The Landesliga Niederrhein is the second highest amateur football league in the Lower Rhine region which is part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and since 2012 the sixth tier of the German football league system. It operates in two groups which run parallel below the Oberliga Niederrhein. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008 it was the sixth tier of the league system; until the introduction of the Regionalligas in 1994 the fifth tier.
History The league was founded in 1947 as the highest division for the area covered by the Lower Rhine football association.Landesliga Niederrhein 1947/48 f-archiv.de In 1949 it became a second tier to the 2. Oberliga West and was reduced to two divisions until 1952, when the three-division system was restored. In 1956 it dropped to the third tier after Verbandsliga Niederrhein was founded. The league still remained as feeder to the Verbandsliga with the replacement of the 2. Oberliga West by the old Regionalliga West in 1963. In turn the Regionalliga was replaced by 2. Bundesliga Nord in 1974. In 1978 it was slipped to the fourth tier under Oberliga Nordrhein; in 1994 it was the fifth under the current Regionalliga West, and in 2008 was the sixth under the NRW-Liga which took over after Oberliga was abolished.
In the German football league system, the Landesliga was first established as second-rate below the Oberliga West and it later slipped five times down to the seventh level by the introduction of the aforementioned higher leagues. Since the league structural reform of 2012 and the related dissolution of the NRW-Liga in favor of the Oberliga Niederrhein, however, the league moved up from the seventh to the sixth level.
Modus For five seasons since 2015-16, the Landesliga Niederrhein has consisted of two groups of 16 to 18 clubs each. The exact number of teams is carried out every year on a geographical basis.
The champions of each group are promoted to the Oberliga Niederrhein, provided they are senior clubs or are financially efficient. Should a winner or both winners be deemed ineligible (if reserve teams) or refuse promotion for any reason, the next best-placed teams in their groups may be promoted. The runner-up in each group may playoff for promotion. The number of promotions to the Oberliga depend on the number of relegations and promotions in that league. Teams ranked 16th and below are relegated to their respective Bezirksliga and are replaced by the champions from each Bezirksliga. In the two groups, the 15th placed teams play each other for relegation. A reserve team is also relegated if its senior team drops down to the Landesliga.
For 2020–21, the Landesliga expanded to 43 clubs and reverted to three groups of 14 to 15 teams each due to the cancellation of the preceding season.
League champions The league champions of the divisions:Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv Historical German domestic league tables
