 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
| Founded | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1991 after 52[1] seasons |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Soviet Top League |
| Relegation to | Soviet Second League |
| League cup(s) | First League Cup Podsnezhnik tournament |
| Last champions | FC Rotor Volgograd (1) |
| Most championships | FC Krylya Sovetov Samara (5) |
The Soviet First League in football (Russian: Первая лига СССР по футболу) was the second highest division of Soviet football,[1] below the Soviet Top League.
While the second tier competitions in football among "teams of masters" (an official term for the Soviet professional clubs) existed since 1936,[1] the First League has been officially formed in 1971 out of the Class A First Group.[1] It followed the transitional 1970 season when the Class A was expanded to three groups (Vysshaya Gruppa, Pervaya Gruppa, Vtoraya Gruppa) and discontinuation of the Class B competitions for the 1971 season.
The league existed until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.
- ^ a b c d Evgeni Kazakov. The Soviet First Football League (Первая лига СССР по футболу) Archived 2023-04-07 at the Wayback Machine. History of Soviet football championships. Volume 1 (1936–1969). Litres, 2019