V representing third tier and so on. Before the World War II the season competitions were inconsistent in every group.
Since after the World War II there existed only top two tiers for football competitions among "teams of masters". The top tier was called Pervaya Gruppa (First Group) and the second tier Vtoraya Gruppa (Second Group). In 1950 those tiers were renamed with the second tier competitions being renamed into the Class B (the top tier became the Class A).
In 1960 Class B competitions were transformed into regional competitions with separate competitions for Russia, Ukraine, and other republics. More transformations took place in 1963 when the second tier competitions were included in the Class A competitions, while the Class B competitions were shifted to the third tier for 1964 season, thus reviving the third level competitions. Following the 1963 reform, the second tier competitions became the Vtoraya Gruppa Classa A (Class A second group) and the top tier being renamed as the Pervaya Gruppa Classa A (Class A first group). The Vtoraya Gruppa did not have multi groups competition with only one group round robin tournament.
After the 1970-1971 reforms there was established the Soviet First League with a single group competition. The league became more consisted with number of teams in league and relegation/promotion rules.
1936-1940 Gruppa B (no competition in 1938) 1945-1949 Vtoraya Gruppa 1950-1962 Class B 1963-1969 Vtoraya Gruppa (Class A) 1970-1970 Pervaya Gruppa (Class A) 1971-1991 Pervaya Liga
One unusual feature of the league was one that have taken place before 1989. The Soviet Football Union tried to eliminate the growing number of drawn games, thus, intensify the competition. The participated clubs were receiving a point for each drawn game, but the number of all their drawn games could not exceed a third of all their games played. After that they received no points for any further draws that they earned. In 1987, for example, FC Fakel Voronezh was relegated by being short of a point having received no points for their two extra drawn games.
Laureates of the Soviet second tier competitions The teams that either won its group or participated in play-offs are included as well. All seasons are double-round robin unless otherwise indicated in "Notes".
Gruppa B (Group B) SeasonWinnerRunners-upThirdTeams1936 (spring)Dinamo TiflisZIS MoscowStalinets Leningrad81936 (autumn)Serp i Molot MoscowTemp BakuStalinets Moscow81937Spartak LeningradFC Dynamo Rostov/DonTemp Baku7 (8*)1938not held, part of the Super League1939Krylya Sovetov MoscowLokomotivi TbilisiFC Dynamo Rostov/Don231940Krasnaya Zarya LeningradFC Spartak LeningradStroitel Baku141941-44no competition due to World War II
