1978-79 was a season of significant change in DDR – a brand new champion, which was perhaps welcomed change of status quo. It was known what ‘institution’ the new champion represented, but resentment was not so obvious yet – it was impossible to predict that this club will establish monopoly to the very collapse of the state. It was also the first victory of Berlin’s club since 1969 – 10 years is a long time indeed, but perhaps the news was not exactly hailed anywhere. More optimistic news was the slight change of guard – the new champions had a bunch of younger players, becoming the next generation stars. It was good, because so far the key figures were the heroes of 1974 World Cup and they were inevitably aging. Along with that, the number of strong clubs increased to five – not bad, the battle between 5 contenders makes a championship interesting, but in the same time firm gap between them and the rest of East German clubs was great and never bridged. Since the new champions were among the favourites for years, in fact, there was no addition to the strongest – it was only that the previously weaker of the them finally matured. Or ‘helped’ into maturity… For the moment, the season ended on positive and optimistic note. But it was just the top of the pyramid… if looking down, the picture was not so bright.
Only one of the 5 Second Division groups was really competitive – Group E, where 3 teams competed for the first place.
BSG Motor (Suhl) clinched victory by one point over BSG Motor (Weimar). BSG Wismut (Gera) ended third, with 3 points less.
The other groups had a clear overwhelming leaders:
BSG Energie (Cottbus) finished 5 points ahead in Group D. They lost only one match this season.
TSG Bau (Rostock) also finished with 5 points lead in Group A.
BSG Chemie (Leipzig) did even better in Group C– 6 points lead, although they lost 3 matches.
But the winners of Group B were astonishing.
FC Vorwarts (Frankfurt/Oder) did not lose even a single match. They tied only 4 games and won 18, scoring 77 goals and receiving mere 6 in the bargain. The next best club was 12 points behind them.
The promotional mini-league of the 5 winners was similar – FC Vorwarts won 7 matches and tied one, scoring 24 goals and receiving 6. With 15 points, they head and shoulders above the rest. The second promotional spot was tightly contested and decided by goal-difference, a curious affair, for one of the two contestant ended with negative goal-difference. Two clubs were clear outsiders – TSG Bau finished last with 3 points and BSG Energie was 4th with 4 points. BSG Motor were apparently more enthusiastic than really good: they got 9 points, thanks to 4 wins, but in the same time when their losses were devastating. With 14-19 goal-difference promotion was just a dream. BSG Chemie also earned 9 points, but 11-7 goal difference – the promotion was theirs to enjoy.
Second place and promotion for Chemie (Leipzig). Relegated from First Division in 1976, now they were coming back. Once upon a time a stronger club, Chemie was living in the shadow of Lokomotive (Leipzig) for years now. And nobody expected a change – the limited pool of East German football hardly permitted for two strong sides in one city. Chemie was expected just to fight for survival in the top division.
The winners were different story – the army club was relegated the previous season and now was coming back with a vengeance. It looked like Vorwarts – or the Army itself – were determined to restore their leading place in East German football, which they lost after relocated from Berlin to Frankfurt/Oder in 1971. And that was the only positive sign coming from second division.