# Soviet Second League

The Soviet Second League (Russian: Чемпионат СССР по футболу (вторая лига), Soviet football championship (Second League)) was the third highest division of Soviet football, below the Soviet First League. The league was formed in 1971 in place of the Class A Second Group of the Soviet football championship just a year after the division was downgraded to the third tier. Previously, the third-tier competition predecessor Class B was liquidated completely. The Second League remained in force until dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

## Overview

The Soviet third tier competitions were conducted since the establishment of the Soviet football championship among teams of masters in 1936. At first they were called as the Group V (Cyrillic letter of V) of the Soviet football championship, but was discontinued after the 1937. The experimental edition of the third-tier competition was re-introduced in 1946 as the Third Group of the Soviet football championship. But the consistent competitions really took off in 1963 when the Class B of the Soviet football championship was downgraded to the third tier.
The most titles of the League won was two by 11 different teams out of various now independent republics. The last winners of the League were FC Karpaty Lviv, FC Asmaral Moscow, and FC Okean Nakhodka.
Between 1963 and 1970 football competitions in Class B were split by republican principle at first as tier two, then as tier three, and at the end in 1970 it was downgraded to the auxiliary tier four (or lower tier three). Each territorial Class B competition had multiple number of sub-groups that were known as zones. Winners of each territorial (republican) Class B was granted promotion to Class A Second Group (First League). Also on occasions, there were relegation play-offs to allow rotation for the collective of physical culture (KFK).
* Class B of the Russian SFSR (1959–1970)
* Class B of the Ukrainian SSR (1960–1970)
* Class B of Union republics (1960–1967)
* Class B of Central Asia (1966–1970)
* Class B of the Kazakh SSR (1968–1970)
* Class B of Caucasus (1969)
In 1970–71, the Soviet league system was restructured for lower leagues and Class B competitions were discontinued. Republican competitions were conducted with the Soviet Second League which consisted of multiple groups (zones). There was no explicit designation of zones as they were simply numerated. Initially the league consisted of six groups, but for the next couple of season was increased to seven before reducing back to six again. Normally winners of group were getting promoted to the First League.
In 1980 the league was expanded to 9 groups, winners of which qualified for a mini-tournament that consisted of three groups with three teams. The three winners of that mini-tournament received promotion to the First League. This format remained in place until 1989.
Republican competitions continued to be conducted among collective of physical culture and were considered as amateur.
In 1990 the league again went through another transformation reducing the number of groups from 9 to 3, winners of which would have been promoted to the First League. Due to withdrawal of teams, promotion and relegation was disrupted and the 1991 season became the last.

## Third tier competition names

* 1936–1937 Group V (third letter in the Russian alphabet)
** 1936–1937 Group G
** 1936–1937 Group D and Group of Cities of the Far East
* 1946–1946 Third Group
* 1963–1969 Class B
* 1970–1970 Second Group (Class A)
** 1970–1970 Class B
* 1971–1989 Second League
* 1990–1991 Buffer League
** 1990–1991 Second League B

## Winners
### Group V

| Season | Winner | Runners-up | Third |
| 1936 (spring) | FC Dinamo Rostov/Don | Stroiteli Baku | Dynamo Odessa |
| 1936 (autumn) | Dinamo Kazan | Spartak Kharkiv | Dynamo Dnipropetrovsk |
| 1937 | Dynamo Odessa | Lokomotyv Kyiv | Stakhanovets Staline |

### Third Group

| Season | Zone | Winner | Runners-up | Third | Notes |
| 1946 | 1 | Spartak Uzhhorod | Krylya Sovetov Tbilisi | | five groups winners and runners-up of which qualified for the two final groups |
| 1946 | 2 | Dinamo Riga | Zenit Kaliningrad | | five groups winners and runners-up of which qualified for the two final groups |

