The 2012 Belarusian First League is the 22nd season of 2nd level football in Belarus. It started in April and finished in November 2012.
Team changes from 2011 season The winners of last season (Slavia Mozyr) were promoted to Belarusian Premier League. They were replaced by last-placed team of 2011 Belarusian Premier League table (Dnepr Mogilev).
The runners-up of last season (Partizan Minsk) won the promotion/relegation play-off against Vitebsk (11th-placed Premier League team). Partizan Minsk were thus promoted to Premier League and replaced in the First League by Vitebsk.
Two teams that finished at the bottom of 2011 season table (Belcard Grodno and Baranovichi) relegated to the Second League. They were replaced by two best teams of 2011 Second League (Bereza-2010 and Lida).
Klechesk Kletsk withdrew from the league due to lack of financing and joined Second League. No team was invited to replace them and the league was reduced to 15 teams for the season.
Teams and venues
TeamLocationPosition in 2011VitebskVitebskPremier League, 11DneprMogilevPremier League, 12GorodeyaGorodeya3SKVICHMinsk4SlutskSlutsk5Vedrich-97Rechitsa6VolnaPinsk7GranitMikashevichi8PolotskPolotsk10SmorgonSmorgon11DSKGomel12RudenskRudensk13KhimikSvetlogorsk14LidaLidaSecond League, 1Bereza-2010BerezaSecond League, 2
League table
Promotion play-offs The 11th placed team of 2012 Premier League (Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino) played a two-legged relegation play-off against the runners-up of 2012 Belarusian First League Gorodeya for one spot in the 2013 Premier League and won the series 4–1 on aggregate.
Results
Top goalscorers RankGoalscorerTeamGoals1 Yuri MarkhelSKVICH Minsk292 Dmitry GomzaVitebsk163 Anton MatsveenkaDnepr Mogilev144 Igors SļesarčuksDnepr Mogilev125 Uladzimir ShakawDnepr Mogilev / Gorodeya11 Mikalay ZyankoDnepr Mogilev11 Sergey GerasimenkoBereza-2010118 Ihar MakarawSlutsk10 Vladimir YurchenkoDnepr Mogilev10 Alyaksandr DzegtserawVitebsk10 Updated to games played on 17 November 2012 Source: football.by
See also 2012 Belarusian Premier League 2011–12 Belarusian Cup 2012–13 Belarusian Cup
External links Official site