First Division. At the very top – the same as ever. Dynamo (East Berlin) won as expected, although they were not dominant as usual. Whatever new happened, happened a bit down the table – this season the league was not sharply divided into 3 or 4 separate groups, but was fairly equal. Yet, FC Vorwaerts (Frankfurt/Oder) was in obvious decline and it was clear that the Army club was not going to restore its leading position in East German football. In the same time two smallish and traditionally weaker clubs pushed up – BSG Stahl (Brandenburg) and 1. FC Union (East Berlin). It may have been just an accidental strong performance, but the challenge to the status quo was refreshing.
BSG Sachsenring (Zwickau) continued old tradition – newly promoted teams immediately were relegated back to Second Division. They were sorry outsiders, earned 13 points and won just 2 matches. Interestingly, they had a national team striker in the squad: Martin Trocha.
FC Hansa (Rostock) lost the battle for survivel and finished 13th with 20 points. Well, a major star of the next decade played for them, but still young and unknown – and going to second level prsently.
With 22 points, BSG Stahl (Riesa) managed to survive. Which was pretty much all they could achieve. As long as they were not going down, it was great.
BSG Wismut (Aue) – 11th with 24 points.
FC Rot-Weiss (Erfurt) – 10th with 24 points.
FC Vorwaerts (Frankfurt/Oder) – quietly slipping down. 9th with 25 points.
FC Karl-Marx-Stadt (Karl-Marx-Stadt) – same as ever. 8th with 26 points.
1.FC Union (East Berlin) – wonderful season for the newcomers: 7th with 27 points.
SG Dynamo (Dresden) – 6th with 28 points. Surely an accidental slip, but still weak performance for a team with national team players.
BSG Stahl (Brandenburg) – 5th with 29 points. Arguably, the biggest pleasant surprise this season. Top row from left: Frank Jeske, Michael Schulz, Peter Schoknecht, Jens Pahlke, Winfried Kräuter, Mike Wangerin, Holger Döbbel .
Middle row : Trainer Peter Kohl, Andreas Lindner, Ingo Nachtigall, Mannschaftsleiter Günter Boede, Roland Gumtz, Silvio Demuth, Co-Trainer Eckhard Düwiger.
Sitting: Eberhard Janotta, Uwe Kirchner, Frank Schulz, Detlef Zimmer, Hubert Gebhardt, Gerhard Kraschina, Eckart Märzke, Christoph Ringk,
1.FC Magdeburg – 4th with 29 points. Important season for them – 3 key players retired, but the team dod not decline. The biggest loss was the all-time goalscorer of DDR Joachim Streich. Now the star was coaching them, which also seemed to be fine.
FC Carl Zeiss (Jena) – 3rd with 31 points. Coming back from brief decline and aiming for the title for the first time after 1980-81. Third row from left: Mathias Pittelkow, Jurgen Raab, Thomas Ludwig, Heiko Peschke, Andreas Bielau, Roeser.
Middle row: Jurgen Werner – assistant coach, Volker Probst, Henry Lesser, Karsten Hartel, Meixner, Srefan Boger, Lothar Kurbjuweit – coach.
Sitting: Wolfgang Schilling, Robby Zimmermann, Konrad Weise, Jorg Burow, Andreas Krause, Brauer.
1.FC Lokomotive (Leipzig) – 2nd with 32 points. One of their finest seasons, coming very close to winning the title. Yet, it was impossible task – and the familiar champions prevailed in the head-to head meets: 1-1 and 0-1.
BFC Dynamo (East Berlin) won its 8th consecutive title. It was not an easy victory this time, but they came on top of their opponents. 12 wins, 10 ties, 4 losses, and 46-31 goal-difference gave them 2 points more than the rivals from Leipzig – 34 points. Everything appeared to be fine – their second team won Group A of Second Division as well, but in the same time this was the title won with least points earned . They were unable to beat Carl Zeiss at all. But the team had 11 players with national team appearances, so nothing to worry about… with the mighty help of Stasi.