Greece planned a massive change of the league system for the next season, requiring note here. Most likely the idea was based on the combination of financial stability and increase of the competitive level – presently, professional football included First and Second divisions, which meant 58 clubs in total. Too much for a small country – clubs from small towns made most of the 2 Second Division groups, which could not have neither enough cash, nor enough supporters to have reasonable hopes for getting cash at the gates. One result was lower quality of football, the other was corruption scandals. So, the First Division was going to be reduced to 16 teams and the Second Division reorganized into one league. First Division was no problem – 4 teams were relegated at the end of the season and 2 promoted. Second Division was another matter – the sheer numbers need more careful look. Eight teams of each group were to remain in the new league – that made 16. Plus 4 relegated from First Division – a total of 20 so far. Plus one promoted from Third Division. 21 teams… weird number. And the number of Second Division was still too large even for megalomaniac Greeks – certainly more changes were to be made in the future.
As for the promoted newcomer, it was simple enough: Edessaikos A.O. (Edessa) was the lucky one. A huge list of freshly relegated to third level clubs follow – most of them largely unknown outside Greece, for they never appeared in the top league. To list them would be largely waste of time, although some are present today in the First Division. Well, today some others do not exist… But a mystery of the uneven number was solved after the end of the season: the 9th placed teams in both second division groups met in a play-off, the winner remaining and the loser relegated. This, however, followed earlier play-off: Eolikos Mitilinis (Lesbos) and Panelefsiniakos (Elefsina) ended with equal points in the Southern Group and played between themselves to break the tie. Eolikos won 3-0 and moved to the play-off against Northern Group’s 9th, Niki (Volou). The contest was unresolved after overtime – 2-2 – and moved to the drama of penalty shoot-out. Only now Niki prevailed 3-2 and preserved a spot in the new Second Division – thus, the new league was made of 20 teams, not 21. Most members played formerly in the First Division – smaller, but at least able to go up occasionally, clubs.
Like A.O. Pierikos (Katerini) – 6th in the last season of the Northern Group.
Whatever elbowing was going in the lower parts of the second level groups, really important was the battle for top place and promotion. Not much in the Southern Group: two teams were stronger than the rest and they battled to the end. Diagoras (Rodos) lost.
Egaleo FC (Athens) clinched 1st place by a single point and was promoted.
More equal teams in the North, so 8 teams competed for the desired spot most of the season. Eventually, five of them lost steam and only 3 raced to the end. A.O. Kavala ended 3rd with 49 points. Agrotikos Asteras (Evosmos) – 2nd with 50 points.
Apollon Kalamarias (Thessaloniki) prevailed with 52 points and returned to play again in the First Division.