# 1972–73 Swiss 1. Liga

The 1972–73 1. Liga was the 41st 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 39 clubs in the 1. Liga. These were divided into three regional groups, each with 13 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 three group winners and the runners-up contested a play-off round to decide the two promotion slots. The last two placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier).

## Group West
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| ASI Audax-Friul | Neuchâtel | Pierre-à-Bot | 1,700 |
| FC Central Fribourg | Fribourg | Guintzet | 2,000 |
| FC Dürrenast | Bern | Stadion Lachen | 13,500 |
| FC Fontainemelon | Neuchâtel | Centre Sportif Fontainemelon | 1,000 |
| FC Le Locle | Neuchâtel | Installation sportive - Jeanneret | 3,142 |
| FC Meyrin | Geneva | Stade des Arbères | 9,000 |
| FC Monthey | Valais | Stade Philippe Pottier | 1,800 |
| FC Raron | Valais | Sportplatz Rhoneglut | 1,000 |
| FC Renens | Waadt | Zone sportive du Censuy | 2,300 |
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Vaud | Stade de Colovray | 7,200 |
| FC Thun | Bern | Stadion Lachen | 10,350 |
| Urania Genève Sport | Geneva | Stade de Frontenex | 4,000 |
| Yverdon-Sport FC | Vaud | Stade Municipal | 6,600 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Monthey | 24 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 48 | 21 | +27 | 33 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Dürrenast | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 43 | 31 | +12 | 30 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Raron | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 42 | 36 | +6 | 27 | |
| 4 | FC Stade Nyonnais | 24 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 43 | 31 | +12 | 26 | |
| 5 | FC Le Locle | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 43 | 38 | +5 | 25 | |
| 6 | Yverdon-Sport FC | 24 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 35 | 38 | −3 | 25 | |
| 7 | FC Meyrin | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 26 | 33 | −7 | 25 | |
| 8 | Central Fribourg | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 45 | 43 | +2 | 24 | |
| 9 | FC Thun | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 35 | 46 | −11 | 24 | |
| 10 | Urania Genève Sport | 24 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 34 | 37 | −3 | 23 | |
| 11 | ASI Audax-Friul | 24 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 35 | 41 | −6 | 20 | |
| 12 | FC Fontainemelon | 24 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 33 | 47 | −14 | 16 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |
| 13 | FC Renens | 24 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 27 | 47 | −20 | 14 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Group Central
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Baden | Aargau | Esp Stadium | 7,000 |
| FC Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | 14,000 |
| FC Breite Basel | Basel-City | Stadion Schützenmatte / Landhof | 8,000 / 7,000 |
| FC Concordia Basel | Basel-City | Stadion Rankhof | 7,000 |
| SR Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | 5,263 |
| FC Emmenbrücke | Lucerne | Stadion Gersag | 8,700 |
| SC Kriens | Lucerne | Stadion Kleinfeld | 5,100 |
| FC Laufen | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Nau | 3,000 |
| FC Moutier | Bern | Stade de Chalière | 5,000 |
| FC Nordstern Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | 7,600 |
| FC Porrentruy | Jura | Stade du Tirage | 4,226 |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | 6,750 |
| FC Turgi | Aargau | Sportanlage Oberau | 1,000 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Nordstern Basel | 24 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 44 | 22 | +22 | 35 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | SR Delémont | 24 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 41 | 29 | +12 | 30 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | SC Kriens | 24 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 46 | 32 | +14 | 29 | |
| 4 | FC Solothurn | 24 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 39 | 33 | +6 | 27 | |
| 5 | FC Bern | 24 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 25 | |
| 6 | FC Baden | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 35 | −4 | 24 | |
| 7 | FC Porrentruy | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 29 | 34 | −5 | 24 | |
| 8 | FC Moutier | 24 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 46 | 39 | +7 | 23 | |
| 9 | FC Emmenbrücke | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 22 | |
| 10 | FC Laufen | 24 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 37 | 40 | −3 | 22 | |
| 11 | FC Concordia Basel | 24 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 37 | 52 | −15 | 18 | Play-out against relegation |
| 12 | FC Turgi | 24 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 27 | 43 | −16 | 18 | Play-out against relegation |
| 13 | FC Breite Basel | 24 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 33 | 53 | −20 | 15 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

