The Bulgarian Second Division was perhaps very large at this time period – 40 clubs divided in two groups of twenty each. The possible advantage was the number the games played per season, theoretically strengthening the players. The other advantage, more realistic, was the opportunity for stronger teams to correct mistakes, sluggish start, and generally to succeed at the expense of smaller and weaker clubs. The biggest disadvantages was in building of truly competitive teams – the better players tended to be dispersed through the league – roughly 2 per team on average. Smaller league provided for concentration and ultimately leading to stronger teams, especially those aiming at the top level. The current format more or less reduced ambitions – a relatively good player would join small club which surely had no money for strong squad, but was able to pay generously one or two players, who were classy enough to keep the club in the second level without even playing at the top of their abilities. Laziness was practically encouraged – three clubs were relegated in each group, so the bulk of the league felt secure. As for ambitions… only few clubs, generally former members of the top league from big cities had them.
The Northern B group was considered tougher – four teams were expected to fight for the first place and promotion: Dunav (Rousse), Etar (Veliko Tirnovo), Spartak (Pleven), and possibly Yantra (Gabrovo). All were quite recently members of first division, Etar and Dunav played at the UEFA Cup tournament just a few years back. At half-season the prediction rung through – only Yantra was out of the race at 7th place and 8 points less than the leaders. Etar was 4th with 25 points; Spartak – 3rd with 26, and Dunav was 1st with 28. Second was Bdin (Vidin),also with 28 points and a relative suprise – they were not considered potential champions, yet, they had strong 1976-77 season, when they finished 3rd. However, not a single club was overwhelming – rather, all had big problems. Dunav, just relegated from First Division, was getting weaker, not stronger – in the winter break they lost their star player, the well known and occasionally included in the national team centre-forward Nikola Christov, who scored 20 goals in the fall. He moved to CSKA (Sofia). The rest of the Dunav was similar to Etar and Spartak… a core of few aging well known players, supported by younger group lacking quality. It was a case of clear need of rebuilding, but it was neither radical, nor well thought. Spartak appeared a better recruiter, but still the team underperformed. The exception was Bdin – they had aging, very experienced team. No stars – only two players were relatively known: the midfielder Mumdzhiev, who about 5 years back was even called to the national team. Since then he was going downhill and after leaving Lokomotiv (Sofia) settled in Second Division. The goalkeeper Topchev was the other relatively known player – he achieved even less than Mumdzhiev: once upon a time he was recruted by CSKA, but was never a starter. His spell with CSKA was not long and similar short and insignificant spells followed, until he settled in Bdin. The core of local stars was completed by veterans, who were constant feature for ‘ages’. Great they were not, but had enormous experince, knew second division football in and out, and eventually popped up at the top of the league at last.
In their home city Vidin, Bdin may have been seen as a possible cnadidates for promotion, but not elsewhere – the team benefited largely by its experience, but had no first division potential. The grizzled veterans knew how to overcome most of the small second division clubs and to maintain consistency in such a league, but nothing more. In the spring they were no longer strong – Bdin finished second, but 5 points behind the winners. They lost the same number of matches as the champions – 9, but won significantly less games – 21 to 26. To a point, the even performance of Bdin kept them at top – the other favourites had either fall or spring weak half-season.
Dunav (Rousse) was very weak in the spring – they added only 17 points to their 28 at the end of the fall. Without Christov their attack was suddenly toothless – Dunav scored 47 goals in the fall and measly 18 in the spring. And they finished 4th… just a point above Yantra, which improved somewhat in the spring, but was unable to compensate for their weak fall and finished 5th.
Third ended Etar, a team which on the surface appeared to be doing better rebuilding than the others. By now only two of the old strong team remained – the goal-keeper Petar Petrov and the sweeper Stefan Chakarov. As many second-division club, some players with first division experience, but unable to establish themselves in their former clubs, were recruited more or less as a starting point for a new team – Rabchev (Botev Vratza), Nenchev (Slavia), Tabakov (Sliven). Young talent completed the team – some coming from Etar’s youth system, some from other second division clubs. In theory, the new team was largely ‘promising’ – may be unfinished yet, but deemed strong enough for winning second division.
