Rearuh

Soviet Second League

Founded	1936
Folded	1991 after 52 seasons
Country	Soviet Union
Level on pyramid	Level 3
Promotion to	Soviet First League
Relegation to	Soviet Second League B or KFK competitions
Last champions	Karpaty Lviv Asmaral Moscow Okean Nakhodka
Most championships	11 clubs (2)

The Soviet Second League was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The division lasted from the inception of Soviet league football in 1936 to the dissolution of USSR in 1991.

Overview

The League was established in 1936, but was discontinued after the 1937 season for over 15 years. The experimental edition of the League was introduced in 1946. But the consistent League takes its roots from 1963. Prior to 1990, the league was divided into multiple regional zones (as many as 9) and the top finishers of those zones would take part in an additional mini-tournament to determine which teams get promoted to the Soviet First League. In 1991, the regional zones became a part of Soviet Second League B, while the Soviet Second League was split into 3 major regional zones, West, Center, and East. The group winners of these zones would now qualify for the Soviet First League.

The most titles of the League won was two by 11 different teams out of various now independent republics. The last winners of the League were FC Karpaty Lviv, FC Asmaral Moscow, and FC Okean Nakhodka.

Between 1960 and 1970 football competitions in Class B were split by republican principle at first as tier two, that as tier three, and at the end in 1970 it was downgraded to the auxiliary tier four (or lower tier three). Each competition had multiple number of groups that were known as zones.

• Class B of the Russian SFSR (1959-1970)


• Class B of the Ukrainian SSR (1960-1970)


• Class B of Union republics (1960-1967)


• Class B of Central Asia (1966-1970)


• Class B of the Kazakh SSR (1968-1970)


• Class B of Caucasus (1969)

In 1970-1971 the Soviet league system was restructured for lower leagues and Class B competitions were discontinued. Republican competitions were conducted with the Soviet Second League which consisted of multiple groups (zones). There was no explicit designation of zones as they were simply numerated.

Republican competitions continued to be conducted among collective of physical culture and were considered as amateur.

Names

• 1936-1937 Group V (third letter in the Russian alphabet)
  
  
  
  • 1936-1937 Group G
  
  
  • 1936-1937 Group D and Group of Cities of the Far East
  
  
  
  


• 1946-1946 Third Group


• 1963-1969 Class B


• 1970-1970 Second Group (Class A)
  
  • 1970-1970 Class B
  
  


• 1971-1989 Second League


• 1990-1991 Buffer League
  
  • 1990-1991 Second League B
  
  

Winners

Group V

Third Group

Class B

Second Group (Class A)

Second League

See also

• 
  Ukrainian Zone - the Ukrainian Republican competitions of the Soviet Second League only, not including the interzonal tournaments.

References

• 
  "USSR Second League". KLISF. Retrieved 2006-09-15..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
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