### Decider for eleventh place

The decider was played on 3 June in Solothurn.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Concordia Basel | 2–2 a.e.t. | FC Turgi |
The game was drawn, however, at this period in time, the extra-time as match extension had not yet been introduced. FC Concordia Basel were declaired winners due to the better goal-average of the regular season and, therefore, they remained in the division. FC Turgi were relegated to 2. Liga Interregional.

## Group South and East
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Blue Stars Zürich | Zürich | Hardhof | 1,000 |
| FC Chur | Grisons | Ringstrasse | 2,820 |
| FC Frauenfeld | Thurgau | Kleine Allmend | 6,370 |
| AS Gambarogno | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Regionale Magadino | 1,100 |
| US Giubiasco | Ticino | Campo Semine | 1,000 |
| FC Gossau | St. Gallen | Sportanlage Buechenwald | 3,500 |
| FC Locarno | Locarno, Ticino | Stadio comunale Lido | 5,000 |
| FC Rapid Lugano | Ticino | Cornaredo Stadium | 6,330 |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | 2,000 |
| FC Tössfeld | Zürich | Talgut | 1,000 |
| FC Uzwil | St. Gallen | Rüti | 1,000 |
| FC Vaduz | Liechtenstein | Rheinpark Stadion | 7,584 |
| 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 | FC Tössfeld | 24 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 45 | 22 | +23 | 34 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | SC Zug | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 39 | 33 | +6 | 29 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Locarno | 24 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 41 | 27 | +14 | 27 | |
| 4 | FC Blue Stars Zürich | 24 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 34 | 22 | +12 | 26 | |
| 5 | FC Uzwil | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 36 | 39 | −3 | 25 | |
| 6 | FC Gossau | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 24 | |
| 7 | FC Red Star Zürich | 24 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 22 | |
| 8 | US Giubiasco | 24 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 21 | 28 | −7 | 22 | |
| 9 | FC Frauenfeld | 24 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 32 | 40 | −8 | 22 | |
| 10 | FC Chur | 24 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 27 | 36 | −9 | 21 | |
| 11 | FC Rapid Lugano | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 30 | 41 | −11 | 21 | |
| 12 | FC Vaduz | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 44 | −6 | 20 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |
| 13 | AS Gambarogno | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 31 | 43 | −12 | 19 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Promotion play-off

The three group winners played a two legged tie against one of the runners-up to decide the three finalists. The games were played on 3 and 10 June.

### Qualification round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Nordstern Basel | 3–3 | SC Zug |
| SC Zug | 0–6 | FC Nordstern Basel |
FC Nordstern Basel win 9–3 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Tössfeld | 5–1 | FC Dürrenast |
| FC Dürrenast | 3–1 | FC Tössfeld |
FC Tössfeld win 6–4 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Monthey | 0–1 | SR Delémont |
| SR Delémont | 3–1 | FC Monthey |
SR Delémont win 4–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.

### Final round

The three first round winners competed in a single round-robin to decide the two promotion slots. The games were played on 17, 24 June and 1 July.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | NOR | TÖS | DEL |
| 1 | FC Nordstern Basel | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 2 | — | 2–0 | — |
| 2 | FC Tössfeld | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 2 | — | — | 3–0 |
| 3 | SR Delémont | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 | 1–0 | — | — |
FC Nordstern Basel are champions, because they beat Tössfeld in the head-to-head and Tössfeld are runners-up. These two teams are promoted.

## Further in Swiss football

* 1972–73 Nationalliga A
* 1972–73 Nationalliga B
* 1972–73 Swiss Cup