BELGIAN SECOND DIVISION

The 'Belgian Second Division' is the second-highest division in Belgian football. It was created in 1905.

Contents

The competition

History

The 2007-08 clubs

Past winners

References

The competition

The season comprises the regular season (18 teams, 34 matchdays) and the play-offs (4 teams, 6 matchdays: see Belgian Second Division Final Round).
The regular season is a double round-robin tournament played between August and May, with an interruption of 3 weeks in the winter. It is divided into three blocks: the first 10 rounds of matches, the next 12, and the final 12. The winner of the overall regular season is promoted to the first division. The teams with the best record in each of the 3 blocks go into the play-offs, together with the second-last team in the first division. The play-offs are also a double round-robin, with the winner earning a place in the first division.
The standings, for both the regular season and the 3 blocks, are determined by the following criteria, in order:
# number of points;
# number of wins;
# goal average;
# a play-off at a neutral venue (with extra time and penalty shootout if necessary)
A team cannot play in the first division unless it has a professional license. If it has not got its license, it is replaced if possible, by the next highest team in the overall regular seaon rankings. For the automatic promotion spot (as opposed to the play-offs) the team must have finished in the top three clubs. When no team meets those conditions, the number of teams in the first division decreases.
The two lowest-placed teams go to the third division (which is divided into 2 leagues of 16 clubs), while the two champions of that division are promoted to the second division. Furthermore, the 16th-placed team plays the third division playoff with 6 teams from the third division but it enters the competition on its second round. The winner of this playoff stays or promotes to second division.

History

The second division was created in 1905 as the '''Promotion'''. From 1923 on there were two leagues in that division (called ''Promotion A'' and ''Promotion B''). In 1926, the system changed with only one league (14 clubs) at the second-highest level now called '''Division I'''. At the end of the 1930-31 season, the Division I was split into two leagues (of 14 clubs each). The last two teams of each league were relegated and the two top clubs promoted each year to the Premier Division. In 1952, the division was renamed to ''Division II'' with 16 teams (one league). The first two clubs qualified for the first division. In 1974, the first final round was played to access the top level. Finally, in 1994, the second division was played between 18 clubs. A win earns three points since the 1993-94 season.

The 2007-08 clubs

The 18 participating clubs for the 2007-08 season are the following:

Club name	City	Last season position
Royal Antwerp FC	Antwerp	4th
K.S.K. Beveren	Beveren	18th (Jupiler League)
R.O.C. de Charleroi-Marchienne	Charleroi	1st (D3B)
K.M.S.K. Deinze	Deinze	6th
K.A.S. Eupen	Eupen	7th
K.F.C. Verbroedering Geel	Geel	3rd (D3A)
K.F.C. V.W. Hamme	Hamme	14th
K.V. Kortrijk	Kortrijk	3rd
Oud-Heverlee Leuven	Leuven	5th
Lierse S.K.	Lier	17th (Jupiler League)
K.V. Oostende	Ostend	12th
K.V. Red Star Waasland	Sint-Niklaas	13th
K.V.K. Tienen	Tienen	10th
R.F.C. Tournai	Tournai	1st (D3A)
A.F.C. Tubize	Tubize	9th
R. Union Saint-Gilloise	Brussels	8th
K.V.S.K. United Overpelt-Lommel	Lommel	15th
R.E. Virton	Virton	11th

