Hungary. A weird season: on one hand, the sensational international success of a club largely unknown outside Hungary. The national team qualified for the 1986 World Cup. Honved was dominant like they were in the great 1950s. On the other scale, the negative one: Ferencvaros and Ujpesti Dosza were in terrible shape. So was MTK. The three old strongholds of Hungarian football were miserable and Honved for all its domination was not a great team. There were few talented players in the country – the national team depended largely on foreign-based professionals, who were quite old. The international sensation had no teeth for more than one tournament and did nothing on the home front. Overall, little hope for a big Hungarian revival.
Three teams clashed for two promotional places in the Second Division, but eventually only one remained consistent. The 20-team league was nothing to brag about – former first division clubs occupied the upper half of the table and the practically anonymous teams – the lower half. No emerging newcomer here. Two teams had 4 points deducted for some infringements – Nyiregyhazi VSSC (9th) and Diosgyori Vasgyarak TK (4th). The penalties disturbed nothing – even with full records, these teams would be out of the promotional race. Vaci Izzo MTE either started late its attack for top spot or lost steam in the spring – they finished 3rd with 49 points. The ended with the best defensive record in the league, but so what?
With 52 points Siofoki Banyasz SE finished 2nd. Of course, it was good period for the club – they won the Hungarian Cup the previous season and now – promotion to the First Division. That was all they aimed for: a return to the top league. Done. Fine.
Volan SC (Budapest) won the championship – 23 wins, 9 ties, 6 losses, 85-49 goal-difference, 55 points. Modest, as they were, it was wonderful season. Scoring goals was their forte, defense was quite weak. Nice to see underdogs winning, but there were 6 other Budapest-based clubs in the top division, all of them much bigger than Volan and there was practically no way Volan could get classy players. May be one or two veterans no longer needed by the big clubs; may be some discarded players, but no real reinforcements. As it was, Volan had fewer chances than Diosgyor for remaining among the best. They had to enjoy winning Second Division in full, for the future was not going to be easy.