Season Division 1 2 3 1948 TuRa Essen VfB Hilden Duisburger SV 1949 Duisburger FV 08 VfL 06 Benrath Duisburger SV 1950 Cronenberger SC VfB Lohberg In two divisions 1951 VfB Bottrop 1952 Elmar Alstaden 1953 SpVgg Gräfath Homberger SV 1. FC Mülheim 1954 VfL 06 Benrath TuS Duisburg 48/99 SpVgg Sterkrade 1955 Marathon Remscheid Homberger SV 1956 TSV Eller 04 Duisburger FV 08 VfB Speldorf 1957 SV Byfang SV Neukirchen Cronenberger SC 1958 SV Hamborn 90 SC Somborn Sportfreunde Katernberg 1959 VfB Lohberg 1. FC Bocholt Düsseldorfer SC 1960 BV Altenessen VfB Kleve Fortuna Düsseldorf A 1961 TSG Karnap SC Kleve VfR Neuss 1962 Duisburger FV 08 SV Sterkrade-Nord Union Ohligs 1963 Sportfreunde Walsum Bayer Uerdingen SSVg Velbert 1964 Düsseldorfer SC VfB Ruhrort Schwarz-Weiß Alstaden 1965 Viktoria Wuppertal MSV Duisburg A BV Osterfeld 1966 Marathon Remscheid Duisburger FV 08 SV Sterkrade-Nord 1967 VfL Wuppertal Hülser FC BV Altenessen 1968 TuRa Büderich MSV Duisburg A SV Sterkrade-Nord 1969 Union Ohligs SC Kleve VfB Speldorf 1970 SV Gräfrath SV Neukirchen Olympia Bocholt 1971 1. FC Mülheim Fortuna Düsseldorf A VfB Homberg 1972 Schwarz-Weiß Essen A 1. FC Viersen VfB Bottrop 1973 Essener FV TuS Grevenbroich Olympia Bocholt 1974 SV Langenberg Düsseldorfer SC 1. FC Bocholt 1975 BV Altenessen 1. FC Viersen RSV Meerbeck 1976 Sportfreunde Katernberg TuS Grevenbroich TuS Xanten 1977 ASV Wuppertal VfB Hilden Gelria Geldern 1978 TSV Aufderhöhe Bayer Uerdingen A VfL Rhede 1979 1. FC Mülheim BV 04 Düsseldorf Viktoria Goch 1980 Borussia Monchengladbach A VfB Speldorf MSV Moers 1981 1. FC Wülfrath VfB Homberg VfB Langenfeld 1982 Duisburger FV 08 SC Kleve SV Wermelskirchen 1983 Düsseldorfer SC 99 SV Straelen TuS Helene Essen 1984 SV Schonnebeck TuS Grevenbroich VfB Bottrop 1985 VfB Remscheid VfB Lohberg SV Lintfort
Season Division 1 2 3 1986 TV Jahn Hiesfeld Rheydter SV SSVg Velbert 1987 Bayer Uerdingen III BV Altenessen SC Schiefbahn 1988 Sportfreunde Katernberg SV Schwafheim TuRU Düsseldorf 1989 FC Kray Preussen Krefeld VfB Lohberg 1990 1. FC Wülfrath SuS 09 Dinslaken VfR Neuss 1991 TSV Bayer Dormagen SC Bocholt 26 Duisburger FV 08 1992 Bayer Wuppertal TuS Grevenbroich MSV Duisburg A 1993 DSV 04 Düsseldorf Olympia Bocholt VfB Essen-Nord 1994 TuRU Düsseldorf SV Straelen VfB Lohberg 1995 FC Zons VfB Kleve Borussia Wuppertal 1996 Wuppertaler SV II VfR Neuss VfB Speldorf 1997 TSV Ronsdorf Ratinger SV 04/19 Hamborn 07 1998 SV Wermelskirchen SC Schiefbahn 08 Viktoria Goch 1999 SSVg Velbert SV Hilden-Nord Hülser SV 2000 FC Kray SC Union Nettetal TuS Union Mülheim 2001 SV Bayer Wuppertal VfB Homberg Viktoria Goch 2002 TuSpo Richrath 1. FC Kleve SV Bottrop 1911 2003 Cronenberger SC TuRU Düsseldorf Rot-Weiß Oberhausen II 2004 1. FC Wülfrath SC Kapellen-Erft SV Sonsbeck 2005 FSV Kettwig 1. FC Viersen Olympia Bocholt 2006 Rot-Weiss Essen II Sportfreunde Baumberg SV Hönnepel-Niedermörmter 2007 Spvg Radevormwald SC Düsseldorf-West GSV Moers 2008 SpVg Schonnebeck SV Straelen II TuRa 88 Duisburg 2009 FC Remscheid VfR Fischeln VfL Rhede 2010 Rot-Weiß Oberhausen II Sportfreunde Baumberg SV Sonsbeck 2011 FC Kray SV Hilden-Nord Hamborn 07 2012 Cronenberger SC SV Uedesheim VfR Fischeln 2013 Rot-Weiss Essen II VfB 03 Hilden PSV Wesel-Lackhausen 2014 VdS Nievenheim VfR Fischeln 1. FC Bocholt 2015 TV Kalkum-Wittlaer 1. FC Mönchengladbach SpVg Schonnebeck 2016 Sportfreunde Baumberg VfB Homberg In two divisions 2017 FSV Vohwinkel Wuppertal SV Straelen 2018 TSV Meerbusch 1. FC Kleve 2019 TVD Velbert FC Kray 2020 TV Jahn Hiesfeld SpVgg Sterkrade-Nord 2021 Season curtailed and annulled by the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany 2022 MSV Düsseldorf SV Sonsbeck Hamborn 07
References
External links Official website of the Lower Rhine Football Association