The 1977-78 vintage: standing, from left: Semko Goranov- coach, Ruzhdy Ahmedov, Kadir Belaliev, Nikolay Kotzev, Ilia Marinov, Miroslav Gospodinov, Boyko Dimitrov, Krassimir Yakimov, Kiril Rabchev, Stefan Chakarov, Petar Petrov, Ivan Nenchev, Ilia Tabakov, Georgy Velinov-assistant coach.
Sitting: Stefan Donev – team doctor, Vassil Daskalov, Petko Tzanev, Krassimir Traykov, Georgy Iliev, Krassimir Kalchev, Nikola Velkov, Ivan Angelov, Vladimir Daskalov, Petar Shabakov – masseur.
Compared to what have been lost, the newcomers clearly lacked quality lacked – since 1974 Etar lost Georgy Vassilev (retired), Stefan Velichkov (CSKA and later – Spartak Plaven), Ivan Petrov (Pirin Blagoevgrad), Stoyan Kotzev and Stefan Grozdanov (Balkan Botevgrad), Sasho Kostov (Lokomotiv Sofia). The lost veterans were included in national team formations, Velichkov was regular at the 1974 World Cup finals. All, except Kostov, but he was Bulgarian champion this very season with Lokomotiv. Chakarov was soon to depart as well… Of the new team only Rabchev had significant long-term contribution and only Boyko Dimitrov made a respectable career. The team appeared strong on paper, but in reality… third place. However, the year was significant in retrospect: two names very well known around the world debuted:
Krassimir Balakov, on the left, and Trifon Ivanov, circled on the right. Well, they debuted for the boys team of Etar… so nothing to change the fate of the first team. The small boys so far established themselves in the boys team – nothing to suggest yet they would be world famous: most talented kids hardly even reach junior teams…
At the end Spartak (Pleven) outsmarted the competition: the team was sluggish in the fall, but maintained a place among the best – they were 3rd, 2 points behind the leaders. In the spring Spartak improved slightly when the competition stumbled. Spartak added 29 points to their 26 from the fall, but the teams found its rhythm and scored a lot: 40 goals. Gradually they took the first place and build their lead, finishing 5 points ahead of the next pursuer, Bdin. Spartak was rather even in both half-seasons and this was the right approach – the big, and therefore, forgiving league benefited those with stable, if not very exciting, form. The rest paid a heavy price for slowing down in the spring, or – in the case of Bdin – having experience, but lacking vigor because of oldish squad.
Happy champions, returning to First Division: sitting, from left: Tzvetan Kamenov, Krassimir Lazarov, Roumen Christov, Petko Todorov, Blagoy Krastanov, Aleksandar Benchev, Nikolay Romanov.
Middle row: Ivan Pankov, Tzvetan Krastev, Tony Dzhefersky, Lyudmil Tanchev, Dimitar Vladimirov, Nazim Mehmedov, Vassil Minkov.
Third row: Mircho Urukov, Ivo Bratanov, Dimo Dimov, Stefan Velichkov, Stoyan Georgiev, Harry Kazakov.
Spartak was the same as the other favourites: a cluster of old, experienced players, who have been regulars for years, aided by mixed bunch – some home-grown youngsters, some good second division players, recruited from elsewhere, and few former first division players, who were unable to establish themselves in their previous clubs. The core consisted of Todorov, Dimov, Urukov, Mehmedov, Minkov, Lazarov, Bratanov – aging all, except Lazarov and Bratanov. Those two were bright promising players a few years back, but obviously already reached the limit of their potential. The big difference came from three players recruited in the last two years – Stefan Velichkov, the 28-years old full back, who came from CSKA and who was national team regular not long ago. The second was the central defender Dzhefersky – he was a big promise as a junior, but partly because of injuries he never established himself in his original club, Levski-Spartak. Now, 24 years old, he was entirely forgotten and had to make a second start. The third one came in the summer of 1977 also from Levski-Spartak – the 27-years old centre-forward Krastanov. He was clearly not the striker Levski-Spartak needed, played rarely and impressed no one. Krastanov was well known in the second division, where he played before moving to Levski, but at first he was not considered great addition to Spartak. Yet, the three newcomers fitted well and gradually became the leading players of the team – which was exactly what was needed: new leaders to replace old and over the hill ones. The club still needed stronger midfielders, but this was for the future. The ‘now’ was sunny: return to First Division.