Segunda Division. Requires a note – a reminder, actually, of the rules. Since the second teams of 1st Division members were allowed to play in the second level, promotion was an issue: the second teams were prohibited of climbing up to top level. The reason is obvious: the second team would lose the games against the first team and fight tremendously against the key opponents of its first team. Not exactly match-fixing, but unfair advantage. This reminder is important when talking about 1983-84 season of Segunda Division: the top 2 teams were ineligible for promotion, so lower placed teams went up. Apart from that, business as usual,with all its quirks, ups, and downs. Four teams relegated, three teams promoted at the end of the championship.
Rayo Vallecano – last with 29 points. Notoriously shaky club, so nothing particularly unusual – yes, Rayo could play top league one year and drop to third level the next. It was dropping time this year.
Palencia CF – 19th with 29 points and relegated.
Algeciras CF – 18th with 32 points and out.
Linares CF – 17th with 32 points. The top placed of the unfortunate – 3rd Division next season.
Cartagena FC barely survived – 16th with 33 points.
CD Tenerife also managed to escape relegation – 15th with 34 points. Ruben Cano – by now the controversy about his playing for Spain all but forgotten – almost went to play third level football. Standing from left: Ordoki, Aguirreoa, Mini, Eizmendi, Gilberto, Paco.
Crouching: Lasaosa, Alberto, Ruben Cano, Azkargorta, Abad.
Atletico Madrileno – the second team of Atletico Madrid – 14th with 34 points.
Real Oviedo – 13th with 35 points.
Recreativo Huelva – 12th with 36 points.
UD Las Palmas – 11th with 36 points.
CD Castellon – 10th with 37 points.
Deportivo La Coruna – 9th with 39 points.
Granada CF – 8th with 40 points.
Barcelona Atletico – the second team of Barcelona – 7th with 40 points.
Celta – 6th with 42 points. Standing from left: Capó, Atilano, Mina, Sánchez, Lemos, Canosa.
Crouching: Rubén, Gómez, Andrés, Mercader, Amoros.
Elche – 5th with 43 points. Lucky guys, Elche – they were promoted to first division. Elche was nothing special this season and they were hopelessly out of the promotion race. But it was not normal season and they got lucky as a result.
Racing Santander – 4th with 44 points. Tried to finish in the promotion zone, but failed by a point. But, like Elche, circumstances favoured them and they were also promoted.
Hercules Alicante – they clinched the 3rd place with 45 points. 1 points ahead of Racing, 2 points better than Elche. No hope for higher place, but they promoted fair and square.
Bilbao Athletic – the second team of Athletic Bilbao – finished 2nd with 50 points. The top two teams finished not only with equal point, but with equal goal-difference, so final places were decided by the team with higher scoring record. Bilbao failed a bit short here and took second position. It was understandable – the club was enjoying great period and the reserves were also good. Too good for Second Division – 5 points ahead of the 3rd placed team. But… second teams were ineligible for promotion, rules said. Deserved to go up by performance, but much weaker Elche was going up instead.
Castilla CF clinched the first place – they scored 69 goals, 8 more than Bilbao Athletic, and that gave them the final victory. But had to be happy with Second Division title… since Castilla was the second team of Real Madrid, absolutely clear by now, they could not be promoted. Racing Santander went up in their place. Fair, unfair… hard to tell. Hard to tell, because Castilla and Bilbao Athletic were much stronger than the rest of the league, had no rivals whatsoever this season, but much weaker teams got promoted. Standing from left: Juanito, Ochotorena, Francis, Pérez Durán, Martín González, Michel
First row: Butragueño, Martín Vázquez, De las Heras, Sanchís, Pardeza.
Familiar names? Well, they were not famous stars yet.
And because of the confusion with ineligible teams finishing at the top, let repeat the promoted ones: Hercules Alicante, Racing Santander, and Elche. All were returning to top flight. Did they deserve it was another matter, mostly to be mulled over in the next season.