Exciting season of the 20-team strong Segunda Division: 7 clubs competed for the three top spots, giving promotion to first division. At the other end of the table was similarly hot race for survival: 8 teams tried hard to escape relegation. No luck for half of them.
AgD Ceuta finished last with 29 points – perhaps the only team looking like true outsider.
Barakaldo CF was 19th with 31 points. An old club – founded in 1917 – which played professionally from the beginning of league-organized football in 1929, but never played in the first division. By 1980 even second division was becoming a problem.
Palencia CF – 18th with 32 points. Unlike Barakaldo, Palencia was young club, founded in 1960. So far, playing in the second division was their highest achievement, but they lasted only two seasons. Unfortunately, dark times were coming and the club dissolved in 1986, because of severe economic debts.
Granada CF ended 17th with 33 points – there were times, when Granada played with the best, but those days were gone.
Of course, the bottom of the table was not taking the breath away – the rivalry at the top was. No matter how strong the teams were – so hot pursuit rarely happens: 7 candidates for three spots. Five of them finished with equal points, 45. Two lost a bit of steam, finishing with 42. Goal-difference was not decisive factor – looked like the direct results between the rivals decided their final positions.
CE Sabadell CF finsihed 7th.
CD Malaga – 6th. Second row from left: Burgueña, Javi Nevado, Bonacic, Martin, Merino, Brescia, Serrano, Rojas, Astorga(?), Kiko Rodruiguez, Fernando, ?, Benitez, Ben Barek.
First row: Heredia, Juan Carlos, Canillas, ?, Manolo Castro, Recio, Nacho, Filgueira (?), ?, Aracena, ?, Muñoz Pérez, Santi.
Both teams suffered from weak defenses – scoring was hardly the forte of second division teams, but Malaga and Sabadell had obviously weaker defenses than their rivals: Malaga finished with +2 and Sabadell with +1.
Above them finished those with 45 points.
Rayo Vallecano was perhaps the unluckiest team this year: they, along with 8th placed Deportivo Alaves , had the second-best goal-difference this championship, +14. They had the best defensive record in the league, allowing only 23 goals. However, they had the weaker attack among the top teams, able to score just 37 goals – less then a goal-per-match. Yet, if goal-difference was the decisive factor, Rayo Vallecano would have been 2nd in the final table – and promoted.
Elche CF was 4th – and rightly so. Along with Cadiz, they were the best scorers in the league, but had leaky defense, and would have been 4th even if goal-difference decided the final standing.
Racing Santander edged Rayo Vallecano and Elche, taking 3rd position and promotion. They had the worst goal-difference among the top 5 teams, but played successfully when it mattered most and clinched promotional spot. Lucky boys, but the club was one of the ‘between clubs’ already, meandering between first and second division.
Cadiz CF finished 2nd. Perhaps they were the best team in the league – they scored the most goals, 55, and had the best goal-difference, +18. They won the most matches this season – 19. But they also lost games too often – 12 matches, the most losses among the top 7. All or nothing was seemingly the approach and it paid off at the end. For the old Cadiz – founded in 1910 – this period was the best in their history so far: they reached 1st division in 1976, but played just one season there – 1977-78. Now were going up for a second try – and good luck to them!
CD Castellon were the champions of Segunda Division. It may have been a matter of luck – after all, to be first among equals is arbitrary thing – but even if goal-difference was the decisive factor Castellon would have been promoted – only they would have been 3rd, not first. Defensive approach was seemingly their formula to success: the team was difficult to beat – they lost only 8 matches, the record of the championship, shared with Rayo Vallecano. The winners really had getting a point in mind: they won 15 matches and tied 15. Hardly an exciting team, but the best years of the club were in already distant time – between 1941 and 1947. After that, Castellon rarely played first division football – the last time was the 1973-74 season – and, like Cadiz, their next year aim would be mere survival. But they were promoted and most importantly added a trophy to their otherwise minimal record book. Champions of Second Division, but champions! What can be sweeter?