The 1986–87 Swiss 1. Liga was the 55th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.
Format There were 56 clubs in the 1. Liga, divided into four regional groups, each with 14 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their league position. Two points were awarded for a win. Due to a modification in the Nationalliga B (second tier), an increase in the number of teams in the following season, there were to be four direct promotions from the 1. Liga. In the first stage of the play-offs, the four group winners contested a play-off final against one of the four runners-up for the four direct promotion slots. Then in the second stage, the four defeated teams would contest a play-off final against the four last placed teams from the Nationalliga B to decide the last four places in the second tier in the next year. At the other end of the league table the situation was much clearer, the two last placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier).
Group 1 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacity FC Aigle Vaud Les Glariers FC Châtel-Saint-Denis Fribourg Stade du Lussy - Châtel-St-Denis FC Echallens Vaud Sportplatz 3 Sapins Folgore Lausanne Vaud Centre Sportif de la Tuilière FC Fribourg Fribourg Stade Universitaire Grand-Lancy FC Geneva Stade de Marignac FC Leytron Valais Stade Saint-Martin FC Monthey Valais Stade Philippe Pottier FC Montreux-Sports Vaud Stade de Chailly FC Saint-Jean GE Geneva Centre sportif de Varembé FC Savièse Valais Stade St-Germain FC Stade LausanneVaud Centre sportif de Vidy FC Vernier Geneva Stade municipal de Vernier Yverdon-Sport FC Vaud Stade Municipal
Final league table
Group 2 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacity SC Baudepartement Basel Basel-Stadt Rankhof FC Bern Bern Stadion Neufeld FC Breitenbach Solothurn Grien FC Colombier Neuchâtel Stade des Chézards SR Delémont Jura La Blancherie FC Dürrenast Bern Stadion Lachen FC Köniz Bern Sportplatz Liebefeld-Hessgut FC Laufen Basel-Country Sportplatz Nau FC Le Locle Neuchâtel Installation sportive - Jeanneret FC Lengnau Bern Moos Lengnau BE FC Moutier Bern Stade de Chalière FC Nordstern Basel Basel-Stadt Rankhof BSC Old Boys Basel-Stadt Stadion Schützenmatte FC Thun Bern Stadion Lachen
Final league table
Group 3 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacity FC Altdorf Uri Gemeindesportplatz FC Ascona Ticino Stadio Comunale Ascona SC Burgdorf canton of Bern Stadion Neumatt SC Buochs Nidwalden Stadion Seefeld FC Emmenbrücke Lucerne Stadion Gersag FC Ibach Schwyz Gerbihof FC Klus-Balsthal Solothurn Sportplatz Moos FC Langenthal Bern Rankmatte FC Mendrisio Ticino Centro Sportivo Comunale FC Muri Aargau Stadion Brühl FC Solothurn Solothurn Stadion FC Solothurn FC Suhr Aargau Hofstattmatten FC Sursee Lucerne Stadion Schlottermilch FC Zug Zug Herti Allmend Stadion
Final league table
Group 4 Teams ClubCantonStadiumCapacity FC Altstätten (St. Gallen)St. Gallen Grüntal Altstätten FC Brüttisellen Zürich Lindenbuck FC Chur Grisons Ringstrasse FC Dübendorf Zürich Zelgli FC Einsiedeln Schwyz Rappenmöösli FC GossauSt. GallenSportanlage Buechenwald FC Herisau Appenzell Ausserrhoden Ebnet FC Küsnacht Zürich Sportanlage Heslibach FC Red Star Zürich Zürich Allmend Brunau FC RorschachSchwyzSportplatz Kellen FC Rüti Zürich Schützenwiese FC Stäfa Zürich Sportanlage Frohberg FC Tuggen Schwyz Linthstrasse FC Vaduz Liechtenstein Rheinpark Stadion
Final league table
Decider for second position The decider was played on 2 June 1987 in Tuggen
FC Chur win 5–4 in the penalty-shoot-out and advance to play-offs.
Promotion play-off First stage
Yverdon-Sport FC win 9–3 on aggregate and are promoted to 1987–88 Nationalliga B.
FC Solothurn win 2–1 on aggregate and are promoted to 1987–88 Nationalliga B.
FC Montreux-Sports win 3–1 on aggregate and are promoted to 1987–88 Nationalliga B.
FC Chur win 2–1 on aggregate and are promoted to 1987–88 Nationalliga B.
Final stage
FC Olten win 4–3 on aggregate and remain in the 1987–88 Nationalliga B. FC Altstätten remain in the division for the 1987–88 Swiss 1. Liga season..
FC Biel-Bienne win 7–5 on aggregate and remain in the 1987–88 Nationalliga B. FC Bern remain in the division for the 1987–88 Swiss 1. Liga season..
FC Renens win 5–3 on aggregate and remain in the 1987–88 Nationalliga B. SC Buochs remain in the division for the 1987–88 Swiss 1. Liga season..
BSC Old Boys win 6–1 on aggregate and are promoted to the 1987–88 Nationalliga B. SC Kriens are relegated to remain in the division for the 1987–88 Swiss 1. Liga season..
Promotion from 2.Liga to 1.Liga The following twelve teams were promoted from the 2. Liga Interregional to next season's 1. Liga: FC Boudry Central Fribourg FC Embrach FC Frauenfeld FC Glarus SC Goldau FC Kilchberg SV Lyss FC Rapid Ostermundigen FC Raron FC Tresa Urania Genève Sport
Further in Swiss football 1986–87 Nationalliga A 1986–87 Nationalliga B 1986–87 Swiss Cup
References
Sources Switzerland 1986–87 at RSSSF