First Division. For years the top league was divided into distinct groups, but this time was different. Three teams were stronger than the rest, one was an outsider. The rest were relatively equal, which mostly made the season one of fighting for survival. More significantly, the dominance of Dynamo (Berlin) was challenged and there was exciting battle at the top – at the end it was still Dynamo best, but only on goal-difference.
BSG Stahl (Riesa) – hopelessly last with 16 points. They were promoted in 1982-83, so this time they went down after a long first division spell – by their standards, for the best place they reached was 11th in 1983-84.
FC Vorwaerts (Frankfurt/Oder) – 13th with 21 points. Their good years, suggesting revival of the once-upon a time strong Army club were also long gone by now. They were sinking for quite some time, naturally hitting the bottom – relegated, if only on worse goal-difference.
FC Rot-Weiss (Erfurt) – 12th with 21 points. Normally, insignificant mid-table team, but hardly ever in danger of relegation. This season they barely escaped – only on one-goal better goal-difference than Vorwaerts.
1. FC Union (East Berlin) – 11th with 22 points. They may see themselves as perpetual victims, but the bare fact was not a strong team, fighting only for survival. This time – successfully.
BSG Wismut (Aue) – 10th with 23 points. Hardly anything new – may be only that they were very close to relegation this season.
FC Hansa (Rostock) – 9th with 23 points. Just coming back from Second Division, so not bad? Well, they managed to survive – that was all.
FC Karl-Marx-Stadt (Karl-Marx-Stadt) – 8th with 25 points. Nothing special for many years, nothing new this season. Perhaps close to the relegation zone than usual.
1. FC Magdeburg (Magdeburg) – 7th with 25 points. Lost its edge some time ago and seemingly going into big decline: near relegation zone was absolutely untypical, but then again Magdeburg never had anonymous squad before. Perhaps Joachim Streich as a coach was a far cry from the player he was, but with squad like that it is hard to point at him.
FC Carl Zeiss (Jena) – 6th with 26 points. In a shaky situation recently, but looks like the crisis was over. Not a full recovery, but there was promise for better days.
HFC Chemie (Halle) – 5th with 26 points. Very promising return from Second Division, even if they were not really outside the danger of relegation through the season.
BSG Stahl (Brandenburg) – 4th with 29 points. Now, they were a pleasant surprise – unlikely club to finish that high, but they were played solid since promoted in 1983-84. Top row from left: Eberhard Janotta, Frank Jeske, Jan Voß, Uwe Ferl, Lutz Schwerinski, Jens Pahlke, Ingolf Pfahl, Timo Lange, Roland Keibel.
Middle row:Trainer Peter Kohl, Uwe Schulz, Hubert Gebhardt, Detlef Zimmer, Andre Hennig, Ralf Steinat, Co-Trainer Helmut Wilk.
Sitting:Bernd Kubowitz, Andreas Lindner, Karsten Winkel, Guido Euen, Roland Gumtz, Silvio Demuth, Christoph Ringk.
Iron name – iron team.
SG Dynamo (Dresden) – 3rd with 33 points. Keeping their level, even if they were not title contenders this season.
1. FC Locomotive (Leipzig) – 2nd with 37 points. Strong for years and perhaps having their best season ever, for in the past they were not really a title contender. This season, however, they were and not only challenged mighty Dynamo, but lost the title only on goal-difference. Too bad, frankly… not only because everybody in East Germany was tired from Dynamo’s dominance and the ominous power behind them, but mostly because Lokomotive had excellent team, lead by the best East German player in the last two years – the national team goalkeeper and captain Rene Muller.
BFC Dynamo (East Berlin) clinched the title on better goal-difference only: 15 wins, 7 ties, 4 losses, 59-30 and 37 points. +29 vs +21 put them above Lokomotive. Bottom row from left: Jörg Fügner, Thomas Grether, Bodo Rudwaleit, Marco Kostmann, Marco Köller, Heiko Brestrich.
Middle row: assistant-coah Jürgen Bogs, Waldemar Ksienzyk, Hendrik Herzog, Frank Rohde, Thomas Doll, Andreas Thom, Eike Küttner, Christian Backs, coach Joachim Hall.
Top row: Bernd Schulz, Rainer Ernst, Burkhard Reich, Dirk Anders, Michael Schulz, Frank Pastor, Norbert Trieloff, Rainer Troppa.
10 titles in a row is something rare and significant and must be mentioned. The talent of the squad is not to be denied, but also it was a team to hate. Yet, it looked like they were no longer as strong as they were – for the first time they won only on goal-difference. Strong team with future stars of unified Germany, but as a team they seemingly reached their peak a year or two ago. Then again, it all depended on the their Stassi masters…
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