 | |
| Founded | 1947 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1963 (16 seasons) |
| Replaced by | Bundesliga |
| Country |  West Germany |
| State | |
| Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
| Relegation to | |
| Last champions | Hamburger SV (1962–63) |
The Oberliga Nord (English: Premier league North) was the highest level of the German football league system in the north of Germany from 1947 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
The league was created in 1947 as the highest level of football in the north of Germany, then part of the British occupation zone. It replaced the various Gauligas, which had existed until 1945 in the region:
It was, together with the Oberliga West, the last of the five Oberligas to be formed, the other four being:
The league was formed from twelve clubs in 1947, four from Hamburg, three from Lower Saxony (South), three from Lower Saxony (North, incorporating Bremen at the time) and two from Schleswig-Holstein.
With the reintroduction of the German championship in 1948, the winners and (in most cases) runners-up of the Oberliga Nord went on to the finals tournament with the other Oberliga champions. In 1950, when 16 clubs were admitted, VfL Osnabrück competed as well, having finished 3rd in the North. In 1954, runners-up FC St.Pauli did not qualify because the number of participants was reduced to six clubs. In the period from 1948 to 1963, only two teams from the north of Germany won the national title, Hannover 96 (1954) and Hamburger SV (1960).
The league was completely dominated by Hamburger SV, who won it 15 out of 16 times, failing in 1954 only by finishing eleventh (the position influenced to some extent by a deduction of four points).
Unlike the other Oberligas, the Oberliga Nord never formed a 2nd Oberliga as the second tier, the five local Amateurligas remained at this level instead.
In 1974, with the disbanding of the Regionalliga Nord, the Oberliga Nord was re-created, but now as the third tier of German football. Geographically, it covered the same region as the old Oberliga Nord.
With the introduction of the new Bundesliga, the Oberligas were disbanded. The top three teams of the Oberliga Nord were admitted to the Bundesliga, the other thirteen clubs went to the Regionalliga Nord, one of the five new second divisions.
Admitted to Bundesliga:
The following teams from the Oberliga went to the new Regionalliga:
The qualifying system for the new league was fairly complex. The league placings of the clubs playing in the Oberligen for the last ten seasons were taken into consideration, whereby results from 1952 to 1955 counted once, results from 1955 to 1959 counted double and results from 1959 to 1963 triple. A first-place finish was awarded 16 points, a sixteenth place one point. Appearances in the German championship or DFB-Pokal finals were also rewarded with points. The five Oberliga champions of the 1962–63 season were granted direct access to the Bundesliga. All up, 46 clubs applied for the 16 available Bundesliga slots.
Following this system, by 11 January 1963, the DFB announced nine fixed clubs for the new league and reduced the clubs eligible for the remaining seven places to 20. Clubs within the same Oberliga that were separated by less than 50 points were considered on equal rank and the 1962-63 placing was used to determine the qualified team. [1]
Eight clubs applied for Bundesliga membership, of those Hamburger SV and Werder Bremen qualified early (11 January 1963). The third place went to Eintracht Braunschweig due to their third-place finish in 1962–63 even though their overall points put them in seventh spot in the ranking, but within 50 points of third-placed VfL Osnabrück. Osnabrück finished seventh in 1962–63. [2]
Points table:
| Rank | Club | Points 1952 to 1963 | Place in 1962–63 |
| 1 | Hamburger SV1 | 518 | 1 |
| 2 | Werder Bremen1 | 396 | 2 |
| 3 | VfL Osnabrück 2 | 313 | 7 |
| 4 | Hannover 96 2 | 309 | 9 |
| 5 | FC St. Pauli 2 | 303 | 6 |
| 6 | Holstein Kiel 2 | 294 | 5 |
| 7 | Eintracht Braunschweig2 | 276 | 3 |
| 8 | Arminia Hannover 3 | 103 | 10 |
The winners and runners-up of the Oberliga Nord: [3]
| Season | Winner | Runner-Up |
| 1947–48 | Hamburger SV | FC St. Pauli |
| 1948–49 | Hamburger SV | FC St. Pauli |
| 1949–50 | Hamburger SV | FC St. Pauli |
| 1950–51 | Hamburger SV | FC St. Pauli |
| 1951–52 | Hamburger SV | VfL Osnabrück |
| 1952–53 | Hamburger SV | Holstein Kiel |
| 1953–54 | Hannover 96 | FC St. Pauli |
| 1954–55 | Hamburger SV | TuS Bremerhaven 93 |
| 1955–56 | Hamburger SV | Hannover 96 |
| 1956–57 | Hamburger SV | Holstein Kiel |
| 1957–58 | Hamburger SV | Eintracht Braunschweig |