### Class B

| Season | Zone | Winner | Runners-up | Third | Notes |
| 1963 | Russia | Volga Kalinin | Dinamo Kirov | Zvezda Serpukhov | three zones |
| 1963 | Ukraine | SKA Odessa | Lokomotyv Vinnytsia | Azovstal Zhdanov | three zones |
| 1963 | Republics | Lokomotivi Tbilisi | Dinamo Batumi | | three zones |
| 1964 | Russia | Rostselmash Rostov/Don | Terek Grozny | Tekstilshchik Ivanovo | three zones |
| 1964 | Ukraine | Lokomotyv Vinnytsia | SKA Kiev | Polissya Zhytomyr | three zones |
| 1964 | Republics | Granitas Klaipėda | Vostok Ust-Kamenogorsk | Politodel Tashkent Oblast | three zones |
| 1965 | Russia | Spartak Nalchik | Rubin Kazan | Sokol Saratov | three zones |
| 1965 | Ukraine | SKA Lviv | SKA Kiev | Avanhard Zhovti Vody | three zones |
| 1965 | Republics | Dynamo Kirovobad | Dynamo Baku | Pamir Leninabad | three zones |
| 1966 | Russia | Lokomotiv Kaluga | Spartak Ordzhonikidze | Metallurg Tula | four zones |
| 1966 | Ukraine | Avanhard Zhovti Vody | Dynamo Khmelnytskyi | Lokomotyv Kherson | four zones |
| 1966 | Central Asia | Pamir Leninabad | Metallurg Chimkent | Dynamo Tselinograd | four zones |
| 1966 | Republics | Meshakhte Tkibuli | Polad Sumgayit | Neman Grodno | four zones |
| 1967 | Russia | Dinamo Makhachkala | Volga Ulyanovsk | Volgar Astrakhan | four zones |
| 1967 | Ukraine | Avtomobilist Zhytomyr | Khimik Severodonetsk | Dnipro Kremenchuk | four zones |
| 1967 | Central Asia | Zarafshon Nawoyi | Sverdlovets Tashkent Oblast | Metallurg Temirtau | four zones |
| 1967 | Republics | Neman Grodno | Polad Sumgait | | four zones |
| 1968 | Russia | Mashuk Pyatigorsk | Kalinenets Sverdlovsk | Spartak Belgorod | four zones |
| 1968 | Ukraine | Avanhard Ternopil | Bukovyna Chernivtsi | Shakhtar Kadiivka | four zones |
| 1968 | Central Asia | Sverdlovets Tashkent Oblast | Ak Altyn Andizhan Oblast | Samarqand | four zones |
| 1968 | Kazakhstan | Embek Djezkazghan | ADK Alma‑Ata | Metallurg Temirtau | four zones |
| 1969 | Russia | Druzhba Maykop | Saturn Rybinsk | Iskra Smolensk | five zones |
| 1969 | Ukraine | Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk | Shakhtar Horlivka | Spartak Sumy | five zones |
| 1969 | Central Asia | Tashavtomash Tashkent | Samarkand | Yangiyer | five zones |
| 1969 | Kazakhstan | Traktor Pavlodar | Tsementnik Semipalatinsk | Embek Djezkazghan | five zones |
| 1969 | Caucasus | Dila Gori | Guria Lanchkhuti | Avtomobilist Yerevan | five zones |

### Second Group (Class A)

| Season | Zone | Winner | Runners-up | Third | Notes |
| 1970 | Ukraine | Metalurh Zaporizhia | Tavriya Simferopol | Avtomobilist Zhytomyr | three zones; top two teams of second and third groups played in final Russian group |
| 1970 | Russia | Avtomobilist Nalchik | Spartak Yoshkar‑Ola | Kuzbass Kemerevo | three zones; top two teams of second and third groups played in final Russian group |

### Second League

| Season | Winner | Runners-up | Notes |
| 1971 | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih | Iskra Smolensk | six groups |
| 1972 | Spartak Ivano-Frankivsk | Dinamo Riga | seven groups |
| 1973 | Uralmash Sverdlovsk | Tavriya Simferopol Kuban Krasnodar | winners of seven groups play in final |
| 1974 | Alga Frunze | Rubin Kazan Metalist Kharkiv | six groups |
| 1975 | Terek Grozny | Dinamo Riga Stroitel Asgabat | six groups |
| 1976 | Dinamo Leningrad | Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Uralmash Sverdlovsk | six groups |
| 1977 | Kuban Krasnodar | Žalgiris Vilnius SCA Odessa | six groups |
| 1978 | FC Zvezda Perm | Spartak Nalchik Metalist Kharkiv | six groups |
| 1979 | Iskra Smolensk Kolos Nikopol Dinamo Stavropol Guria Lanchkhuti Sugdiyona Jizzakh SKA Khabarovsk | Textilschik Ivanovo SKA Kyiv Rotor Volgograd Lokomotivi Samtredia Shakhrikhonchi Shakhrikhan FC Shakhter | six groups, no final, six winners |
| 1980 | Spartak Kostroma Traktor Pavlodar CSKA Kyiv | Rotor Volgograd Dynamo Samarqand Khimik Grodno | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1981 | Daugava Riga Dinamo Kirov Rotor Volgograd | Kotayk Abovyan Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih Textilschik Ivanovo | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1982 | Textilschik Ivanovo Dnepr Mogilev Kuzbass Kemerevo | Spartak Orjonikidze Dynamo Samarqand Shakhter | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1983 | Irtysh Omsk Spartak Orjonikidze Dinamo Batumi | Metallurg Lipetsk Znamya Truda Orekhovo-Zuevo Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1984 | Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev Kotayk Abovyan Dinamo Stavropol | Nyva Vinnytsia Geolog Tumen Dynamo Samarqand | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1985 | Rostselmash Rostov/Don Atlantas Klaipėda Iskra Smolensk | Tavriya Simferopol FC Zvezda Perm Meliorator Chimkent | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1986 | Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev Geolog Tumen Zoria Voroshilovgrad | Kapaz Kirovobad Metallurg Lipetsk Sokhibkor Khalkabad | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1987 | Tavriya Simferopol FC Zvezda Perm Kuban Krasnodar | Iskra Smolensk Meliorator Chimkent Nistru Chisinau | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1988 | Nistru Chisinau Torpedo Kutaisi Fakel Voronezh | Neftchi Fergona Tsement Novorossiysk Bukovyna Chernivtsi | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1989 | Lokomotiv Gorkiy Textilschik Tiraspol Dinamo Sukhumi | Irtysh Omsk Volyn Lutsk Neftchi Fergona | nine groups, three final groups |
| 1990 | Bukovyna Chernivtsi Uralmash Sverdlovsk Neftchi Fergona | Daugava Riga Textilschik Kamyshyn Novbakhor Namangan | three groups |
| 1991 | Karpaty Lviv Asmaral Moscow Okean Nakhodka | Zorya Luhansk Krylya Sovetov Samara Kopetdag Asgabat | three groups |