Vtoraya Gruppa (Second Group) SeasonWinnerRunners-upThirdTeams1945Krylya Sovetov KuybyshevVVS MoscowFC Moscow Military District181946SouthVVS MoscowDO TbilisiFC Lokomotiv Kharkov1326EastFC Pischevik MoscowFC Torpedo GorkyFC MVO Moscow13Final VVS Moscow Pischevik Moscow21947CentralFC Lokomotiv MoscowFC MVO MoscowFC Dynamo Riga1567Russia IFC Torpedo GorkyFC Dynamo SaratovFC Zenit Izhevsk12Russia IIFC Dzerzhinets ChelyabinskODO NovosibirskFC Krylia Sovetov Molotov10UkraineFC Lokomotyv KharkivFC Shakhtar DonetskFC Kharchovyk Odessa13CaucasusODO TbilisiFC Dynamo YerevanFC Lokomotivi Tbilisi8Middle AsiaFC Dynamo StalinabadFC Dynamo Alma-AtaFC Dynamo Tashkent9FinalLokomotiv MoscowTorpedo GorkiyLokomotyv Kharkiv61948CentralFC Metallurg MoscowFC Dynamo RigaFC MVO Moscow1575Russia IFC Dynamo KazanFC Torpedo GorkyFC Krasnoye Znamia Ivanovo14Russia IIFC Dzerzhinets ChelyabinskODO NovosibirskODO Sverdlovsk13UkraineFC Lokomotyv KharkivFC Stal DnipropetrovskODO Kyiv4 (8/8)SouthFC Dynamo YerevanODO TbilisiFC Spartaki Tbilisi10Middle AsiaODO TashkentFC Dynamo Alma-AtaFC Lokomotiv Ashkhabat7FinalLokomotyv KharkivMetallurg MoscowDynamo Yerevan61949CentralFC Spartaki TbilisiFC Dynamo KutaisiSpartakas Vilnius1484Russia IFC Dynamo Rostov-on-DonFC VMS MoscowFC Dynamo Krasnodar11Russia IIDO SverdlovskDO NovosibirskFC Dzerzhinets Chelyabinsk14Russia IIIFC Sudostroitel LeningradDO LeningradFC Metallurg Moscow13Russia IVFC Kalinin KaliningradFC Stroitel DulevoFC Krasnoe Znamya Orekhovo-Zuyevo14UkraineFC Kharchovyk OdessaFC Spartak LvivODO Kyiv18FinalSpartak TbilisiKalinin KaliningradKharchovyk Odessa7
Class B SeasonWinnerRunners-upThirdTeams1950VMS MoscowTorpedo GorkiySpartakas Vilnius141951KalininDinamo MinskLokomotiv Moscow181952KharkivSpartakas VilniusFC Lokomotyv KharkivFC VMS Moscow617IvanovoDO TbilisiFC Krasnoe Znamya IvanovoFC Dinamo Alma-Ata6BakuNeftyanik BakuFC Burevestnik ChișinăuFC Torpedo Gorky5FinalLokomotyv KharkivSpartakas VilniusDO Tbilisi9 / 9181953Zone 1FC Spartaki TbilisiFC Dynamo YerevanFC Torpedo Rostov-on-Don927Zone 2FC Znamya IvanovoFC Dinamo MinskFC Metalurh Odessa10Zone 3FC Shakhtar StalinoFC Torpedo GorkyFC Metalurh Zaporizhia8FinalDinamo MinskTorpedo GorkiyShakhtar Stalino6/3/3/3/3/3/31954Zone 1FC Spartak YerevanNeftyanik BakuODO Tbilisi1236Zone 2FC Zenit MoscowSpartakas VilniusFC Khimik Moscow12Zone 3FC Shakhtar StalinoFC Torpedo Rostov-on-DonFC Metalurh Zaporizhia12FinalShakhtar StalinoSpartakas VilniusNeftyanik Baku61955Zone 1Burevestnik ChisinauSpartak KalininODO Kiev1632Zone 2ODO SverdlovskSpartak YerevanODO Tbilisi161956Zone 1Spartak MinskTorpedo TaganrogMetalurh Zaporizhia1836Zone 2Krylya Sovetov KuybyshevODO TbilisiSpartak Yerevan181957Zone 1FC Avangard LeningradFC Torpedo TaganrogFC Avanhard Kharkiv1864Zone 2FC Spartak StanislavSKVO LvivFC Trudovyie Rezervy Leningrad18Zone 3SKVO TbilisiFC Spartak YerevanNeftyanik Baku16Far EastSKVO KhabarovskFC Dynamo VladivostokFC Burevestnik Tomsk12FinalAvangard LeningradSpartak StanislavSKVO Tbilisi31958Zone 1SKVO OdessaFC Trudovyie Rezervy LeningradFC Avanhard Mykolaiv1694Zone 2SKCF SevastopolFC Metalurh ZaporizhiaFC Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don16Zone 3SKVO LvivSpartak MinskFC Lokomotyv Vinnytsia16Zone 4SKVO Rostov-on-DonFC Spartak YerevanFC Kuban Krasnodar16Zone 5SKVO SverdlovskFC Kairat Alma-AtaFC Zvezda Perm16Zone 6SKVO KhabarovskFC Tomich TomskFC Urozhai Barnaul14FinalSKVO Rostov-na-DonuSKVO SverdlovskSKCF Sevastopol61959Zone 1FC Trud VoronezhFC Dynamo KirovFC Avanhard Mykolaiv15101Zone 2FC Trudovyie Rezervy