British occupation zone football championship facts for kids
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| Founded | 1947 |
|---|---|
| Abolished | 1948 |
| Region | British zone of occupied Germany |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Most successful club(s) | Hamburger SV (2 titles) |
The British occupation zone football championship was a special football tournament held in Germany right after World War II. After the war, Germany was divided into different areas, or "zones," controlled by the winning countries. This tournament took place in the area controlled by Britain.
This football competition happened only twice, in 1947 and 1948. Both times, the team Hamburger SV won the championship.
Even though people tried to organize a championship for all of Germany in 1947, it didn't work out. But in 1948, a bigger German championship was held. The top two teams from the British zone tournament got to play in this larger competition.
In 1947, the best teams from local leagues played in the British zone championship. The next year, in 1948, the top four teams from two new, bigger leagues called Oberliga Nord and Oberliga West took part.
The competition was held in the British occupation zone. This area later became part of West Germany. It included places like Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Schleswig-Holstein. One team, SV Werder Bremen, was actually in the American zone, but they still played in the British zone's football competitions.
Contents
Football Championships in the British Zone
1947 Tournament
The 1947 British occupation zone championship brought together the best teams from different regional leagues. The two teams that made it to the final were Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger SV. Borussia Dortmund was from the Westphalia league, and Hamburger SV was from the Hamburg league.
Quarter-finals 1947
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Borussia Dortmund | 4–2 | SV Werder Bremen |
| TSV Braunschweig | 2–3 (aet) | Rot-Weiß Oberhausen |
| VfR Köln | 2–1 (aet) | Holstein Kiel |
| Hamburger SV | 0–0 (aet) | FC Schalke 04 |
- Replay
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger SV | 2–0 | FC Schalke 04 |
Semi-finals 1947
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger SV | 3–1 | Rot-Weiß Oberhausen |
| Borussia Dortmund | 5–4 (aet) | VfR Köln |
Third Place Play-off 1947
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| VfR Köln | 4–0 | Rot-Weiß Oberhausen |
Final 1947
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger SV | 1–0 | Borussia Dortmund |
1948 Tournament
The 1948 British occupation zone championship featured the top four teams from the two main leagues, Oberliga Nord and Oberliga West. The two teams that reached the final were both from Hamburg. These two finalists would then go on to play in the bigger German championship. Just like in 1947, Hamburger SV won this second and final edition of the competition.
Quarter-finals 1948
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| FC St. Pauli | 3–1 | STV Horst-Emscher |
| Sportfreunde Hamborn | 0–1 | Hamburger SV |
| Sportfreunde Katernberg | 1–2 | TSV Braunschweig |
| SV Werder Bremen | 2–3 (aet) | Borussia Dortmund |
Semi-finals 1948
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger SV | 3–2 | TSV Braunschweig |
| FC St. Pauli | 2–2 (aet) | Borussia Dortmund |
- Replay
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| FC St. Pauli | 1–0 | Borussia Dortmund |
Final 1948
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Hamburger SV | 6–1 | FC St. Pauli |
The German Championship Connection
In 1947, a championship for all of Germany was planned. It was supposed to have eight teams: three from the US zone, three from the British zone, and one each from the French and Soviet zones. However, there were problems with scheduling the games. The plan was then changed to only four teams. Hamburger SV was set to play SG Charlottenburg, and 1. FC Nürnberg would play 1. FC Kaiserslautern. But the teams from the southern parts of Germany decided not to play, so the whole competition was called off.
The next year, in 1948, the winner and runner-up of the British zone championship, Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli, qualified for the 1948 German football championship. In that tournament, Hamburger SV lost in the quarter-finals to TuS Neuendorf. FC St. Pauli made it further, reaching the semi-finals. They were eventually knocked out by the team that won the championship that year, 1. FC Nürnberg.
