2016–17 Third Amateur Football League (Bulgaria) Explained

Competition:	Third Amateur Football League
Season:	2016–17
Promoted:	FC Chernomorets Balchik, FC Maritsa Plovdiv, PFC Litex Lovech, FC Strumska Slava Radomir
Prevseason:	2015–16
Nextseason:	2017–18

The 2016–17 Third Amateur Football League season was the 67th season of the Bulgarian Third Amateur Football League. The league is equivalent to the third level of the Bulgarian football pyramid, with a total of four divisions within it. The divisions themselves are geographically separated into Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest. This was the first season following the 2016 reorganization of the Bulgarian football league system, which saw the emergence of new a competition format, including the First and Second Professional Football Leagues.^[1]

Changes from the 2015–16 season

Club Movements Between V Group and B Group

The champions of the four 2015–16 V AFG divisions gained promotion to the 2016–17 Second League: Chernomorets Balchik from V AFG Northeast and Nesebar from V AFG Southeast, Etar Veliko Tarnovo from V AFG Northwest and CSKA Sofia from V AFG Southwest. Chernomorets Balchik refused to participate for financial reasons,^[2] while a new club CSKA Sofia was formed with the merger of Chavdar Etropole and Litex Lovech and was invited by the Bulgarian Football Union directly to the newly formed First League.^[3]

In return, four teams were relegated to the Third League: Dobrudzha Dobrich, Septemvri Simitli, Lokomotiv Mezdra and Litex Lovech II.

Club Movements Between V Group and the Regional Groups

Northeast: Ticha Dolni Chiflik and Dve Mogili were relegated last season to regional divisions. Benkovski Byala, Himik Devnya and Shumen did not apply for participation. Dobrudzha Dobrich was relegated from B Group. Marisan Ruse merged with Ruse into Lokomotiv Ruse, while Inter Plachidol moved to Dobrich. The new clubs promoted from the regional divisions were Spartak Varna, Dorostol Silistra and Hitrino.
Northwest: Yantra Gabrovo, Botev Kozloduy and Gigant Belene were relegated from last season to regional divisions. Lokomotiv Mezdra, relegated from B Group last season, was not granted permission to participate due to unpaid dues to the Bulgarian Football Union. The new clubs promoted from the regional divisions were Miziya Knezha and Kom Berkovitsa. Dunav 98 Selanovtsi merged with Botev Kozloduy into Parva Atomna Kozloduy, while Botev Lukovit merged with Litex Lovech into Litex Lovech.
Southeast: Chernomorets Burgas and Sliven were relegated from last season to regional divisions, while Spartak Plovdiv resigned shortly before the start of the season. Levski Karlovo joined the Second League. The new clubs promoted from the regional divisions were Atletik Kuklen, Arda Kardzhali, Vereya II, Elhovo and Lyubimets. The latter took the place of Spartak Plovdiv.
Southwest: Balkan Varvara and Lokomotiv Sofia relegated from last season to regional divisions. Vitosha Bistritsa and Septemvri Sofia joined the Second League. Furthermore, Sofia 2010 merged into Tsarsko Selo and also joined the Second League. Septemvri Simitli was relegated from B Group. The new clubs promoted from the regional divisions were Chavdar Etropole, Hebar Pazardzhik, Marek Dupnitsa, Svoboda Peshtera and Balkan Botevgrad. Malesh Mikrevo merged with Pirin Razlog to form Pirin Razlog (11th in B Group last season and subsequently merged with Septemvri Sofia); Chiko Byaga merged with Hebar Pazardzhik into Hebar Pazardzhik, and Pravets merged with Chavdar Etropole into Chavdar Etropole.

Northeast group

Stadia and locations

Competition:	Northeast Third League
Season:	2016–17
Winners:	Chernomorets Balchik
Promoted:	Chernomorets Balchik
Relegated:	Spartak Varna Inter Dobrich
Biggest Home Win:	Spartak Varna 7–0 Dorostol (8 October 2016)^[4] (11 March 2017)^[5]
Biggest Away Win:	Botev Novi Pazar 0−5 Suvorovo (26 October 2016)^[6]
Highest Scoring:	Dorostol 5–2 Hitrino (27 August 2016)^[7] Spartak Varna 7–0 Dorostol (8 October 2016) Lokomotiv Ruse 5–2 Kubrat (20 November 2016)^[8] Dobrudzha Dobrich 7–0 Kubrat (11 March 2017)
Prevseason:	2015–16
Nextseason:	2017–18

Stadium	Capacity
Gradski	align=center	8,000
Gradski	align=center	3,100
	align=center	12,500
Louis Eyer	12,000
Hitrino	align=center
Druzhba (artificial ground)	align=center
	align=center	5,000
Gradski	6,000
	align=center	19,960
Lokomotiv	align=center	1,000
Suvorovo	align=center	1,000
	align=center	5,000
Septemvri	700

