Month: September 2023

Second Division – Segunda Division. The last 4 relegated to third level, the top 2 directly promoted to Primera Division, 3rd and 4th going to promotion/relegation play-offs with the 17th and the 18th in the top league. Four teams dominated the season in which there was also one terrible outsider.
CFJ Mollerussa was too weak for the league – last and out with 11 points.
UE Lleida – or Lerida – finished 19th with 26 points and was relegated.

UD Alzira – 18th with 26 points and out.
Barcelona Atletico – the second team of Barcelona – ended 17th with 28 points and was relegated. Cruyff going down? That was Jordi, the son of Johann – his father did not think him good enough for the first team quite a long time. And not only the younger Cruyff will make a name later in this squad, but the future stars were sinking to third level presently.
SD Eibar survived – 16th with 34 points.

Castilla CF – the second team of Real Madrid – did better than their rivals from Barcelona: 15th with 36 points.
Real Burgos – 14th with 36 points.
CE Sabadell FC – 13th with 39 points.
Xerez CD – 12th with 40 points.
UD Las Palmas – 11th with 40 points.
Deportivo La Coruna – 10th with 40 points. Judging by this season, Fran would stay unknown… a wrong assumption.
UE Figueres – 9th with 41 points.

Wonderful season for modest Sestao – 8th with 41 points.
UD Salamanca – 7th with 42 points.
Racing Santander – 6th with 42 points.
Recreativo Huelva – 5th with 42 points.
RCD Mallorca – 4th with 48 points and going to promotion/relegation play-offs.
CD Tenerife – 3rd with 48 points and going to promotion/relegation play-offs.
Rayo Vallecano clinched 2nd place with 49 points and was happily promoted to top flight. Lauri Cunningham was not going to suffer second level football the next season. If not playing for Real, he was still in Madrid.
CD Castellon won the championship after a tough battle – they finished with 51 points from 21 wins, 9 ties, 8 losses, and had 49-29 goal-difference. Not very impressive record, but champions anyway and promoted to First Division. Well done indeed.
The promotion/relegation play-offs opposed Espanol (17th in Primera) to Mallorca (4th in Segunda) and Real Betis (18th in Primera) to Tenerife (3rd in Segunda). The winners were going to play in Primera Division next season.
RCD Mallorca prevailed after extra time: 0-1 and 1-0, with second goal scored in the extra time. 2-1.
CD Tenerife practically eliminated Real Betis in the first leg, beating them 4-0 at home. Away, they lost 0-1, but it did not matter.
Thus, 4 Second Division teams were promoted this year: RCD Mallorca, CD Tenerife, Rayo Vallecano, and CD Castellon.
The champions of Segunda Division – CD Castellon – deserve one more picture. Good luck to them and the other promoted teams.

Spain. Ranked 4th. Excellent season for Real Madrid, which ruled Spain entirely. Barcelona was a distant rival, satisfied with European success. The two leading clubs left all others far behind. Still 2 points were given for a win.
Third Division – Segunda Division B. 4 groups of 20 teams, the winners promoted to second level.
Group 1. Solitary leader.
As Pontes finished 7th with 43 points.
Pontevedra was 6th with 43 points.
Bilbao Athletic won the group with 59 points, leaving the next pursuer Barakaldo 8 points behind. 26 wins, 7 ties, 5 losses, 74-27 goal-difference. The second team of Athletic Bilbao earned promotion to Second Division.
Group 2. Two teams competed for promotion – kind of.
Arnedo finished 17th with 32 points and was among the three relegated teams. Tough luck.
Palamos won the championship with 59 points and was promoted: 23 wins, 13 ties, 2 losses, 70-30 goal-difference. They left FC Andorra, their only challenger, 5 points behind.
Group 3. Tough race between 4 teams and 1 point difference decided the champion.
Cordoba finished 13th with 35 points.
Tomelloso ended 5th with 46 points.
Badajoz, Sevilla Atletico, Linares, and Atletico Madrileno battled for top position. At the end Badajoz was 4th with 49 points, Linares 3rd with 51 points, and Sevilla Atletico – 2nd also with 51 points.
Atletico Madrileno – the second team of Atletico Madrid – prevailed with 52 points from 21 wins, 10 ties, 7 losses, and 78-40 goal-difference, and won the championship and promotion.
Group 4. No rivalry for the first place – one team dominated this group.
Weak season for Algeciras – 18th with 27 points and one of the relegated teams.
Granada – almost went down: 16th with 32 points.
Villareal – 4th with 45 points.
Levante was too strong for the opponents and won the championship comfortably: 25 wins, 9 ties, 4 losses, 66-29, and 59 points. They Ceuta, the nearest pursuer, 11 points behind.
Thus, Bilbao Athletic, Palamos, Atletico Madrileno, and Levante were going to play in the Second Division the next season.

The Cups – Rangers reached both finals and had great chance to make a treble and prove that they had no rival in Scotland. At the League Cup final they faced Aberdeen, the closest rival in the current championship, and prevailed 3-2.
Aberdeen put a good fight, but eventually lost to classier opponent.
This was the first trophy Rangers won this season and early at that (October 23rd, 1988), so confidence was boosted and ambition growing. And European problems were also shown… this was the regular starting eleven, made of 6 Englishmen.
Half a year later, in May 1989, Rangers faced their arch-enemy Celtic at the FA Cup final. By now they had one Cup in their hands and the title was practically in their hands as well, and Celtic had inferior team… but Celtic won 1-0.
Glasgow Rangers failed to win a treble. No big deal, apart from the bitter taste of losing to the arch-enemy.
Celtic clearly had rough time – Roy Aitken was practically the only star in the team, which compared to Rangers’ selection was nothing, but sometimes one great player and plenty of ambition (and what better motivation than beating Rangers!) was enough. More than a Cup was clearly not up to this squad, but still they finished the season with a trophy.
May be Rangers stabbed themselves with the great mistake giving the scoring opportunity to Miller, but the cold fact is that Celtic scored and Rangers did not.
Celtic fought bravely as ever and at the end triumphed to the delight of their fans.