Yugoslavia. Second Division was important mostly for the question of promotion. Two grous of 18 teams each, as ever. Winners go up, last 2 of each group relegated. Naturally, former first division members are seen as the heavy-weights and by this suspect measure Second League East was seemingly stronger, having Bor (Bor), Napredak (Krusevac), Trepca (T. Mitrovica), Pristina (Pristina), and Sutjeska (Niksic) playing there. But it was entirely different club which dominated the league this season: Galenika (Zemun). They never played any significant role in Yugoslav football before.
Standing from left: Čelar, Dujkovic, Živković, Banković, Nikolovski, Milinković.
First row: Ljalja, Brkić, Santrač, Lacmanović, Pavičević.
Galenika won the championship and was promoted for the first time in their history with 43 points. They won 18 games, tied 7, and lost 5. 56-20 goal-difference. Six points ahead of the nearest pursuer, Trepca. Fantastic success. Which happened mostly thanks to two veterans, who joined the club in 1980 – the goalkeeper Ratomir Dujkovic (b. 1946), who arrived from NK Osijek, and the all-time Yugoslavian First Division and OFK Beograd goal-scorer Slobodan Santrac (b. 1946). The center-forward came from Partizan (Beograd).
Second League West. One team withdrew after the first half of the season – Svoboda (Ljubljana) – so the league ended with 17 teams. Borac (Banja Luka), Celik (Zenica), Spartak (Subotica), Proleter (Zrenjanin), and Iskra (Bugojno) were the potential candidates for promotion, but none succeeded. In fact, three teams competed for the first place and two of them finished with equal points. Celik (Zenica) was 3rd with 38 points. Spartak (Subotica) and Dinamo (Vinkovci) ended with 40 points and goal-difference decided the winner.
Dinamo (Vinkovci) clinched first place with +46 goals – Spartak had only +24. Dramatic, but well deserved victory – 18 wins, 4 ties, 7 losses, 70-24, and 40 points. Dinamo (Vinkovci) won promotion.