LeningradFC Trud GlukhovoFC Avanhard Kharkiv15Zone 3FC Spartak YerevanFC Terek GroznyFC Torpedo Taganrog14Zone 4FC Lokomotyv VinnytsiaFC Baltika KaliningradSKVO Odessa15Zone 5FC Admiralteyets LeningradFC Volga KalininFC Zenit Izhevsk14Zone 6FC Pamir LeninabadFC Mashinostroitel SverdlovskFC Metallurg Magnitogorsk14Zone 7SKVO SverdlovskFC Lokomotiv KrasnoyarskSKVO Khabarovsk14Russia FinalAdmiralteyets LeningradTrudovyie Reservy LeningradTrudovye Reservy were replacing Dynamo Leningrad for several season. Later Dynamo was reinstated in their place.Trud Voronezh41960Russia IFC Trud VoronezhFC Spartak LeningradFC Shakhter Stalinogorsk1674Russia IIFC Volga KalininFC Shinnik YaroslavlFC Dynamo Kirov15Russia IIIFC Terek GroznyFC Torpedo TaganrogFC Spartak Krasnodar14Russia IVFC Metallurg Nizhny TagilFC Zvezda PermFC Lokomotiv Chelyabinsk15Russia VFC Irtysh OmskSKA KhabarovskFC Sibelektromotor Tomsk14Russia FinalTrud VoronezhFC Irtysh OmskVolga Kalinin5Ukraine ISudnobudivnyk MykolaivFC Lokomotyv VinnytsiaFC Arsenal Kyiv1736Ukraine IIFC Metalurh ZaporizhiaSKA OdessaFC Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk19Ukraine FinalMetalurh ZaporizhzhyaSudobudivnyk Mykolaiv2Republics IFC Lokomotivi TbilisiFC Urozhai MinskFC Shirak Leninakan1632Republics IIFC Torpedo KutaisiFC Pamir LeninabadFC Progress Baku16Republics FinalTorpedo KutaisiLokomotivi Tbilisi21961Russia IFC Volga KalininFC Metallurg CherepovetsFC Dynamo Leningrad1378Russia IIFC Dynamo KirovFC Baltika KaliningradFC Iskra Kazan13Russia IIIFC Krylia Sovietov KuibyshevFC Sokol SaratovFC Traktor Stalingrad13Russia IVFC Terek GroznyFC Rostselmash Rostov-on-DonFC Torpedo Taganrog13Russia VFC Lokomotiv ChelyabinskFC Uralmash SverdlovskFC Stroitel Ufa13Russia VISKA KhabarovskSKA NovosibirskFC Luch Vladivostok13Russia FinalKrylya Sovetov KuybyshevTerek GroznyDynamo Kirov6Ukraine IFC Chornomorets OdessaFC Lokomotyv VinnytsiaFC Zirka Kirovohrad1837Ukraine IISKA OdessaFC Trudovi Rezervy LuhanskFC Avanhard Zhovti Vody19Ukraine FinalChornomorets OdessaSCA OdessaLokomotyv VinnytsiaRepublics IFC Lokomotivi TbilisiFC Shirak LeninakanLokomotiv Gomel1632Republics IIFC Torpedo KutaisiFC Shakhter KaragandaFC Metallurg Rustavi161962Russia IFC Shinnik YaroslavlFC Spartak LeningradFC Tekstilshchik Ivanovo1779Russia IIFC Trud VoronezhFC Trudovyie Rezervy KurskFC Serpukhov16Russia IIIFC Spartak KrasnodarFC Traktor VolgogradFC Rostselmash Rostov-on-Don15Russia IVFC Uralmash SverdlovskFC Lokomotiv ChelyabinskFC Iskra Kazan16Russia VSKA NovosibirskSKA KhabarovskFC Luch Vladivostok15Russia FinalSpartak KrasnodarTrud VoronezhUralmash Sverdlovsk5Ukraine IFC Chornomorets OdessaFC Polissya ZhytomyrFC Lokomotyv Donetsk1339Ukraine IISKA OdessaFC Metalurh ZaporizhiaSKA Kyiv13Ukraine IIIFC Trudovi Rezervy LuhanskAvanhard SimferopolFC Lokomotyv Vinnytsia13Ukraine FinalTrudovye Rezervy LuganskChornomorets OdessaAvanhard Simferopol6/11/11/11Republics ILokomotiv GomelFC Shirak LeninakanFC Nairi Yerevan1732Republics IIFC Shakhter KaragandaFC Alga FrunzeFC Metallurg Chimkent15Republics FinalShakhtyor KaragandaLokomotiv Gomel2
Vtoraya Gruppa Klassa A (Second Group of the Class A)