| 1958–59 | Hamburger SV | Werder Bremen |
| 1959–60 | Hamburger SV | Werder Bremen |
| 1960–61 | Hamburger SV | Werder Bremen |
| 1961–62 | Hamburger SV | Werder Bremen |
| 1962–63 | Hamburger SV | Werder Bremen |
The final placings and all-time table of the Oberliga Nord: [3]
| Club | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | S | G | GF | GA | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger SV | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 539 | 1609 | 758 | 784 | |
| SV Werder Bremen | 4 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 488 | 1207 | 878 | 586 | |
| FC St. Pauli | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 483 | 941 | 723 | 566 | |
| VfL Osnabrück | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 473 | 927 | 743 | 532 | |
| Hannover 96 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 456 | 824 | 777 | 476 | ||
| Eintracht Braunschweig | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 441 | 869 | 798 | 474 | ||
| Holstein Kiel | 10 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 451 | 850 | 802 | 470 | ||
| TuS Bremerhaven 93 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 452 | 758 | 845 | 443 | ||
| FC Altona 93 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 362 | 654 | 708 | 353 | |||||
| Concordia Hamburg | 8 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 376 | 640 | 752 | 329 | ||||
| Arminia Hannover | 6 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 316 | 545 | 618 | 287 | ||||||
| SC Göttingen 05 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 294 | 515 | 594 | 265 | |||||||
| VfR Neumünster | 5 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 240 | 351 | 396 | 239 | |||||||||
| Eimsbütteler TV | 6 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 234 | 419 | 454 | 225 | |||||||||
| Bremer SV | 9 | 5 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 256 | 436 | 552 | 216 | ||||||||
| VfB Lübeck | 7 | 7 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 254 | 346 | 509 | 202 | ||||||||
| VfB Oldenburg | 9 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 212 | 312 | 428 | 177 | ||||||||||
| VfV Hildesheim | 13 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 150 | 246 | 248 | 153 | ||||||||||||
| ASV Bergedorf 85 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 150 | 215 | 287 | 129 | ||||||||||||
| VfL Wolfsburg | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 5 | 150 | 228 | 299 | 117 | ||||||||||||
| Eintracht Nordhorn | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 5 | 150 | 196 | 333 | 107 | ||||||||||||
| Eintracht Osnabrück | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 122 | 193 | 299 | 80 | |||||||||||||
| Harburger TB | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 120 | 162 | 306 | 74 | |||||||||||||
| 1. FC Phönix Lübeck | 14 | 14 | 15 | 3 | 90 | 113 | 192 | 67 | ||||||||||||||
| SC Victoria Hamburg | 12 | 15 | 16 | 3 | 82 | 100 | 191 | 51 | ||||||||||||||
| Heider SV | 16 | 16 | 2 | 60 | 66 | 118 | 37 | |||||||||||||||
| Lüneburger SK | 16 | 1 | 30 | 40 | 119 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
| Itzehoer SV | 17 | 1 | 32 | 42 | 118 | 9 |
Source: "All-time table Oberliga Nord". Clas Glenning. Archived from the original on 2009-07-31. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
The Oberliga is the fifth tier of the German football league system. Before the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier. At the end of the 2011–12 season the number of Oberligas was increased from eleven to fourteen.
The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected league system for association football in Germany that in the 2016–17 season consisted of 2,235 leagues in up to 13 levels having 31,645 teams, in which all divisions are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. The top three professional levels contain one division each. Below this, the semi-professional and amateur levels have progressively more parallel divisions, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. Teams that finish at the top of their division at the end of each season can rise higher in the pyramid, while those that finish at the bottom find themselves sinking further down. Therefore, in theory, it is possible for even the lowest local amateur club to rise to the top of the system and become German football champions one day. The number of teams promoted and relegated between the divisions varies, and promotion to the upper levels of the pyramid is usually contingent on meeting additional criteria, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.
