Scotland II Division

 

Second level – First Division. Only the champion promoted, the last two – relegated. Teams met 3 times against each other, 39 games total were played. Three teams fought between themselves to escape relegation, but at the top two teams were way above the rest.

Alloa Athletic ended last with 25 points and went down to third level.

Albion Rovers – down on their luck too: 13^th with 27 points and relegated.

Forfar Athletic managed to prevail in the battle of the weak and escaped relegation: 12^th with 29 points.

Morton - 11^th with 34 points.

Ayr United - 10^th with 35 points.

Clyde - 9^th with 35 points.

Partick Thistle - 8^th with 38 points.

Meadowbank Thistle - 7^th with 39 points.

Hamilton Academical - 6^th with 41 points.

Raith Rovers - 5^th with 42 points.

Falkirk - 4^th with 43 points.

Clydebank - 3^rd with 44 points. Strong season, yet, not able to compete for promotion.

Airdrieonians - 2^nd 54 points. Much stronger than the rest of the league, but not exactly up to winning the championship.

St. Johnstone won the championship with 58 points: 25 wins, 8 ties, 6 losses, 81-39 goal-difference. Practically, dominated the season and without a rival. Going back to the top league was their aim achieved with confidence.

Scotland III Division

 

Scotland. Ranked 7^th . Third Level – or Second Division. Two teams promoted, no relegation from the lowest professional level. Teams met 3 times against every opponent, so they played 39 games.

East Stirlingshire – last with 26 points.

Montrose - 13^th with 32 points.

Arbroath - 12^th with 34 points.

Queen's Park - 11^th with 36 points.

Queen of the South - 10^th with 36 points.

East Fife - 9^th with 36 points.

Stranraer - 8^th with 38 points.

Cowdenbeath - 7^th with 39 points.

Dumbarton - 6^th with 40 points.

Berwick Rangers - 5^th with 41 points.

Stenhousemuir - 4^th with 45 points.

Stirling Albion – 3^rd with 47 points. Unfortunately, missed promotion on worse goal-difference. The highest scoring team in the championship: 73 goals.

Kilmarnock – clinched 2^nd place and promoted with 47 points, but better goal-difference than Stirling Albion: +26 vs +23. They won most games this season – 21 – and had the best defensive record, permitting 41 goals in their own net Second-best strikers – 67 goals scored.

Brechin City won the championship with 49 points: 19 wins, 11 ties, 9 losses, 59-44 goal-difference. Prevailed over tough competition and, for such a modest club, a third-tier title was great success. Promotion to second level, naturally, was wonderful achievement.

Portugal the Cup

 

The Portuguese Cup final was unusual – small clubs reached it, one of them not even in the top league: Estrela Amadora and Farense. During the 1980s Cup tournaments lost some of their importance around Europe and the trend seemingly affected Portugal at last: it was no longer surprising to see Second Division teams reaching Cup final and even winning them. Technically, Estrela Amadora should have been considered the favourite, for Farense was playing the second tier, but historically Farense was the stronger and better known club and they were leading their Second Division Zone, clearly on the way to returning to the top league. Meantime Estrela Amadora had insignificant season, mostly trying to escape relegation. Winning a trophy was serious matter, however, and contestants proved to be pretty much equal – the final ended 1-1 after overtime and replay was scheduled. In it again 2 goals were scored, however both belonged to Estrela Amadora – 2-0 and the Cup was in their hands.

Farense tried hard – hats down to them – but lost. Dramatic loss and no Cup. Well, they got promoted to First Division, so the season was not bad after all. Sitting from left: Luisão, Ciro, Dicá, Sérgio Duarte, Bahia, Lemajic, Humberto, Jorge Humberto, Jorge Soares, Fernando Cruz, João José
Middle row: Marinho (Roupeiro), Dr.Aníbal Ponte (Médico), Fernando Belo (Massagista), Elísio Gouveia (Preparador Físico), Pitico, Manuel Balela (Adjunto), Ricardo, Paco Fortes (Treinador), Pedro Teixeira (Director), antónio Boronha (Presidente), João Pedro Carvalho (Chefe do Departamento de Futebol), Álvaro Braga Júnior (Director), Formosinho, Marco, Nelo, Adériro Melro (Director), Fernando Pires (Adjunto)
Top row: Helinho, Orlando, Mané, Barão, Lima, Eugénio, Ademar, Xabregas, Pereirinha, Carlos Pereira, Vitinha.

