The following is the summary of the Swiss National League in the 1951–52 football season, both Nationalliga A and Nationalliga B. This was the 55th season of top-tier and the 54th season of second-tier football in Switzerland.
Overview The Swiss Football Association (ASF/SFV) had 28 member clubs at this time which were divided into two divisions of 14 teams each. The teams played a double round-robin to decide their table positions. Two points were awarded for a win and one point was awarded for a draw. The top tier (NLA) was contested by the top 12 teams from the previous season and the two newly promoted teams Grasshopper Club and FC Bern. The last two teams in the league table at the end of the season were to be relegated.
The second-tier (NLB) was contested by the two teams that had been relegated from the NLA at the end of the last season, these were FC Cantonal Neuchâtel and Grenchen, the ten teams that had been in third to twelfth position last season and the two newly promoted teams from the 1. Liga Malley and Schaffhausen. The top two teams at the end of the season would be promoted to the 1952–53 NLA and the two last placed teams would be relegated to the 1952–53 Swiss 1. Liga.
Nationalliga A The season commenced on 23 August 1951 and was completed with the last round on 12 June 1952. Teams, locations Team Based in Canton Stadium Capacity FC Basel Basel Landhof AC Bellinzona Bellinzona Stadio Comunale Bellinzona FC Bern Bern Stadion Neufeld FC Biel-Bienne Biel/Bienne Stadion Gurzelen FC Chiasso Chiasso Stadio Comunale Riva IV Grasshopper Club Zürich Zürich Hardturm FC La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds Centre Sportif de la Charrière FC Lausanne-Sport Lausanne Pontaise FC Locarno Locarno Stadio comunale Lido FC Lugano Lugano Cornaredo Stadium Servette FC Geneva Stade des Charmilles BSC Young Boys Bern Wankdorf Stadium FC Young Fellows Zürich Utogrund FC Zürich Zürich Letzigrund
Final league table
Results
Topscorers Rank Player Nat. Goals Club1. Josef Hügi 24 Basel 2. Robert Ballaman 22 Grasshopper Club 3. Ferdinando Riva 19 Chiasso4. Eugen Meier 18 Young Boys Walter Bosshard 18 Zürich6. Jacques Fatton 16 Servette Charles Rossi 16 Zürich8. Hans-Peter Friedländer 14 Lausanne-Sport Berbig 14 Grasshopper Club Ezio Sormani 14 Bellinzona
Nationalliga B Teams, locations Team Based in Canton Stadium Capacity FC Aarau Aarau Stadion Brügglifeld FC Cantonal Neuchâtel Neuchâtel Stade de la Maladière FC Étoile-Sporting La Chaux-de-Fonds Les Foulets / Terrain des Eplatures / FC Fribourg Fribourg Stade Universitaire FC Grenchen Grenchen Stadium Brühl FC Luzern Lucerne Stadion Allmend ES FC Malley Malley Centre sportif de la Tuilière FC Nordstern Basel Basel Rankhof FC Mendrisio Mendrisio Centro Sportivo Comunale FC Schaffhausen Schaffhausen Stadion Breite FC St. Gallen St. Gallen Espenmoos Urania Genève Sport Genève Stade de Frontenex FC Winterthur Winterthur Schützenwiese SC Zug Zug Herti Allmend Stadion
Final league table
Decider for second place FC Grenchen and SC Zug ended the season level on points in joint second place. Therefore they had to contest a play-off for promotion. The decider match for second place was played on 15 June 1952 at Stadion Neufeld in Bern.
FC Grenchen won the play-off and were promoted to 1952–53 Nationalliga A. SC Zug remained in the division for the next season.
Attendances
No. Club Average 1 GCZ 11,769 2 Zürich 11,192 3 Young Boys 7,462 4 Servette 6,600 5 Lausanne 6,538 6 Basel 6,292 7 Bern 5,538 8 Young Fellows 4,808 9 La Chaux-de-Fonds 4,100 10 Biel-Bienne 3,854 11 Lugano 2,846 12 Locarno 2,685 13 Chiasso 2,500 14 Bellinzona 2,269
Source:https://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/sui/avesui52.htm
Further in Swiss football 1951–52 Swiss Cup 1951–52 Swiss 1. Liga
References
Sources Switzerland 1951–52 at RSSSF