Oberliga Hamburg
The Oberliga Hamburg, sometimes referred to as "Hamburg-Liga", is the highest league in the German state of Hamburg, incorporating some of its surrounding districts. It is one of fourteen Oberligen in German football, the fifth tier of the German football league system. Overview. 1945-1963. The league was re-formed in 1945 as Stadtliga Hamburg (English: "Hamburg City League") by thirteen clubs, in the newly recreated state of Hamburg which was then part of the British occupation zone in Germany. The very first league in the Hamburg & Altona area had been inaugurated as early as 1895. In  its first two seasons, the league was actually the first tier of the German league system for Hamburg, holding clubs like the Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli in its ranks. From 1947, the "Hamburg-Liga" was a feeder league to the Oberliga Nord which its champion had the option of promotion to. Promotion had to be achieved through a play-off with teams from the "Amateurligen" of Lower Saxony, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein. As such, the league was by then the second tier of the northern German league system. The league was renamed Verbandsliga Hamburg (English:"Hamburg FA League"), and  split into two groups of ten teams, the "Alsterstaffel" and "Elbestaffel", named after the two main rivers in Hamburg. The top four clubs of the 1946–47 season left the league for the new "Oberliga Nord", those clubs being the Hamburger SV, FC St. Pauli, Concordia Hamburg and Victoria Hamburg. Traditionally, the league also accommodated clubs from neighboring Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein (which it still does today), like Lüneburger SK and VfL Stade. The two divisions were increased in strength to twelve clubs each in 1949. The year after, the league was reunited in one single division with sixteen clubs . It received the new name of Amateurliga Hamburg. The league operated on a strength of sixteen for most of the coming seasons. 1963-1974. In 1963, with the introduction of the Bundesliga, the disbanding of the "Oberliga Nord" and the formation of the Regionalliga Nord, the league fell to tier three and was again renamed, now Landesliga Hamburg (English:"Hamburg State League"), but remained unchanged otherwise, with sixteen clubs as its strength. The champion of Hamburg continued to have to play-off for promotion, now to the "Regionalliga", with the same opposition as before. From 1970, the number of leagues below  the "Hamburg–Liga" was reduced from three to two, resulting in the "Hammonia-Staffel" and "Hansa-Staffel" which still exist today, first at the name of "Verbandsliga", then, from 1978, as "Landesliga". 1974-1994. After the 1973–74 season, the "Regionalliga Nord" was disbanded in favor of the 2nd Bundesliga Nord. The new Oberliga Nord was now introduced in northern Germany, as the third tier of the league system, below the "2nd Bundesliga". This meant for the "Landesliga" a slip to tier four. The top two teams of the league were however promoted to the new "Oberliga". The system for promotion  from the league remained mostly unchanged with an ongoing play-off system that saw the top two teams from Hamburg qualified for it. In 1978, the league went through another name change, this time reverting to Verbandsliga Hamburg. 1994-2008. In 1994, the Regionalliga Nord was re-established, now as the third tier of the league system. The "Oberliga Nord" was in turn replaced by two parallel Oberligen, Niedersachsen/Bremen and Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein. For the "Verbandsliga Hamburg", this meant a further slip, now to tier five, but also, for the first time in its history, direct promotion for the  league champion. Along with its champion being promoted to the new "Regionalliga", the league also saw the clubs placed two to eight elevated to the "Oberliga". The 1999–2000 season saw another league system change with the reduction of numbers of "Regionalligen", this however had only one effect on the "Verbandsliga", no promotion was available this year. In 2004, it was decided to restore the "Oberliga Nord" in favor of the two separate "Oberligen". The 2006–07 league winner, SC Victoria Hamburg, did not apply for an "Oberliga" licence and was not promoted. 2008 onwards. At the end of the 2007–08 season , the new 3rd Liga was established and the "Oberliga Nord" disbanded, again. The four northern German states were then the only region without an "Oberliga" and the five "Verbandsligen" sit right below the "Regionalliga Nord", parallel to the two NOFV-Oberligen. At the end of this season, the five winners of the northern "Verbandsligen" played with the sixth placed team from the "Oberliga Nord" for one last spot in the "Regionalliga". In the future seasons, promotion for the Hamburg champion will only be available through a set of play-off matches with the league winners from Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein . These three teams will compete for one promotion spot to the "Regionalliga". The "Verbandsliga Hamburg" however maintained its status as a tier five league, but now under the name of Oberliga Hamburg, reflecting the fact that it has been on the same level as the "Oberligas". Breaking with a long tradition, the league now operates with eighteen clubs, not sixteen which it had throughout most of its history. Founding Members of the Stadtliga Hamburg. The league was formed in 1945 from thirteen clubs from Hamburg, these being: League champions. The league champions: League placings. The complete list of clubs and  placings in the league since elevation to Oberliga status (2008–present):