1996 Belarusian First League

Belarusian First League
Season1996
ChampionsTransmash Mogilev
PromotedTransmash Mogilev
Kommunalnik Slonim
RelegatedKobrin
Matches played156
Goals scored412 (2.64 per match)
← 1995
1997 →

1996 Belarusian First League was the sixth season of 2nd level football championship in Belarus. It started in April and ended in November 1996.

Team changes from 1995 season

Winners of 1995 Belarusian First League (Naftan-Devon Novopolotsk) were promoted to Belarusian Premier League. They were replaced by the lowest-placed team of 1995 Premier League (FC Bobruisk).

Khimvolokno Grodno, who finished 15th, relegated to the Second League, but were disbanded before the start of 1996 season. They were replaced by best teams of 1995 Second League (Maxim-Orsha and Stroitel Bereza). Stroitel Bereza, who finished only second in their Second League group, were promoted instead of MPKC-2 Minsk (who were ineligible for promotion as a farm club).

FC Bobruisk dissolved shortly after the end 1995 season. No other club was accepted to replace them and the league was left once again with 15 clubs instead of 16.

Before the start of the season KPF Slonim were renamed to Kommunalnik Slonim. Second League winners Maxim-Orsha were renamed to Maxim-Legmash Orsha. Brestbytkhim Brest relocated to the city of Kobrin and were renamed to FC Kobrin.

Overview

In June, after 8th matchday, Fomalgaut Borisov and Kimovets Vitebsk withdrew from the league and disbanded. Both clubs were excluded from the table (having not played at least half of the scheduled games), their results were annulled and only 13 clubs continued and finished the season.

Transmash Mogilev won the league and were promoted to Premier League, as were league runners-up Kommunalnik Slonim. No team initially relegated to the Second League as the league was expanded to 16 teams in 1997, although Kobrin withdrew to amateur lever before the start of the next season due to financial troubles.

Teams and locations

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Location of teams in 1996 Belarusian First League
Team Location Position in 1995
Kommunalnik Pinsk 2
Fomalgaut Borisov 3
Kardan-Flyers Grodno 4
Kommunalnik Slonim 5
Kobrin Kobrin 6
Transmash Mogilev 7
Khimik Svetlogorsk 8
Gomel Gomel 9
Lokomotiv Vitebsk 10
Torpedo Zhodino 11
Dinamo-Juni Minsk 12
Stroitel Starye Dorogi 13
Kimovets Vitebsk 14
Maxim-Legmash Orsha Second League, Group B, 1
Stroitel Bereza Second League, Group A, 2

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Transmash Mogilev (P) 24 14 7 3 47 13 +34 49 Promotion to Belarusian Premier League
2 Kommunalnik Slonim (P) 24 13 6 5 45 17 +28 45
3 Khimik Svetlogorsk 24 12 7 5 31 19 +12 43
4 Gomel 24 11 9 4 42 19 +23 42
5 Kommunalnik Pinsk 24 10 8 6 40 19 +21 38
6 Dinamo-Juni Minsk 24 9 7 8 27 26 +1 34
7 Torpedo Zhodino 24 8 9 7 24 20 +4 33
8 Maxim-Legmash Orsha 24 10 2 12 33 45 −12 32
9 Lokomotiv Vitebsk 24 8 8 8 33 24 +9 32
10 Kardan-Flyers Grodno 24 9 4 11 39 40 −1 31
11 Stroitel Bereza 24 6 8 10 23 37 −14 26
12 Kobrin (R) 24 7 3 14 22 36 −14 24 Relegation to amateur level
13 Stroitel Starye Dorogi 24 0 0 24 6 97 −91 0
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd matches won; 3rd head-to-head (points, matches won, goal difference, goals scored); 4th goal difference; 5th goals scored
(P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Top goalscorers

Rank Goalscorer Team Goals
1 Belarus Vladimir Pokatashkin Gomel 17
2 Belarus Yuriy Danilevich Kommunalnik Slonim 13
Belarus Vitaly Minin Lokomotiv Vitebsk 13
4 Belarus Vladimir Kravchuk Khimik Svetlogorsk 12
Belarus Vladimir Provalinskiy Maxim-Legmash Orsha 12
Belarus Sergey Solodovnikov Kardan-Flyers Grodno 12

See also