Estreala Amadora clearly had their best ever season – the small club, so far mostly playing in the Second Division, never won anything. So, winning their first trophy made the squad instant local legends. Top row from left: Duilio (Brazil), Nelson Borges (Brazil), Bobo (Guinea Bissau), Joaquim Melo, Pedro Barny, Ricardo Lopes. Crouching: Paulo Bento, Baroti (Cape Verde), Rui Neves, Joaquim Rebelo, Chico Oliveira (Mozambique). No big stars here, of course, but the boys did their best and won, as it turned out, the only trophy in the history of the club. Wonderful triumph, not to be diminished at all by the fact they played against Second Division team and not against one of the big clubs – it was not their fault the big clubs failed to reach the Cup final. Portugal had new name added to the list of Cup winners, Estrela Amadora got a trophy to display at last, it was great.

Such winners deserve a second look in their full glory.

Portugal I Division

First Division. The planned increase of the Portuguese top league benefited one team this season – because only 2 teams were relegated, 18^th place was safe spot for the moment. As for greater benefits... what benefits? Two teams dominated the championship. Bellow the leaders two other teams were way stronger than the rest of the league, yet, way weaker than the leaders. This configuration was traditional , no matter how many teams played in First Division. More teams hardly ever translate into more competitive championships.

Feirense – last with 20 points and relegated. Pretty much as expected.

Portimonense - 17^th with 21 points. Their 3 Bulgarians did not save the club from relegation.

Uniao Madeira survived - 16^th with 24 points.

Penafiel - 15^th with 26 points.

Nacional - 14^th with 28 points.

Estrela Amadora - 13^th with 28 points. Nothing much in the league, as usual, but this was also their greatest season.

Sporting Braga - 12^th with 28 points.

Beira Mar - 11^th with 29 points.

Maritimo - 10^th with 29 points.

Tirsense - 9^th with 30 points. Strong season for them, even surprisingly strong.

Boavista - 8^th with 34 points.

Vitoria Setubal - 7^th with 36 points.

Belenenses - 6^th with 36 points.

Chaves - 5^th with 38 points. Strong season for them, yet, unable to challenge the strongest.

Vitoria Guimaraes - 4^th with 45 points. Not concerned with the bulk of the league, but fighting only for bronze medals, eventually losing the battle.

Sporting Lisbon clinched 3^rd place with 46 points. More than that was not up to them.

And finally the two leaders – the usual suspects Benfica and FC Porto. The rest of the league was only point-providers, the top teams were way above the rest.

Benfica lost only 2 games and scored most goals this season – 76 – but they lost the battle, finishing with 55 points. 9 points ahead of their city rivals Sporting, but not the real enemy was from another city and Benfica was unable to beat it.

FC Porto was really flying this season: 27 wins, 5 ties, only 2 lost games, 72-16 scoring record and 59 points at the end – 4 more than Benfica, the rest of the league did not even count. Already famous coach, wonderful squad, more perspective than Benfica's – FC Porto established itself not just as leading Portuguese clubs, but as one of the top European clubs.

Not a squad to be taken lightly, combining talent with experience, combining worthy veterans with bright young talent. Not only they left Benfica behind, but looked like Benfica will stay behind FC Porto in the 1990s. As for the record, they won their 11^th title.

