First Division’s season was marked by two things: the dominance of Honved and the penalties distributed for what looked like an attempt for fixing games. Small Volan SC (Budapest) was seemingly the culprit, for the two voided games involved them – Volan-Honved and Volan-Diosgyor. No points were given to any team of these matches and further Honved was penalized with 4-point deduction, 2 points were deducted from Volan’s record and 2 points from Diosgyor’s. It did not matter to neither Honved, too far ahead of everybody to be affected, nor Diosgyor, so hopelessly behind everybody. Volan, however, suffered – they were trying to avoid relegation, the very reason they were the likeliest culprit, and after having been stripped from 2 points they ended relegated.
Diosgyor had miserable season, ending last with 13 points. Even without penalties, they were far behind.
NYVSC (Nyiregyhaza) finished 15th with 22 points.
Volan SC failed to survive – maybe because of their scheming, maybe just because they were not very good. Apart from the scandal, one should note their shirts: looks like Volan pioneered shirt-adds in Hungary. If so, not at all surprising, for in the Communist world borrowed from the West ideas were first tried at the fringes. Top row from left: Balogh, Hegedűs, Martos, Hámori, Nyúl, Krómer, Orbán. Middle row: Takács assistant coach, Szeibert, Szabó S., Kovács, Varga, Nacsa, Hatvanger, Földes technical stuff, Kalo assistant coach.
Sitting: Kajdi, Kutasi, Morgós, Kiss coach, Kékesi, Vincze, Forintos.
Pioneers or not; criminals or not, Volan finished 14th and was out of the league for the next season, along with Diosgyor and Nyiregyhaza.
Haladas VSE were perhaps the lucky survivors – 13th with 26 points.
Ferencvaros was the big negative surprise – not only they had miserable season, but sunk so low so to fight for mere survival. They managed to escape relegation, but 12th place with 27 points was very alarming. The squad, as names go, was not all that bad, but it was clear that major rebuilding was needed and fast.
Csepel SC, also with 27 points, but with better goal-difference finished a place above Ferencvaros – 11th.
Pecsi MKS – 10th with 28 points. Standing from left: Vallai, Schultheisz, Kincses, Lutz, Réfi, Bodnár, Mészáros, Nagy Lőrincz, Ránai coach.
Crouching: Lukács, Brezniczky, Torna, Czérna, Ráth, Dárdai, Varga.
SZEOL AK – 9th with 29 points.
MTK-VM – 8th with 29 points. Third row from left: Makay assistant coach, dr. Mohácsi doctor, Brünyi, Lukács, Borsó, Balogh, Kovács, Tóth András, Gáspár, Palicskó Tibor coach, Palovecz assistant coach.
Middle row: Papp, Turner, Sillye, Nagy J., Baranyai gyúró, Sólyom, Valuch, Fülöp.
Front row: Turtóczky, Varga II., Katzenbach, Fodor, Handel, Boda, Bognár.
Zalaegerszeg -7th with 30 points. Third row from left: Gellei Imre coach, Balázs, Soós, Török, Kereki, Gass, Horváth, Péter.
Middle row: Konrád, Fehér, Czigány, Pecsics, Farkas, Molnár.
First row: Csepregi, Galántai, Varga, Takács, Major.
Vasas SC – 6th with 33 points.
Tatabanya – 5th with 35 points.
Ujpesti Dozsa – like their rivals Ferencvaros, not in good shape, but still up in the table. 4th with 35 points. Top row from left: Szebegyinszky, Kardos, Sarlós, Temesvári Miklós coach, Bogdán, Polonyi, Steidl.
Middle row: Szieben, Szűcs, Szabó, Kiss S., Kovács J., Herédi, Kozma, Szendrei.
Sitting: Ambrus, Tóth J., Törőcsik, Fekete, Kisznyér, Horváth, Kovács B.
Videoton – very stable for years already. 3rd with 37 points.
Raba ETO – enjoying great spell, but not really a title contender this year: 2nd with 37 points, ahead of Videoton on better goal-differencce.
Honved (Budapest) – absolutely dominant. Not even nearly close to the legendary team of the 1950s, but at least getting closer to that old years by leading Hungarian football again. 19 wins, 6 ties, 5 losses, 63-24 goal-difference and 40 points. That after 4 points were deducted – and they were still unreachable. Lajos Detari was increasingly becoming the top Hungarian player, perhaps the last great star coming from this country. He was still not universally famous, but his impact on the game was already great and one of the reasons Honved was leading team again.