# 1952–53 Swiss 1. Liga

The 1952–53 1. Liga season was the 21st 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.

## Format

There were 36 teams competing in the 1. Liga this 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 point was awarded 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 Central Fribourg | Fribourg | Fribourg | Guintzet | 2,000 |
| CS International Genève | Geneva | Geneva | | |
| CS La Tour-de-Peilz | La Tour-de-Peilz | Vaud | Stade de Bel-Air | 1,000 |
| US Lausanne | Lausanne | Vaud | | |
| FC Martigny-Sports | Martigny | Valais | Stade d'Octodure | 2,500 |
| FC Montreux-Sports | Montreux | Vaud | Stade de Chailly | 1,000 |
| FC Forward Morges | Morges | Vaud | Parc des Sports | 600 |
| FC Sierre | Sierre | Valais | Complexe Ecossia | 2,000 |
| FC Sion | Sion | Valais | Parc des sports (Tourbillon) | 8,000 |
| Vevey Sports | Vevey | Vaud | Stade de Copet | 4,000 |
| Yverdon-Sport FC | Yverdon-les-Bains | Vaud | Stade Municipal | 6,600 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Yverdon-Sport FC | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 45 | 22 | +23 | 29 | To promotion play-off |
| 2 | FC Martigny-Sports | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 45 | 30 | +15 | 27 | |
| 3 | FC Sion | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 54 | 40 | +14 | 27 | |
| 4 | US Bienne-Boujean | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 44 | 39 | +5 | 24 | |
| 5 | FC Forward Morges | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 35 | 31 | +4 | 24 | |
| 6 | FC Sierre | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 33 | 35 | −2 | 23 | |
| 7 | Vevey Sports | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 22 | |
| 8 | CS La Tour-de-Peilz | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 45 | 54 | −9 | 18 | |
| 9 | Central Fribourg | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 55 | −16 | 18 | |
| 10 | FC Montreux-Sports | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 34 | 53 | −19 | 18 | |
| 11 | CS International Genève | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 37 | 47 | −10 | 17 | Play-out against direct relegation |
| 12 | US Lausanne | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 36 | 53 | −17 | 17 | Play-out against direct relegation |

### Decider for eleventh place

The decider was played on 14 and 21 June 1953.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| US Lausanne | 1–0 | CS International Genève |
| CS International Genève | 2–4 | US Lausanne |
US Lausanne win and continue in the play-outs. CS International Genève are relegated directly to 2. Liga Interregional.

## Group Central
### Teams, locations

| Club | Based in | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| SC Burgdorf | Burgdorf | Bern | Stadion Neumatt | 3,850 |
| FC Concordia Basel | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Stadion Rankhof | 7,000 |
| SC Derendingen | Derendingen | Solothurn | Heidenegg | 1,500 |
| FC Helvetia Bern | Bern | Bern | Spitalacker, Bern | 1,000 |
| SC Kleinhüningen | Basel | Basel-Stadt | Sportplatz Schorenmatte | 300 |
| FC Lengnau | Lengnau | Bern | Moos Lengnau BE | 3,900 |
| 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 Porrentruy | Porrentruy | Jura | Stade du Tirage | 4,226 |
| Saint-Imier-Sports | Saint-Imier | Bern | Terrain de Fin-des-Fourches | 1,000 |
| FC Thun | Thun | Bern | Stadion Lachen | 10,350 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Thun | 22 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 74 | 30 | +44 | 41 | To promotion play-off |
| 2 | FC Nordstern Basel | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 42 | 28 | +14 | 31 | |
| 3 | FC Concordia Basel | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 70 | 26 | +44 | 28 | |
| 4 | FC Lengnau | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 47 | 27 | +20 | 27 | |
| 5 | FC Helvetia Bern | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 42 | −14 | 19 | |
| 6 | Saint-Imier-Sports | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 33 | 52 | −19 | 19 | |
| 7 | FC Porrentruy | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 33 | 40 | −7 | 18 | |
| 8 | SC Burgdorf | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 38 | 54 | −16 | 17 | |
| 9 | SC Derendingen | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 31 | 49 | −18 | 17 | |
| 10 | SC Kleinhüningen | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 43 | 61 | −18 | 17 | |
| 11 | FC Moutier | 22 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 36 | 42 | −6 | 16 | Play-out against relegation |
| 12 | BSC Old Boys | 22 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 26 | 50 | −24 | 14 | Relegation to 2. Liga |

