Austria. From the distance of time, this season gives the impression it was somewhat neglected and the real focus was on the previous and the next season, plus the interest in the international success of Rapid. The big domestic thing was the reform of the the two top leagues – the next season the whole format of the championship was going to be different, including large reduction of the teams – from the current 16 in first and second divisions to 12 in each. That meant 8 teams less and naturally relegation was on the mind of most clubs – 5 teams were to be relegated from the First Division and 11 from the Second. As promotions, only the winner of Second Division was going up after the end of the season and 2 teams – as usual – were to be promoted from third level to the new Second Division. May be that was the central issue and concern this year – there was no competing for the title, for instance, and in both current leagues just 6 teams were securely above the rest and too strong to be in danger of going down.
Because of the circumstances should be enough only to state those winning promotion from third level and those surviving to play another season in the second level. Schwechater SC won the Ost league of Third Division and Bregenz/Dornbirn won the West league. Bregenz/Dornbirn was a curious and problematic team – it was the second team not of one, but of two clubs: Schwartz-Weiss (Bregenz) and FC Dornbirn. Seemingly, the clubs merged and left over players made the second team. The first played in the Second Division, finished 8th and was relegated, thanks to the reduction. So, the first team was going down and the second was going up – a bit of a problem.
Only 4 teams were going to remain in the Second Division after this season – those between 2nd and 6th place in the final table. Flavia Solva Wagna aimed higher, but lost to win the championship by a point – 2nd, Kremser FC – also unlucky to win promotion and 3rd, SV Sankt Veit – concerned with avoiding relegation only and 4th at the end and the similarly lucky guys of Vorwaerts Steyr, 5th. Vorwaerts was really lucky, for one match was not played because of players strike. Again, the outcome was curious: the players of Simmeringer SC were on strike, but their opponents SV Thorl did not get points either. Only theoretically SV Thorl had a chance to finish ahead of Vorwaerts, but there was a chance: if the match against Simmeringer SC was played and SV Thorl won by 5 goals. Anyhow, the above mentioned remained in the new Second Division.
The first two of them were entangled in hot pursuit of first place and eventually lost it to Salzburger AK.
SAK – full name Salzburger Athletiksport-Klub 1914 – was founded in the distant 1914 in Salzburg, but had very little to be proud of: so far, they appeared only twice in the top league – in 1953 and 1962 – and both times they went right back to second level. This was their third attempt, which also proved to be not only short-lived as before, bur their last time to go play first division football. It was great at the moment, though – dramatic victory with 43 points, one more than Flavia and 2 more than Kremser. 17 wins, 9 ties, 4 losses, 57-18 goal-difference. Something to celebrate, although how many people celebrated is difficult to measure: Salzburg supported its Austria, in general, and the left-overs were divided between SAK, USV (also playing in the Second Division this season, but they were 11th and relegated), and may be some more small clubs. Thus, it was wonderful to go up, but money was a big problem.