Portugal II Division

 

Portugal. Ranked 6^th. Changes were coming: next season First Division was increasing to 20 teams and instead of 3 zones of 18 teams, Second Division was going to be single league of 20 teams. Because of that, final positions had special significance, especially in the Second Division: 2 teams were relegated from top flight. 4 teams were promoted from Second Division – the winners of the Zones plus one the second-placed teams, perhaps a winner of play-offs. The make of the new Second Division was more complicated: no promotion from third level, first of all. 2 teams relegated from First Division. Then those who finished 2^nd – to 7^th place in every zone. However, one of the second-placed teams was going to top flight, so to make a 20-teams league a final play-off between the 8^th placed teams in the zones decided the last spot in the new league. For a club to remain a second-tier team it was a must to finish no lower than 8^th place this season – it was no joke: the Second Division was going to be reduced from 54 teams to 20. What follows here is a glance at the current Second Division, including the top-positioned teams going to the new reduced 1990-91 league.

Zona Norte.

Among the unfortunates going to play third level football next season Rio Ave FC was perhaps the best known – they were 10^th with 31 points and out.

Leixoes SC - 8^th with 35 points and going to promotion/relegation playoffs.

Varzim SC - 7^th with 38 points.

SC Freamunde - 6^th with 40 points.

FC Maia - 5^th with 41 points.

FC Pacos de Ferreira - 4^th with 42 points.

CD Aves - 3^rd with 45 points.

FC Famalicao - 2^nd with 47 points and going to promotion playoffs.

Gil Vicente FC – winner with 49 points from 22 wins, 5 ties, 7 losses, 51-25 goal-difference, and happily promoted to First Division.

Zona Centro

Arguably, SC Covilha was the best known among the teams going to third level – they finished 10^th with 33 points.

Uniao Mirense was 8^th with 35 points and going to promotion/relegation playoffs.

Benfica Castelo Branco was lucky - 7^th with 35 points, besting Uniao Mirense on head-to-head record.

RD Agueda - 6^th with 38 points.

Academico Viseu - 5^th with 42 points.

Academica Coimbra - 4^th with 43 points. Standing from left: Vítor Nóvoa, Fernando Couto, Coelho, Real, Mito e Reinaldo. À frente: China, Mota, Tomás, Tózé e Meireles.

UD Leiria - 3^rd with 49 points.

SC Espinho - 2^nd with 50 points and going to promotion playoffs.

SC Salguieros – champion with 51 points and promoted to top flight. 22 wins, 7 ties, 5 losses, 82-24 goal-difference.

Zona Sul

Silves FC - 11^th with 32 points – was one of the unfortunate teams going to third level.

Juventude Evora - 8^th with 36 points and going to promotion/relegation playoffs.

Lusitano VRSA - 7^th with 41 points.

GD Estoril Praia - 6^th with 42 points.

SCU Torreense - 5^th with 43 points.

O Elvas CAD - 4^th with 44 points.

Louletano DC - 3^rd with 46 points.

FC Barreirense - 2^nd with 47 points and going to promotion playoffs.

SC Farense – winner with 55 points from 25 wins, 5 ties, 4 losses, 80-23 goal-difference. Promoted back to First Division. There was more, though.

The playoffs followed the regular season.

First, the play-offs for the last spot in the new Second Division – between the 3 teams at 8^th position in the zones – Juventude Evora, Uniao Mirense, and Leixoes SC. Leixoes won the games against their rivals, finished first and remained in the Second Division. The other two joined the big group clubs going to third level.

There is no available record, but the only reason for the 4^th promoted to top team this year would have been playoffs between the second-best teams in the zones. FC Barreirense, SC Espinho, and FC Famalicao.

FC Famalicao was the promoted team – and good for them.

Lastly, there was the mini-tournament between the winners of the zones for the Second Division title: Farense finished last in it with 3 points, Gil Vicente - 2^nd with 4 points, and Salgueiros won the title with 5 points: 2 wins, 1 tie, 1 loss, 6-3. They were the new champions of Second Division, which was mostly for pride – all zone winners were promoted to top flight already and that was more important achievement.

And that was all, in brief. Salgueiros, Gil Vicente, Farense, and Famalicao were promoted to the increased First Division – none was newcomer to top flight.