Past winners

Season Champion 1906 S.C. Courtraisien 1907 Beerschot A.C. 1908 R.C. de Gand and E.S.C. Forest 1909 Standard F.C. Liégeois 1910 R.C. de Malines 1911 R.C. de Gand 1912 F.C. Liégeois 1913 A.A. La Gantoise 1914 Uccle Sport 1915-19 ''No competition'' 1920 Tilleur F.C. 1921 Standard C.L. 1922 Uccle Sport 1923 R.F.C. Liégeois 1924 A : S.C. Anderlechtois B : White Star A.C. 1925 A : R. Tilleur F.C. B : C.S. Verviétois 1926 A : R.C. de Bruxelles B : F.C. Malinois 1927 R. Liersche S.K. 1928 F.C. Malinois 1929 F.C. Brugeois 1930 R.C. Montegnée 1931 R.R.C. Gand 1932 A : T.S.V. Lyra B : R. Racing Club de Bruxelles 1933 A : Belgica F.C. Edegem B : R. Tilleur F.C. 1934 A : White Star A.C. B : R. Berchem Sport 1935 A : R.F.C. Brugeois B : R.S.C. Anderlechtois 1936 A : F.C. Turnhout B : A.R.A. La Gantoise 1937 A : R.C. Tirlemont B : O.C. Charleroi 1938 A : Boom F.C. B : R.C.S. Brugeois

Season Champion 1939 A : S.C. Eendracht Aalst B : R. Tilleur F.C. 1940-41 ''No competition'' 1942 A: C.S. La Forestoise B: R.C. de Bruxelles 1943 A: K. Lyra B: R. Berchem Sport 1944 A: K. Sint-Niklaasche S.K. B: R.F.C. Liégeois 1945 ''No competition'' 1946 A: R.F.C. Brugeois B: K. Lyra 1947 A: R. Uccle Sport B: R. Charleroi S.C. 1948 A: K.R.C. Mechelen B: R. Tilleur F.C. 1949 A: K. Stade Leuven B: R.F.C. Brugeois 1950 A: Daring Club de Bruxelles S.R. B: R. Beeringen F.C. 1951 A: R. Union Saint-Gilloise B: R.U.S. Tournaisienne 1952 A: R.C. de Gand B: F.C. Beringen 1953 K. Lyra 1954 K.S.V. Waterschei Thor 1955 R. Daring Club de Bruxelles 1956 R.C.S. Verviétois 1957 K.S.V. Waterschei Thor 1958 K. Beringen F.C. 1959 R. Daring Club de Bruxelles 1960 K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst 1961 K.F.C. Diest 1962 R. Berchem Sport 1963 R.F.C. Malinois 1964 R. Union Saint-Gilloise 1965 R. Racing White 1966 K.S.V. Waregem 1967 S.K. Beveren 1968 A.R.A. La Gantoise 1969 A.S. Oostende K.M.

Season Champion 1970 K.F.C. Diest 1971 K.S.V. Cercle Brugge 1972 K. Berchem Sport 1973 S.K. Beveren 1974 R.O.C. Montignies-sur-Sambre 1975 K.R.C. Mechelen 1976 K.F.C. Winterslag 1977 K. Boom F.C. 1978 K.S.V. Waterschei Thor 1979 K.S.V. Cercle Brugge 1980 K.A.A. Gent 1981 K.S.K. Tongeren 1982 R.F.C. Sérésien 1983 K.V. Mechelen 1984 K. Sint-Niklase S.K. 1985 R.W.D. Molenbeek 1986 K. Berchem Sport 1987 K. Sint-Truidense V.V. 1988 K.R.C. Mechelen 1989 K.F.C. Germinal Ekeren 1990 R.W.D. Molenbeek 1991 K.S.K. Beveren 1992 K.F.C. Lommelse S.K. 1993 R.F.C. Sérésien 1994 K. Sint-Truidense V.V. 1995 K.S.V. Waregem 1996 K.S.C. Lokeren 1997 K.S.K. Beveren 1998 K.V. Oostende 1999 K.V. Mechelen 2000 R. Antwerp F.C. 2001 K.F.C. Lommelse S.K. 2002 K.V. Mechelen 2003 K.S.V. Cercle Brugge 2004 F.C. Molenbeek Brussels Strombeek 2005 S.V. Zulte-Waregem 2006 R.A.E.C. Mons 2007 F.C. Verbroedering Dender E.H.

References

★ The Belgian Football Association official website

★ Sport.be website - Standings, features, results, statistitcs and news from the second division

★ RSSSF archive - Second division tables from 1910 to 2002