# 1976–77 Swiss 1. Liga

The 1976–77 1. Liga was the 45th 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 was a modification to the 1. Liga taking place at this time. The 1. Liga had been increased from 39 clubs, in three groups last season, to 48 clubs for the beginning of this season. These 48 teams were divided into four 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. The four group winners and the four runners-up contested a play-off round to decide the two promotion slots. At the end of the season the number of clubs was to be increased to 56 in four groups of 14 teams and, therefore, in this season only the last placed team from each group was to be relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier). From the following season onwards two teams from each group were to be relegated.

## Group 1
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Boudry | Neuchâtel | Stade des Buchilles | 1,500 |
| FC Bulle | Fribourg | Stade de Bouleyres | 7,000 |
| FC Central Fribourg | Fribourg | Guintzet | 2,000 |
| FC Fétigny | Fribourg | Stade Communal Fétigny | 500 |
| FC Martigny-Sports | Valais | Stade d'Octodure | 2,500 |
| FC Meyrin | Geneva | Stade des Arbères | 9,000 |
| FC Monthey | Valais | Stade Philippe Pottier | 1,800 |
| FC Orbe | Vaud | Stade du Puisoir | 1,000 |
| FC Renens | Waadt | Zone sportive du Censuy | 2,300 |
| FC Sierre | Valais | Complexe Ecossia | 2,000 |
| FC Stade Lausanne | Vaud | Centre sportif de Vidy | 1,000 |
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Vaud | Stade de Colovray | 7,200 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Bulle | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 42 | 25 | +17 | 31 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Stade Lausanne | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 46 | 24 | +22 | 30 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Stade Nyonnais | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 37 | 27 | +10 | 28 | |
| 4 | FC Monthey | 22 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 26 | |
| 5 | Central Fribourg | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 24 | |
| 6 | FC Meyrin | 22 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 23 | |
| 7 | FC Fétigny | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 39 | 43 | −4 | 23 | |
| 8 | FC Orbe | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 40 | 37 | +3 | 22 | |
| 9 | FC Martigny-Sports | 22 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 21 | |
| 10 | FC Boudry | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 25 | 36 | −11 | 16 | |
| 11 | FC Renens | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 28 | 57 | −29 | 12 | |
| 12 | FC Sierre | 22 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 55 | −35 | 8 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Group 2
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| ASI Audax-Friul | Neuchâtel | Pierre-à-Bot | 1,700 |
| FC Aurore Bienne | Bern | Tilleul-Linde | 1,000 |
| FC Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | 14,000 |
| US Boncourt | Jura | Stade Communal Léon Burrus | 1,640 |
| SR Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | 5,263 |
| SC Derendingen | Solothurn | Heidenegg | 1,500 |
| FC Dürrenast | Bern | Stadion Lachen | 13,500 |
| FC Köniz | Bern | Sportplatz Liebefeld-Hessgut | 2,600 |
| FC Le Locle | Neuchâtel | Installation sportive - Jeanneret | 3,142 |
| FC Lerchenfeld | Bern | Sportanlagen Waldeck | 2,400 |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | 6,750 |
| FC Superga | Neuchâtel | Collège de la Charrière | 1,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Bern | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 20 | +33 | 38 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Köniz | 22 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 41 | 18 | +23 | 31 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Aurore Bienne | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 53 | 25 | +28 | 29 | |
| 4 | FC Le Locle | 22 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 27 | |
| 5 | FC Solothurn | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 26 | 32 | −6 | 20 | |
| 6 | FC Dürrenast | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 30 | −4 | 19 | |
| 7 | US Boncourt | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 32 | 34 | −2 | 19 | |
| 8 | FC Lerchenfeld | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 34 | 46 | −12 | 19 | |
| 9 | SR Delémont | 22 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 27 | −2 | 18 | |
| 10 | ASI Audax-Friul | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 20 | 42 | −22 | 16 | |
| 11 | SC Derendingen | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 26 | 45 | −19 | 15 | |
| 12 | FC Superga | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 25 | 47 | −22 | 13 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Group 3
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Baden | Aargau | Esp Stadium | 7,000 |
| FC Birsfelden | Basel-Country | Sternenfeld | 9,400 |
| FC Blue Stars Zürich | Zürich | Hardhof | 1,000 |
| SC Brühl | St. Gallen | Paul-Grüninger-Stadion | 4,200 |
| FC Concordia Basel | Basel-City | Stadion Rankhof | 7,000 |
| FC Frauenfeld | Thurgau | Kleine Allmend | 6,370 |
| SC Kleinhüningen | Basel-City | Sportplatz Schorenmatte | 300 |
| FC Laufen | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Nau | 3,000 |
| SV Muttenz | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Margelacker | 3,200 |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | 2,000 |
| FC Schaffhausen | Schaffhausen | Stadion Breite | 7,300 |
| FC Wettingen | Aargau | Stadion Altenburg | 10,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Wettingen | 22 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 59 | 14 | +45 | 35 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Laufen | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 40 | 17 | +23 | 33 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Frauenfeld | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 39 | 30 | +9 | 30 | |
| 4 | FC Concordia Basel | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 36 | 38 | −2 | 22 | |
| 5 | FC Schaffhausen | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 33 | 35 | −2 | 21 | |
| 6 | SV Muttenz | 22 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 35 | 38 | −3 | 21 | |
| 7 | SC Brühl | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 39 | −6 | 20 | |
| 8 | FC Red Star Zürich | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 19 | |
| 9 | FC Baden | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 26 | 43 | −17 | 18 | |
| 10 | FC Blue Stars Zürich | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 26 | 30 | −4 | 17 | |
| 11 | FC Birsfelden | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 26 | 33 | −7 | 16 | |
| 12 | SC Kleinhüningen | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 21 | 55 | −34 | 12 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Group 4
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Balzers | Liechtenstein | Sportplatz Rheinau | 2,000 |
| FC Brunnen | Schwyz | Wintersried | 500 |
| SC Buochs | Nidwalden | Stadion Seefeld | 5,000 |
| FC Chur | Grisons | Ringstrasse | 2,820 |
| FC Glattbrugg | Zürich | Sportanlage Au | 1,250 |
| FC Ibach | Schwyz | Gerbihof | 3,300 |
| FC Locarno | Locarno, Ticino | Stadio comunale Lido | 5,000 |
| FC Morbio | Ticino | Campo comunale Balerna | 800 |
| FC Rüti | Zürich | Schützenwiese | 1,200 |
| FC Unterstrass | Zürich | Steinkluppe | 1,000 |
| FC Zug | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | 6,000 |
| SC Zug | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | 6,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | SC Zug | 22 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 46 | 28 | +18 | 31 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Chur | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 51 | 36 | +15 | 27 | To decider for second place |
| 3 | FC Zug | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 42 | 34 | +8 | 27 | To decider for second place |
| 4 | FC Balzers | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 55 | 45 | +10 | 24 | |
| 5 | SC Buochs | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 41 | 38 | +3 | 23 | |
| 6 | FC Unterstrass | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 39 | 37 | +2 | 23 | |
| 7 | FC Glattbrugg | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 41 | 42 | −1 | 23 | |
| 8 | FC Brunnen | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 34 | 39 | −5 | 20 | |
| 9 | FC Locarno | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 27 | 38 | −11 | 20 | |
| 10 | FC Ibach | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 37 | 42 | −5 | 16 | |
| 11 | FC Morbio | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 24 | 38 | −14 | 15 | To decider against relegation |
| 12 | FC Rüti | 22 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 29 | 49 | −20 | 15 | To decider against relegation |

