Second Division. 37 teams played here, divided in two groups – A and B. There was constant and mysterious shuffling of teams between the two groups for years. No clear logic could be divined from the movements, though: 13 teams from Group A were moved to group B after the end of the season – the same number was shuffled from B to A. Meaning that only team played consecutively in Group A in 1983-84 and 1984-85, and none in Group B. Practically, the whole group A was named group B for the next season and vice-versa. And that every year. The second mystery involved promotion – the champions of the two groups were directly promoted, no problem here, but there was also a third team – looks like there was a play-off between the second-placed teams in the groups. Yet, it was not direct promotion – there was play-off against the 18th placed in First Division. For some reason statistics omit results and explanation of procedure. And there was a third mystery yet, but it belonged to Group B and will be mentioned in time.
Group A. 19 teams. The group will be evened in the next season, so 4 teams were going to be relegated . This depended on relegation and promotion as well – the group of relegated teams could be bigger or smaller, depending on movements between first and second division.
FCVB Villefranche finished last with 25 points.
AS Angouleme – 18th with 27 points.
FC La Roche-sur-Yon – 17th with 28 points. Wait a minute… They were going down or not? Relegated, yes, but meantime Burg-sous-la-Roche won promotion from 3rd Division. And renamed itself AEPB La Roche-sur-Yon. Was it some amalgamation with the relegated club? Was there any relation at all? Was FC La Roche-sur-Yon actually relegated? Go figure…
AS Libourne – 16th with 29 points. By the rules, they were to be relegated. However, relegation depended on how many teams were promoted from this group to First Division and how many teams came here, relegated from top flight. Unfortunately for AS Libourne, everything went ‘ideally’ and they went down.
AS Beziers -15th with 30 points. They had to fret a little, but since the danger passed away – no larger number of former first division arrived and they were safe. For the moment anyway.
RDFC Besancon – 14th with 30 points. They had to fret during the season, for it was just a fight for survival, but at the end everything was fine, they ended at secure place. Young and unknown yet goalkeeper here: Lama. Almost sinking to Forth Division in the beginning of his career.
FC Gueugnon – 13th with 30 points. Survived.
CS Cuiseaux-Louhans – 12th with 31 points.
FC Sete – not many people remembered by now that Sete was a leading French club years ago. Firm second-division team was the reality for years: 11th with 32 points.
FC Martigues – 10th with 32 points.
CS Thonon – 9th with 33 points. Hard to believe that Anton Ondrus captained Czechoslovakia in 1976 and Parizon was French national team material… both were old veterans, good only to keep a modest second division club afloat.
Olympique Ales – 8th with 36 points. If Thonon had Ondrus, Ales countered with Paulo Cesar Carpeggiani – remember him? One of the few impressive Brazilians at the 1974 World Cup, a wonderful midfielder. Time is nobody’s friend though – almost forgotten, Carpeggiani played second division football now.
FC Grenoble – 7th with 37 points and more fading glory: the Hungarians Laszlo Balint and lesser known, but also used to play for Hungary, Csapo.
AS Cannes – 6th with 40 points. More veterans – Revelli, Rampillon, but also current talent – apparently, Cannes was tapping on Icelandic talent: Thordarsson. Well, this was the time to get Icelanders.
La Paillade Montpellier – 5th with 43 points. Not strong enough to run for promotion.
FC Limoges – 4th with 45 points. Good season – for them. A second division was the maximum of their abilities and aims, so it was splendid season. With them, the ‘regular’ second division teams ended – the rest of the league was another kind.
Olympique Lyon – 3rd with 47 points. Weird to see them in second division, but these were dark years for Lyon and even getting Robert Herbin to coach did not help. The squad was lean and poor quality, not much to be done with it. And perhaps this was the year proving that Herbin was one-team coach: yes, he was great in St. Etienne and masterminded its greatest squad and greatest years, but that was in the 1970s and somehow he lost his touch in the 1980s – now in second division and not winning. Rather, on the road to dismissal: Lyon was not contender in the race for promotion.
OGC Nice – 2nd with 53 points. Also a pale shadow of the leading club they were until 1973-74. There long lasting decay was not ending – the squad was rather weak. Curbelo and the Swedish international Larsson were not enough to lift them up. Apparently, they lost the preliminary play-off for possible promotion and remained in second division.
Olympique Marseille won the championship – 22 wins, 12 ties, only 2 losses, 92-32 and 56 points. Not very far ahead of Nice, but clearly the strongest team this season. Suffering in the resent years, yes, but may be on the way of restoring its glory and leading position in French football? May be only in the dreams of its supporters – the squad was not impressive at all. Bracci was too old by now and Olarevic was only a second-string Yugoslavian player. Naturally, Marseille was happy to leave purgatory, but real work was needed, if they wanted to play larger role than struggling to stay in First Division.