# 1959–60 Swiss 1. Liga

The 1959–60 1. Liga season was the 28th season of the 1. Liga 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 total amateur football. At this time, most the clubs in the highest division, and also in the second highest, in Switzerland were starting to employ semi-professional or even professional players.

## Format

There were 36 teams competing in the 1. Liga 1959–60 season. They were divided into three regional groups, each group with 12 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their league position. Two points were awarded for a win and one for a draw. The three group winners then contested a play-off round to decide the two promotion slots. The last placed team in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier). The three second last placed teams were to contest a play-out to decide the fourth relegation slot.

## Group West
### Teams, locations

| Club | Based in | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| US Bienne-Boujean | Biel/Bienne | Bern | | |
| FC Bözingen 34 | Biel/Bienne | Bern | Längfeld | 1,000 |
| SC Derendingen | Derendingen | Solothurn | Heidenegg | 1,500 |
| Étoile Carouge FC | Carouge | Geneva | Stade de la Fontenette | 3,690 |
| ES FC Malley | Malley | Vaud | Centre sportif de la Tuilière | 1,500 |
| FC Martigny-Sports | Martigny | Valais | Stade d'Octodure | 2,500 |
| FC Monthey | Monthey | Valais | Stade Philippe Pottier | 1,800 |
| FC Forward Morges | Morges | Vaud | Parc des Sports | 600 |
| FC Sierre | Sierre | Valais | Complexe Ecossia | 2,000 |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | 6,750 |
| FC Stade Payerne | Payerne | Vaud | Stade Municipal | 1,100 |
| FC Versoix | Versoix | Geneva | Centre sportif de la Bécassière | 1,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Martigny-Sports | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 56 | 24 | +32 | 34 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Versoix | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 59 | 44 | +15 | 28 | |
| 3 | FC Sierre | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 54 | 47 | +7 | 27 | |
| 4 | FC Solothurn | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 56 | 37 | +19 | 25 | |
| 5 | Etoile Carouge FC | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 54 | 51 | +3 | 24 | |
| 6 | FC Stade Payerne | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 37 | 56 | −19 | 23 | |
| 7 | FC Forward Morges | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 20 | |
| 8 | FC Monthey | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 19 | |
| 9 | ES FC Malley | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 34 | 43 | −9 | 18 | |
| 10 | FC Bözingen 34 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 40 | 57 | −17 | 18 | |
| 11 | US Bienne-Boujean | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 36 | 45 | −9 | 15 | Play-out against relegation |
| 12 | SC Derendingen | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 32 | 47 | −15 | 13 | Relegation to 2. Liga |

## Group Central
### Teams, locations

| Club | Based in | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Alle | Alle | Jura | Centre Sportif Régional | 2,000 |
| FC Baden | Baden | Aargau | Esp Stadium | 7,000 |
| FC Bassecourt | Bassecourt | Jura | Stade des Grands-Prés | 3,650 |
| SC Burgdorf | Burgdorf | Bern | Stadion Neumatt | 3,850 |
| FC Concordia Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Stadion Rankhof | 7,000 |
| SR Delémont | Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | 5,263 |
| FC Moutier | Moutier | Bern | Stade de Chalière | 5,000 |
| FC Nordstern Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | 7,600 |
| BSC Old Boys | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Stadion Schützenmatte | 8,000 |
| FC Olten | Olten | Solothurn | Sportanlagen Kleinholz | 8,000 |
| FC Porrentruy | Porrentruy | Jura | Stade du Tirage | 4,226 |
| FC Wettingen | Wettingen | Aargau | Stadion Altenburg | 10,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Nordstern Basel | 22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 59 | 32 | +27 | 29 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Alle | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 42 | 29 | +13 | 27 | |
| 3 | FC Moutier | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 49 | 32 | +17 | 26 | |
| 4 | BSC Old Boys | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 35 | 39 | −4 | 26 | |
| 5 | FC Concordia Basel | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 24 | |
| 6 | SC Burgdorf | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 42 | 30 | +12 | 23 | |
| 7 | FC Porrentruy | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 49 | 47 | +2 | 20 | |
| 8 | FC Baden | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 34 | −3 | 20 | |
| 9 | FC Bassecourt | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 35 | 40 | −5 | 20 | |
| 10 | SR Delémont | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 31 | 50 | −19 | 20 | |
| 11 | FC Wettingen | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 33 | 40 | −7 | 19 | Play-out against relegation |
| 12 | FC Olten | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 30 | 73 | −43 | 10 | Relegation to 2. Liga |

