With few familiar names in it, the Portuguese Second Division is not really worth detailed report – except for the winners. Three kinds of winners actually – the winners of the three zones, directly promoted to first division; then the tournament between them, deciding the second league seasonal champion; and finally the mini-tournament between the second placed for the 4th and last promotional spot. In the zones, the only competitive race happened in Zona Centro, but Zona Norte was without outstanding leaders: there the gap between the winner and the next team was the smallest.
Penafiel finished first with 41 points – 3 more than Fafe and Chaves.
Standing from left: Mascarenhas, Quim, Cerqueira, Celton, Kikas, Barbosa.
Crouching: Belo, Valter, Alberto, Faia, Abel.
No famous players here, naturally – eventually Quim became fairly known and reached the national team, but it was later. But it was fantastic season for Penafiel – Futebol Clube Penafiel is a relatively young Portuguese club, founded in 1951. So far, they managed to climb to the second level and winning a second division zone was their biggest success so far. The next season they were going to debut among the top, and trying to survive, but for the moment it was simply great.
Zona Centro was a close pursuit between two clubs. Academica (Coimbra) and Academico (Vizeu) – also known as CAF – were head and shoulders above the rest of the league, leaving the third placed Oliveira do Bairro 11 points behind. One point decided first and second – CAF with 46 points. Academica triumphed with 47.
Perhaps the best known club of the Second Division, Academica struggled in the 1970s and became quite familiar with the lower level of Portuguese country. But they did not give up and constantly tried to move back to the top division.
The boys in black succeeded to win promotion – well done and dramatically too, but the real test was going to be the next season.
Zona Sul had one overwhelming favourite from start to end – Amora. They finished 6 points above better known Lusitano Evora.
Like Penafiel, Amora Futebol Clube never played in first division before, but it was much older club than Penafiel, founded in 1921. Their first success, their first promotion. But it was not all:
The three zonal winners played between themselves to decide the Second Division champion – a matter of pride only, for they all won promotions already. Here Amora FC finished first, a point ahead of Academica (Coimbra).
Standing from left: José Martins, Gonçalves (Masseur), Veiga, Mourinho (coach), Durives Pereira (President), Helder, Luis Manuel, Albuquerque, Armando, Mira, Carlos Alberto
First row : Joel, Arnaldo, Tateu, Milton, Vitor Manuel, Vieira, Peixoto, Paulo Oliveira, Nando.
So far, the most successful squad in the history of Amora FC – at large, the players were nobodies, but not so locally – at home, they were heroes. Legendary heroes.
The three second-placed teams competed for the last promotional spot. Fafe from Zona Norte, a bit lucky, for they finished 2nd thanks to better goal-difference; Academico (Vizeu) from Zona Centro; and Lusitano (Evora) from Zona Sul. Lusitano failed, winning just a single match, so Fafe and CAF really competed. CAF won 3 of the 4 matches and Fafe – 2. With 6 points CAF finished first and won the promotion.
The last promoted club: standing from left: Ângelo (adjunto), Rodrigo, Basto, Ângelo, Professor José Moniz (coach), José Manuel, Sobreiro, Ramon
Middle row: Carnoto (masseur), Mário Vasconcelos (adjunto), Rui Nery, Penteado, Emanuel, Hélder, Chico Santos, Gerúsio, José Pereira
Sitting: Vinagre, Alberto, Águas, Inaldo, Simões, Arnaldo, Nelito.
Clube Academico de Futebol (Vizeu) finished on a high note – they missed direct promotion by a single point, but clearly were the best second-placed team in the division – the only one competing for the top spot in any zone. Good form through the whole season and better squad than most second division clubs was well rewarded at the end. Both clubs sporting the unusual at the time colour black – Academica (Coimbra) and Academico (Vizeu) – were relegated in 1978-79, but managed to return to the top division after a single season in purgatory.