### All-time table (top 20)

There were over 520 teams that played in the third tier competitions.
| Team | Republic | Seasons | First season | Last season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals for | Goals against | Points$^1$ |
| Bukovina Chernovtsy | Ukraine | 26 | 1963 | 1989 | 1175 | 508 | 318 | 349 | 1466 | 1115 | 1842 |
| Polesie Zhitomir | Ukraine | 24 | 1963 | 1988 | 1086 | 455 | 310 | 321 | 1294 | 986 | 1675 |
| Druzhba Maikop | Russia | 28 | 1963 | 1990 | 1085 | 470 | 243 | 372 | 1374 | 1123 | 1653 |
| Tselinnik Tselinograd | Kazakhstan | 26 | 1964 | 1990 | 974 | 476 | 215 | 283 | 1360 | 968 | 1643 |
| Neftyanik Fergana | Uzbekistan | 23 | 1963 | 1989 | 908 | 479 | 178 | 251 | 1506 | 870 | 1615 |
| Metallurg Lipetsk | Russia | 24 | 1963 | 1990 | 948 | 448 | 242 | 258 | 1281 | 855 | 1586 |
| Khimik Dzhambul | Kazakhstan | 27 | 1963 | 1990 | 1013 | 446 | 242 | 325 | 1439 | 1127 | 1580 |
| Krivbass Krivoi Rog | Ukraine | 22 | 1963 | 1988 | 1003 | 428 | 295 | 280 | 1267 | 967 | 1579 |
| Sudostroitel Nikolaev | Ukraine | 23 | 1963 | 1989 | 1043 | 425 | 295 | 323 | 1257 | 1003 | 1570 |
| Zakarpatie Uzhgorod | Ukraine | 26 | 1963 | 1989 | 1155 | 426 | 291 | 438 | 1235 | 1288 | 1569 |
| Niva Vinnitsa | Ukraine | 22 | 1963 | 1990 | 1002 | 427 | 286 | 289 | 1230 | 885 | 1567 |
| Podolie Khmelnitskiy | Ukraine | 24 | 1963 | 1988 | 1084 | 404 | 286 | 394 | 1191 | 1167 | 1498 |
| Mashuk Piatigorsk | Russia | 24 | 1936 (f) | 1989 | 916 | 431 | 202 | 283 | 1224 | 953 | 1495 |
| Volyn Lutsk | Ukraine | 27 | 1963 | 1990 | 1206 | 386 | 332 | 488 | 1148 | 1416 | 1490 |
| Avangard Rovno | Ukraine | 25 | 1963 | 1988 | 1113 | 388 | 309 | 416 | 1097 | 1152 | 1473 |
| Sokol Saratov | Russia | 24 | 1963 | 1990 | 923 | 421 | 209 | 293 | 1416 | 1065 | 1472 |
| Zenit Izhevsk | Russia | 26 | 1963 | 1990 | 972 | 407 | 251 | 314 | 1279 | 988 | 1472 |
| Spartak Kostroma | Russia | 23 | 1963 | 1988 | 891 | 399 | 260 | 232 | 1225 | 885 | 1457 |
| Meliorator Chimkent | Kazakhstan | 24 | 1963 | 1990 | 918 | 418 | 202 | 298 | 1352 | 1018 | 1456 |
| Kristall Kherson | Ukraine | 24 | 1963 | 1988 | 1076 | 387 | 289 | 400 | 1233 | 1270 | 1450 |
$^1$Three points for a win. In 1973, a point for a draw was awarded only to a team that won the subsequent penalty shootout. In 1978–1988, the number of draws for which points were awarded was limited.