Switzerland – sharing 19-20 position with Poland. Unlike Poland, the Swiss were not going up, but kept their previous ranking. The championship formula was already established – 2-phased championship, mixing divisions in the final stage. The top divisions had 12 teams – 12 in the First Division, and Second Division – 2 groups of 12 teams each. After the familiar stage the teams proceeded to the final according to their standings: the top 8 in the First Division went to play for the title, carrying half of the points earned in the first stage to it. The last 4 top league teams went to promotion/relegation stage – 2 of them played in the final group A with the top 6 teams from the first stage of Second Divsion Group A and the other 2 of the bottom of First Division with the top 6 teams of Second Division Group B. No team carried points to this stage, it was playing a new league format and the top 2 teams in each group were going to First Division in the next season. The bottom 6 teams in the original Second Division groups also played final stage – promotion /relegation final stage, where winners of the Third Division opening stage completed the final groups. Because of the mix, only the final stage is to be given here. A win was still awarded with 2 points.
Those, going to play in the promotion/relegation after the first stage of Second Divison, were largely little known clubs, like
FC Glarus, which finished last in opening stage of Second Division Group B with 8 points.
Few better knows teams had the same fate, like
FC Winterthur, 8th with 22 points in the opening stage of Second Division Group B.
Top row from left: Ernst Rief (Masseur), Urs Güntensperger, Hans Franz, René Rüegg, Markus Michael, Rafael Chèlos, Reto Arrigoni, ?.
Middle row: ?, ?, Beat Meier, René Egli, Daniel Haefeli, ?, Christian Graf, Roland Käser, Paul Hollenstein (Physiotherapeut), Otto Luttrop (Trainer).
Sitting: Joachim Hutka, Vladimir Jakovljev, Urs Isler, Marcel Rapp, Tiziano Sacchetti, Flavio Battaini, Levent Kusogullari, Michael Gänssler.
That is the glimpse at the teams finishing the season in the promotion/relegation stage of Second and Third Division teams.
The promotion/relegation stage between First and Second Division teams was more important. As it turned out, those who started the championship in the top league escaped relegation.
Group A: BSC Old Boys (Basel, starting the season in II Division Group B) finished 8th with 7 points. ES Malley (from II Division Group A) – 7th with 10 points, FC Grenchen (from II Division Group A) – 6th with 10 points, CS Chenois (from II Division Group B) – 5th with 12 points, FC Basel (winner of II Division Group B) – 4th with 14 points,
FC Zurich (from II Division Group B) – 3rd with 14 points.
Lausanne Sport (10th in the first stage of I Division) finished 2nd with 22 points.
FC St. Gallen (11th in the first stage of I Division) – 1st with 23 points.
Well, Lausanne Sport and FC St. Gallen preserved top league places for the next season.
Group B. Etoile Carouge FC (from Second Division Group A) – 8th with 6 points, FC Chiasso (from Second Division Group B) – 7th with 7 points, FC Bulle (from Second Division Group A) – 6th with 9 points, Yverdon-Sport FC (from Second Division Group A) – 5th with 14 points,
FC Baden (from Second Division Group B) – 4th with 15 points, FC Locarno (from Second Division Group B) – 3rd with 15 points.
FC Aarau (9th in the first stage of I Division) – 2nd with 23 points, losing top place on worse goal-difference, but no matter – they were still going to play again the top league.
AC Lugano (12th in the first stage of I Division) – won this group with 23 points and 4-goals better goal-difference than FC Aarau.
So, no changes the next season: Second Division clubs remained in Second Division, and AC Lugano, FC Aarau, Losanne Sports, and FC St. Gallen stayed in First Division.
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