Regular season

Championship round

Relegation round

Southeast group

Stadia and locations

Competition:	Southeast Third League
Season:	2016–17
Winners:	Zagorets
Promoted:	Maritsa Plovdiv
Relegated:	Lyubimets Elhovo
League Topscorer:	Ventsislav Gyuzelev (31)^[9]
Biggest Home Win:	(22 April 2017)^[10]
Biggest Away Win:	Lyubimets 0–7 Zagorets (20 May 2017)^[11]
Highest Scoring:	Uragan Boyadzhik 11–1 Rakovski (22 April 2017)
Prevseason:	2015–16
Nextseason:	2017–18

Stadium	Capacity
	align=center	420
Shipka	align=center	4,000
Atletik	align=center	1,000
Gradski	8,000
Minyor	align=center	10,000
Stefan Karadzha	align=center
Eurocollege Sport Complex, Orizari	align=center
Saedinenie	5,000
Gradski	align=center	3,000
Gradski	align=center	4,000
Maritsa	align=center	8,000
Minyor	align=center	2,000
Franz Kokov	3,000
Sevtopolis	15,000
Kolodruma	1,750

	3,000
Zagorets	5,900

League table

Northwest group

Stadia and locations

Competition:	Northwest Third League
Season:	2016–17
Winners:	Litex
Promoted:	Litex
Relegated:	Kom Berkovitsa Juventus Malchika
League Topscorer:	Rumen Rangelov (24)^[12]
Biggest Home Win:	Sevlievo 11–0 Kom Berkovitsa (12 March 2017)^[13]
Biggest Away Win:	(28 May 2017)^[14]
Highest Scoring:	Kariana 11–3 Yantra Gabrovo (23 April 2017)^[15]
Prevseason:	2015–16
Nextseason:	2017–18

City	Stadium	Capacity
	Georgi Benkovski	align=center	15,000
	Kariana Sport Complex	align=center	1,000
	Gradski	align=center	1,000
	Mramor	3,000
	Levski	align=center	6,000
		align=center	8,100
Malchika	Georgi Karchev	align=center	1,000
	Gradski	700
	Hristo Botev	align=center	3,000
	Gancho Panov	align=center	10,000
		align=center	5,000
	Gradski	align=center	1,000
	Akademik	13,500
	Gradski	3,000
		14,000

League table

Southwest group

Stadia and locations

Competition:	Southwest Third League
Season:	2016–17
Winners:	Strumska Slava Radomir
Promoted:	Strumska Slava Radomir
Relegated:	Velbazhd Kyustendil Chepinets Velingrad
League Topscorer:	Tsvetelin Tsakovski (29)
Biggest Home Win:	Germanea 11–1 Chepinets Velingrad (21 August 2016)^[16]
Biggest Away Win:	(9 November 2016)^[17]
Highest Scoring:	Germanea 11–1 Chepinets Velingrad (21 August 2016)
Prevseason:	2015–16
Nextseason:	2017–18

Stadium	Capacity
	align=center	8,000
	align=center
Hristo Botev	align=center	5,000
Chavdar	5,600
Chepinets	align=center	8,000
Sapareva Banya	align=center	500
	align=center	13,128
	8,050
	align=center	8,000
Gradski	align=center	5,000
Gradski	align=center	6,500
	align=center	7,000
Struma	8,000
Slivnishki Geroy	7,000
Gradski	5,000
Gradski	3,500
Osogovo	13,000
	6,000

League table

Notes and References

Web site: The New Format and New Name of the Competition. Sportal.bg. 7 June 2016. Bulgarian.
Web site: Балчик се отказа от "Б" група заради липса на финансиране. Varnautre.bg. 14 June 2016. Bulgarian.
Web site: БФС призна ЦСКА на Ганчев и го пусна в Първа лига. Dnevnik.bg. 29 June 2016. Bulgarian.
Web site: Spartak Varna vs. Dorostol 7–0 . Soccerway.com . 8 October 2016.
Web site: Dobrudzha vs. Kubrat 7–0 . Soccerway.com . 11 March 2017.
Web site: Botev Novi Pazar vs. Suvorovo 0–5 . Soccerway.com . 26 October 2016.
Web site: Dorostol vs. Hitrino 5–2 . Soccerway.com . 27 August 2016.
Web site: Lokomotiv Ruse vs. Kubrat 5–2 . Soccerway.com . 20 November 2016.
Web site: Югоизточна Трета лига 2016/17 – Всички голмайстори . Bulgarian-Football.com . 3 July 2017 . Bulgarian.
Web site: Uragan Boyadzhik vs. Rakovski 11–1 . Soccerway.com . 22 April 2017.
Web site: Lyubimets vs. Zagorets 0–7 . Soccerway.com . 20 May 2017.
Web site: Очаквана "оранжева" доминация . Sportal.bg . 11 June 2017 . Bulgarian.
Web site: Sevlievo vs. Kom Berkovitsa 11–0 . Soccerway.com . 12 March 2017.
Web site: Kom Berkovitsa vs. Bdin 0–10 . Soccerway.com . 28 May 2017.
Web site: Kariana Erden vs. Yantra Gabrovo 11–3 . Soccerway.com . 23 April 2017.
Web site: Germaneya vs. Chepinets 11–1 . Soccerway.com . 21 August 2016.
Web site: Chepinets vs. Pirin Gotse Delchev 0–8 . Soccerway.com . 9 November 2016.