The Regionalliga Nord is the fourth tier of the German football league system in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg. It is one of five leagues at this level, together with the Regionalliga Bayern, Regionalliga Nordost, Regionalliga Südwest and the Regionalliga West. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the third tier.
The Oberliga Südwest was the highest level of the German football league system in the southwest of Germany from 1945 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the two states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
The 2. Bundesliga Nord was the second-highest level of the West German football league system in the north of West Germany from its introduction in 1974 until the formation of the single-division 2. Bundesliga in 1981. It covered the northern states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and the city of West Berlin.
The Regionalliga Nord was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the north of Germany from 1963 until the formation of the 2. Bundesliga in 1974. It covered the states of Niedersachsen, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
The Oberliga West was the highest level of the German football league system in the west of Germany from 1947 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany.
The Oberliga Nord was the fourth tier of the German football league system in the north of Germany. It covered the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. With the introduction of the 3. Liga, the league ceased to exist from 2008.
The Oberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein was the fourth tier of the German football league system in the north of Germany, existing from 1994 to 2004. It covered the states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. With the re-formation of the Oberliga Nord in 2004, the league was disbanded.
The Bremen-Liga, sometimes also referred to as Oberliga Bremen, is a fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football, the fifth tier of the German football league system.
The Oberliga Hamburg, sometimes referred to as Hamburg-Liga, is the highest league in the German state of Hamburg, incorporating some of its surrounding districts. It is one of fourteen Oberligen in German football, the fifth tier of the German football league system.
The Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein, formerly referred to as Schleswig-Holstein-Liga, is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is one of fourteen Oberligas in German football.
The Oberliga Niedersachsen, sometimes referred to as Niedersachsenliga, is the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the German state of Lower Saxony. Since 1994, the league was split into a western and an eastern group. In 2010, it returned to a single-division format. The Oberliga moved to a north-south split for one season in 2020. It is one of fourteen Oberligen in German football, the fifth tier of the German football league system.
The Gauliga Niedersachsen was the highest football league in the Prussian Province of Hanover and the German states of Bremen, Brunswick, Schaumburg-Lippe and Oldenburg from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the GaueSüdhannover-Braunschweig, Ost-Hannover and Weser-Ems de facto replaced the Prussian province and the German states in the region of Lower Saxony (German:Niedersachsen), although de jure the old states continued to exist.
The Introduction of the Bundesliga was the long-debated step of establishing a top-level association football league in Germany in 1963. The new league, the Bundesliga, played its first season in 1963–64 and continues to be the highest league in the country. Its introduction reduced the number of first division teams in Germany from 74 to 16 and finally eliminated the problem of the top-teams having to play uncompetitive teams in regional leagues.
The Introduction of the 2. Bundesliga was the step of establishing a professional second tier association football league in Germany in 1974. The new league, the 2. Bundesliga, played its first season in 1974–75 and continues to be the second-highest league in the country. Its introduction reduced the number of second divisions in Germany from five to two and the number of teams at this level from 83 to 40. It eliminated the necessity of having a promotion round at the end of the season to determine the two teams promoted to the Bundesliga.
The Verbandsliga Norddeutschland was one of several association football first tier leagues in the German Empire. The league only existed for one season and covered the area administered by the Northern German Football Association.
The 1974–75 season of the Oberliga was the inaugural season of the Oberliga as a tier-three league. The Oberligas, then as tier-one leagues, had been disestablished after the 1962–63 season, when the Bundesliga was introduced.
Hannoverscher Sport-Club von 1893 e.V., commonly referred to as Hannoverscher SC or HSC Hannover, is a German association football club from Hanover, Lower Saxony. Hannoverscher SC play in the Regionalliga Nord, the fourth tier in the German football league system, having been promoted from the Oberliga Niedersachsen in 2019.
The 1953–54 Hannover 96 season is the 58th season in the football club's history and sixth overall season in the top flight of German football, the Oberliga Nord, and their fifth consecutive season having been reinstated in 1949 after appealing against their relegation to the Landesliga Niedersachsen in 1948. Hannover 96 won the Oberliga Nord and advanced to the championship finals for the fifth overall time, where they won their second German championship after 1938. The season covers a period from 1 July 1953 to 30 June 1954.
