Soviet First League


The Soviet First League in football was the second highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet Top League.
While the second tier competitions in football among "teams of masters" 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 and discontinuation of the Class B competitions for the 1971 season.
The league existed until the dissolution of the USSR 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 and the second tier Vtoraya Gruppa. In 1950 those tiers were renamed with the second tier competitions being renamed into the Class B.
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 and the top tier being renamed as the Pervaya Gruppa Classa A. 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
  • 1945-1949 Vtoraya Gruppa
  • 1950-1962 Class B
  • 1963-1969 Vtoraya Gruppa
  • 1970-1970 Pervaya Gruppa
  • 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".

Winners

RepublicsWinnersYears won
Russian SFSR301936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1955*, 1956*, 1957, 1958, 1959*, 1960*, 1961*, 1962*, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991
Ukrainian SSR151948, 1952, 1954, 1959*, 1960*, 1961*, 1962*, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1987
Georgian SSR51936, 1949, 1960*, 1961*, 1961*
Kazakh SSR31962*, 1976, 1983
Belarusian SSR21953, 1956*
Armenian SSR21959*, 1965
Tajik SSR21959*, 1988
Moldovan SSR11955*
Azerbaijan SSR11967
Uzbek SSR11972
Lithuanian SSR11982
Latvian SSR11985

Podium sweep

  • Russia
  • Ukraine

All-time table (top 20)

There were over 260 teams that played in the Soviet First League. In the list with green background are clubs with over 30 seasons in the league.
TeamRepublicSeasonsFirst
season		Last
season		PlayedWonDrawnLostGoals
for		Goals
against		Points11st2nd3rd
Metallurg ZaporozhieUkraine4019471990147056340650119141687209512
Shinnik YaroslavlRussia331957199112764933534301567142618321
Pamir DushanbeTajikistan3619471987132946832553616211851172911
Kuban KrasnodarRussia3119491991111643628739313951287159511
Fakel VoronezhRussia261954199199342128029212319131543213
Nistru KishinevMoldova3219471991115440632242613181416154012
Kuzbass KemerovoRussia30194819901086402244440131113971450
Uralmash SverdlovskRussia3019451991100339023038313161266140012
Zhalgiris VilniusLithuania261947198292437426228811799221384131
Dnepr DnepropetrovskUkraine2619391980873378223272122610551357121
Rotor VolgogradRussia271951199191837022232612511118133211
Tekstilschik IvanovoRussia3019391983938347265326117911341306
Tavria SimferopolUkraine231958199189034324030711621043126912
Daugava RigaLatvia261948198995932827136011041164125512
SKA Karpaty LvovUkraine231949198981334420226710589181234
Spartak VladikavkazRussia24196019909333402123811059117712322
Chernomorets OdessaUkraine221940197370334316419611327711193313
Torpedo KutaisiGeorgia201949198974633816923910378181183221
Metallist KharkovUkraine2119471981772316211245913784115912
Zvezda PermRussia2619451979840306221313104610611139

1Three points for a win. In 1973, a point for a draw was awarded only to a team that won the subsequent penalty shootout. In 1978–1988, the number of draws for which points were awarded was limited.