Second Division. The new Second Division had 20 teams and was made of 2 relegated from First Division teams ( Prisitina and Sutjeska), 2 teams promoted from Third Division (Belasica Strumica and Backa 1901 Backa Palanka), and 16 teams of the former Second Division – 8 from the West Second Division and 8 from the East Second Division. That meant all teams bellow 9th place in both former Second Division leagues were relegated to their big displeasure. The new ‘Sajber rule’ was in force and eventually decided the final positions at the top, where 6 teams fought for 2 promotions. The last 4 teams were relegated and the fresh newcomers were among them.
Belasica (Strumica) finished last with 22 points and went back to third level.
FK Novi Pazar (Novi Pazar) finished 19th with 25 points and was relegated. The photo may or may be be from this season.
Backa 1901 (Backa Palanka) was 18th with 26 points and suffered the same fate as the other newly promoted team, Belasica – they were immediately relegated.
Radnicki (Kragujevac) was 17th with 27 points and relegated as well.
GOSK Jug (Dubrovnik) took 16th place with 31 points.
Leotar (Trebinje) – 15th with 31 points.
Dinamo (Vinkovci) – 14th with 31 points.
Sloboda (Titovo Uzice) – 13th with 32 points.
Pelister (Bitola) – 12th with 32 points.
Macva (Sabac) – 11th with 32 points.
Pristina (Pristina) – 10th with 32 points. They started with minus 6 points, but did relatively well after all.
Liria (Prizren) – 9th with 33 points. Standing from left: Čejku, Tomić, Beh. Đinali, Bed. Đinali, Haši, Gega. First row: Luma, Ramadani, Limani, Nikolić, Luli.
Sutjeska (Niksic) – 8th with 35 points. Standing from left: Rakojević, Đukanović, Marušić, Šabotić, Kuzeljević, Radinović, Giljen. Crouching: Medin, Dukić, Zirojević, Durgutović, Gospić.
Borac (Cacak) – 7th with 35 points. Standing from left: Rajevac, Panić, Lučić, Marković, Dragutinović, Petrović. First row: Štavljanin, Maričić, Stojanović, Vulović, Šušić, Jelić.
And now the to 6, which competed for promotion: because of the much hated ‘Sajber penalties’, points according to the classic rule will be given as well – hated or not, the no-ties rule did not affect greatly the final positions of the stronger teams.
OFK Beograd was 6th with 40 points. They would have been with 44 points under classic rules – and 5th.
Sibenik – 5th with 42 points. Under the old rules they would have been with 44 points and 6th, having worse goal-difference than OFK Beograd.
Kikinda – 4th with 42 points. Also 4th under the old rules, but with 45 points.
Proleter (Zrenjanin) – 3rd with 43 points. Under old rules, they would have been with 46 points, thus, 3rd again.
Borac (Banja Luka) – 2nd with 45 points. Under old rules they should have been Second Division champions with 50 points. Yet, it was a minor point – Borac earned promotion, which was their big aim anyway.
Olimpija (Ljubljana) clinched first place with 46 points. 21 regular wins, 4 penalty shoot-out wins, 3 shoot-out losses and 10 regular losses. 63-37 goal-difference. Under classic rules they would have been 2nd with 49 points – well, now they were Second Division winners, but the real success was earning promotion – like Borac, they wanted to return to their more natural habitat, First Division, and managed to do so.