| Founded | 1945 |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| State | Hamburg |
| Number of clubs | 19 |
| Level on pyramid | Level 5 |
| Promotion to | Regionalliga Nord |
| Relegation to | |
| Current champions | Altona 93 (2024–25) |
| Current:2024–25 Oberliga Hamburg | |
TheOberliga Hamburg, sometimes referred to asHamburg-Liga, is the highest league in theGermanstate ofHamburg, incorporating some of its surrounding districts. It is one of fourteenOberligen in German football, the fifth tier of theGerman football league system.
The league was re-formed in 1945 asStadtliga Hamburg (English:Hamburg City League) by thirteen clubs, in the newly recreated state of Hamburg which was then part of theBritish 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 theHamburger SV andFC St. Pauli in its ranks.
From 1947, theHamburg-Liga was a feeder league to theOberliga Nord which its champion had the option of promotion to. Promotion had to be achieved through a play-off with teams from theAmateurligen ofLower Saxony,Bremen andSchleswig-Holstein. As such, the league was by then the second tier of the northern German league system. The league was renamedVerbandsliga Hamburg (English:Hamburg FA League), and split into two groups of ten teams, theAlsterstaffel andElbestaffel, named after the two main rivers in Hamburg. The top four clubs of the 1946–47 season left the league for the newOberliga Nord, those clubs being the Hamburger SV, FC St. Pauli, Concordia Hamburg and Victoria Hamburg. Traditionally, the league also accommodated clubs from neighboringLower Saxony andSchleswig-Holstein (which it still does today), likeLüneburger 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 ofAmateurliga Hamburg. The league operated on a strength of sixteen for most of the coming seasons.
In 1963, with the introduction of theBundesliga, the disbanding of theOberliga Nord and the formation of theRegionalliga Nord, the league fell to tier three and was again renamed, nowLandesliga 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 theRegionalliga, with the same opposition as before.
From 1970, the number of leagues below theHamburg–Liga was reduced from three to two, resulting in theHammonia-Staffel andHansa-Staffel which still exist today, first at the name ofVerbandsliga, then, from 1978, asLandesliga.
After the 1973–74 season, theRegionalliga Nord was disbanded in favor of the2nd Bundesliga Nord. The newOberliga Nord was now introduced in northern Germany, as the third tier of the league system, below the2nd Bundesliga. This meant for theLandesliga a slip to tier four. The top two teams of the league were however promoted to the newOberliga. 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 toVerbandsliga Hamburg.
In 1994, theRegionalliga Nord was re-established, now as the third tier of the league system. TheOberliga Nord was in turn replaced by two parallelOberligen,Niedersachsen/Bremen andHamburg/Schleswig-Holstein. For theVerbandsliga 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 newRegionalliga, the league also saw the clubs placed two to eight elevated to theOberliga.
The 1999–2000 season saw another league system change with the reduction of numbers ofRegionalligen, this however had only one effect on theVerbandsliga, no promotion was available this year.
In 2004, it was decided to restore theOberliga Nord in favor of the two separateOberligen.
The 2006–07 league winner,SC Victoria Hamburg, did not apply for anOberliga licence and was not promoted.[1]
At the end of the 2007–08 season, the new3rd Liga was established and theOberliga Nord disbanded, again. The four northern German states were then the only region without anOberliga and the fiveVerbandsligen sit right below theRegionalliga Nord, parallel to the twoNOFV-Oberligen. At the end of this season, the five winners of the northernVerbandsligen played with the sixth placed team from theOberliga Nord for one last spot in theRegionalliga.[2] 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 theRegionalliga.
TheVerbandsliga Hamburg however maintained its status as a tier five league, but now under the name ofOberliga Hamburg, reflecting the fact that it has been on the same level as theOberligas.[3] Breaking with a long tradition, the league now operates with eighteen clubs, not sixteen which it had throughout most of its history.
| Years | Tier | Promotion to |
|---|---|---|
| 1945-47 | I | Independent league |
| 1947-63 | II | Oberliga Nord |
| 1963-74 | III | Regionalliga Nord |
| 1974-94 | IV | Oberliga Nord |
| 1994-2004 | V | Oberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein |
| 2004-08 | V | Oberliga Nord |
| 2008- | V | Regionalliga Nord |
Source:"Verbandsliga Hamburg". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved24 February 2008.
The league was formed in 1945 from thirteen clubs from Hamburg, these being:
Source:"Stadtliga Hamburg". Das deutsche Fussball-Archiv. Retrieved24 February 2008.
The league champions:[4]
|
|
|
Source:"Verbandsliga Hamburg". Das deutsche Fussball–Archiv. Retrieved24 February 2008.
The complete list of clubs and placings in the league since elevation to Oberliga status (2008–present):[4]
| Symbol | Key |
|---|---|
| B | Bundesliga |
| 2B | 2. Bundesliga |
| 3L | 3. Liga |
| R | Regionalliga Nord |
| 1 | League champions |
| Place | League |
| Blank | Played at a league level below this league |