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

| Club | Based in | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Arbon | Arbon | Thurgau | Stacherholz | 1,000 |
| FC Baden | Baden | Aargau | Esp Stadium | 7,000 |
| FC Blue Stars Zürich | Zürich | Zürich | Hardhof | 1,000 |
| SC Brühl | St. Gallen | St. Gallen | Paul-Grüninger-Stadion | 4,200 |
| FC Küsnacht | Küsnacht | Zürich | Sportanlage Heslibach | 2,300 |
| FC Mendrisio | Mendrisio | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Comunale | 4,000 |
| FC Olten | Olten | Solothurn | Sportanlagen Kleinholz | 8,000 |
| US Pro Daro | Bellinzona | Ticino | Campo Geretta / Stadio Comunale Bellinzona | 500 / 5,000 |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | 2,000 |
| SV Ceresio Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | Sportplatz Bühl | 1,000 |
| SC Schöftland | Schöftland | Aargau | Sportanlage Rütimatten | 2,000 |
| FC Wetzikon | Wetzikon | Zürich | Meierwiesen | 2,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | SC Brühl | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 46 | 18 | +28 | 33 | To promotion play-off |
| 2 | FC Blue Stars Zürich | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 55 | 29 | +26 | 31 | |
| 3 | US Pro Daro | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 39 | 38 | +1 | 27 | |
| 4 | FC Mendrisio | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 42 | 46 | −4 | 24 | |
| 5 | SC Schöftland | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 64 | 51 | +13 | 23 | |
| 6 | FC Olten | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 39 | 33 | +6 | 23 | |
| 7 | FC Red Star Zürich | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 32 | 27 | +5 | 22 | |
| 8 | FC Baden | 22 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 41 | 39 | +2 | 22 | |
| 9 | FC Arbon | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 45 | 48 | −3 | 21 | |
| 10 | FC Küsnacht | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 30 | 43 | −13 | 21 | |
| 11 | FC Wetzikon | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 27 | 42 | −15 | 11 | Play-out against relegation |
| 12 | SV Ceresio Schaffhausen | 22 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 20 | 63 | −43 | 6 | Relegation to 2. Liga |

## Promotion, relegation
### Promotion play-off

The three group winners played a single round-robin to decide the two promotion slots. The promotion play-offs were held 14 and 21 and 28 June 1953.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | THU | YVE | BRÜ |
| 1 | Thun | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 4 | Champions and promoted | — | — | 5–1 |
| 2 | Yverdon-Sport | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Promoted | 0–2 | — | — |
| 3 | SC Brühl | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 | | — | 0–2 | — |
Thun are 1. Liga Champions and together with runners-up Yverdon-Sport were promoted to 1953–54 Nationalliga B.

### Relegation play-out

The three second last placed teams from each group contested a play-out to decide the fourth and final relegation slot. The matches in the play-outs were held on 21, 28 June and 5 July.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation | MOU | USL | WZK |
| 1 | FC Moutier | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | | — | 3–1 | — |
| 2 | US Lausanne | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 | | — | — | 3–2 |
| 3 | FC Wetzikon | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 1 | Relegated to 2. Liga | 1–1 | — | — |
FC Moutier und US Lausanne remained in the division, FC Wetzikon were relegated to 2. Liga.

## Further in Swiss football

* 1952–53 Nationalliga A
* 1952–53 Nationalliga B
* 1952–53 Swiss Cup