### Decider for second place

The decider match for second place was played on 24 May in Küsnacht.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Zug | 3–1 | FC Chur |
FC Zug win and advance to play-offs. FC Chur remain in the division.

### Decider for eleventh place

The decider was played on 30 May in Brunnen.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Morbio | 1–1 | FC Rüti |
The game was drawn, however, at this period in time, the extra-time as match extension had not yet been introduced. FC Morbio were declaired winners due to goal-average of the regular season and, therefore, they remained in the division and FC Rüti were relegated to 2. Liga Interregional.

## Promotion play-off

The games were played on 29 May and 5 June.

### Qualification round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| SC Zug | 1–1 | FC Laufen |
| FC Laufen | 1–0 | SC Zug |
FC Laufen win 2–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Bern | 2–0 | FC Zug |
| FC Zug | 1–1 | FC Bern |
FC Bern win 3–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Bulle | 3–0 | FC Köniz |
| FC Köniz | 2–2 | FC Bulle |
FC Bulle win 5–2 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Wettingen | 1–0 | FC Stade Lausanne |
| FC Stade Lausanne | 0–2 | FC Wettingen |
FC Wettingen win 3–0 on aggregate and continue to the finals.

### Final round

The games were played on 12 and 19 June.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Bulle | 4–0 | FC Bern |
| FC Bern | 2–1 | FC Bulle |
FC Bulle win 5–2 on aggregate and are promoted to 1977–78 Nationalliga B.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Laufen | 1–3 | FC Wettingen |
| FC Wettingen | 2–0 | FC Laufen |
FC Wettingen win 5–1 on aggregate and are promoted to 1977–78 Nationalliga B.

### Decider for 1. Liga championship

The final for the league championship was played on 22 June in Wettingen.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Wettingen | 5–2 | FC Bulle |
FC Wettingen win and are 1. Liga champions.

## Further in Swiss football

* 1976–77 Nationalliga A
* 1976–77 Nationalliga B
* 1976–77 Swiss Cup