## Group South and East
### Teams, locations

| Club | Based in | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Blue Stars Zürich | Zürich | Zürich | Hardhof | 1,000 |
| FC Bodio | Bodio | Ticino | Campo comunale Pollegio | 1,000 |
| FC Dietikon | Dietikon | Zürich | Fussballplatz Dornau | 1,000 |
| FC Emmenbrücke | Emmen | Lucerne | Stadion Gersag | 8,700 |
| SV Höngg | Zürich | Zürich | Hönggerberg | 1,000 |
| FC Locarno | Locarno | Ticino | Stadio comunale Lido | 5,000 |
| FC Rapid Lugano | Lugano | Ticino | Cornaredo Stadium | 6,330 |
| Mendrisiostar | Mendrisio | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Comunale | 4,000 |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | 2,000 |
| FC Solduno | Locarno | Ticino | Campo Morettina / Stadio del Lido | 1,000 / 5,000 |
| FC St. Gallen | St. Gallen | St. Gallen | Espenmoos | 11,000 |
| FC Wil | Wil | St. Gallen | Sportpark Bergholz | 6,048 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Blue Stars Zürich | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 65 | 30 | +35 | 32 | Decider for first position |
| 2 | FC Bodio | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 42 | 26 | +16 | 32 | Decider for first position |
| 3 | FC St. Gallen | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 56 | 34 | +22 | 27 | |
| 4 | FC Emmenbrücke | 22 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 43 | 46 | −3 | 25 | |
| 5 | FC Rapid Lugano | 22 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 40 | 33 | +7 | 22 | |
| 6 | FC Red Star Zürich | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 22 | |
| 7 | FC Solduno | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 36 | 35 | +1 | 21 | |
| 8 | FC Locarno | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 20 | |
| 9 | FC Dietikon | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 41 | 42 | −1 | 18 | Decider for eleventh position |
| 10 | SV Höngg | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 38 | −16 | 18 | Decider for eleventh position |
| 11 | FC Wil | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 25 | 41 | −16 | 18 | Decider for eleventh position |
| 12 | Mendrisiostar | 22 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 16 | 50 | −34 | 9 | Relegation to 2. Liga |

### Decider for first place

The decider match for first place and division championship was played on 12 June 1960 in Olten.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Bodio | 1–0 | Blue Stars |
FC Bodio win group championship and advance to play-offs for promotion. Blue Stars remain in the division.

### Decider for eleventh position

The play-outs were played on 12, 15 and 19 June.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DIE | WIL | HÖN |
| 1 | FC Dietikon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 | | — | — | 1–1 |
| 2 | FC Wil | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | | 0–3 | — | — |
| 3 | SV Höngg | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 1 | Play-out against relegation | — | 3–6 | — |
FC Dietikon and FC Wil remain in division. SV Höngg continue in play-outs against relegation.

## Promotion, relegation
### Play-off for promotion

The play-offs for the two promotion slots were played on 12, 15 and 19 June.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | MAS | NOR | BOD |
| 1 | FC Martigny-Sports | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 4 | Champions | — | 4–1 | — |
| 2 | FC Nordstern Basel | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2 | Promoted | — | — | 6–3 |
| 3 | FC Bodio | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 0 | | 1–2 | — | — |
Martigny-Sports become 1. Liga champions and together with Nordstern are promoted to 1960–61 Nationalliga B.

### Play-out against relegation

The play-outs were played on 12 and 26 June.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation | HÖN | WET | BBB |
| 1 | SV Höngg | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 2 | | — | — | 4–0 |
| 2 | FC Wettingen | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 2 | | n/p | — | — |
| 3 | US Bienne-Boujean | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 | Relegation | — | 2–3 | — |
The match Wettingen–Höngg was not played, both teams remain in division. As fourth and final team US Bienne-Boujean are relegated to 2. Liga.

## Further in Swiss football

* 1959–60 Nationalliga A
* 1959–60 Nationalliga B
* 1959–60 Swiss Cup