Porin Palloilijat
Encyclopedia
Porin Palloilijat or FC PoPa is a Finnish
football
club, based in the city of Pori
in Finland
. The club currently plays in the Ykkönen
(First Division), the second highest level of Finnish football
. The club was established in 1925 but did not operate between 1960 and 1981. It has been the leading football team in Pori since FC Jazz
went bankrupt in early 2005.
It was decided to form a team called Porin Palloilijat and to make football
and bandy
as their main focus. The first Committee members were Erkki Laitinen, J. Kari, Bror Weckström, O. Huhtanen, A. Forsberg and H. Lingvist. In May 1925 the constitution and rules for the clubwere prepared and the team was registered on 13 May 1925. They also included ice-hockey, women's basketball
and ice-skating within the club's featured programme. The first chairman was Erkki Laitinen and he was later followed by Veikko Laitinen.
PoPa played their first games at Liisantori and then later at Tiilimäki before moving in 1929 to the football and ice-hockey field at Juhannuslehto. The club later moved to the Herralahti football ground.
PoPa had a rich early history playing 10 seasons in the Suomisarjaa (Finland League) which at that time was the second tier of Finnish football
in 1937-39 and 1945-51.
They have had three periods covering 7 seasons in the Kakkonen
(Second Division), the third tier of Finnish football
in 1989, 2002–03 and 2005-08.
FC PoPa Oy have taken over the responsibility for the sport and financial operation of the principal team since 2007. In season 2007 PoPa played in the Kakkonen (Second Division) in the Western Group, reaching second place just one point short from of promotion to the Ykkönen
(First Division). In 2008 the team went one better winning the Western Group of Second Division in a crushing manner and were promoted to the Ykkönen for 2009.
The club maintained their rapid progress in 2009 by finishing 4th in the Ykkönen and are well on target of bringing Veikkausliiga
football back to Pori. The key people behind the initiative are Antti Sumiala (sport and managing director), Rami Nieminen (manager / marketing executive), Pertti Lundell (coach) and Risto Puustinen (coach).
From the beginning, the focal point of new Executive Board has been raising the football in Pori and Satakunta back to the top level in Finland. The strategy of FC PoPa is to play attacking and entertaining football, to develop young, talented players for the use of FC PoPa and to sell the most talented players to the foreign professional clubs.
Third Level (7 seasons): 1989, 2002–03, 2005-08
team that plays in the Second Division. The club runs one junior football team.
(First Division) administered by the Football Association of Finland
(Suomen Palloliitto). This is the second tier of the Finnish football system
. In 2009 the team finished fourth position in the Ykkönen.
Antti Sumiala Nuri Mustafi Michael Akuffu
Luiz Henrique Koprowski
Miguel Reno
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, based in the city of Pori
Pori
Pori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The club currently plays in the Ykkönen
Ykkönen
Ykkönen is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system , although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland.-Competition:...
(First Division), the second highest level of Finnish football
Finnish football league system
The Finnish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Finland. The three highest levels are managed by the Finnish FA while the higher leagues are managed by the regional departments of the FA.-The system:...
. The club was established in 1925 but did not operate between 1960 and 1981. It has been the leading football team in Pori since FC Jazz
FC Jazz
FC Jazz is a football club from Pori, Finland.- History :The club was founded in 1934. They played 19 seasons in the Finnish premier division Veikkausliiga between 1984 and 2004. The club was dissolved in 2005, as a result of financial difficulties. The club won the Finnish championship title in...
went bankrupt in early 2005.
History
Porin Palloilijat is the oldest team sports club in Pori being over 85 years old. Bror Weckström had the original idea of forming a new team in Pori and on 16 April 1925 the first meeting of PoPa was held in the café at Pori Theatre.It was decided to form a team called Porin Palloilijat and to make football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
as their main focus. The first Committee members were Erkki Laitinen, J. Kari, Bror Weckström, O. Huhtanen, A. Forsberg and H. Lingvist. In May 1925 the constitution and rules for the clubwere prepared and the team was registered on 13 May 1925. They also included ice-hockey, women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and ice-skating within the club's featured programme. The first chairman was Erkki Laitinen and he was later followed by Veikko Laitinen.
PoPa played their first games at Liisantori and then later at Tiilimäki before moving in 1929 to the football and ice-hockey field at Juhannuslehto. The club later moved to the Herralahti football ground.
PoPa had a rich early history playing 10 seasons in the Suomisarjaa (Finland League) which at that time was the second tier of Finnish football
Finnish football league system
The Finnish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Finland. The three highest levels are managed by the Finnish FA while the higher leagues are managed by the regional departments of the FA.-The system:...
in 1937-39 and 1945-51.
They have had three periods covering 7 seasons in the Kakkonen
Kakkonen
Kakkonen is the third tier of the Finnish football league system.-League structure:Kakkonen is divided to three groups of 14 clubs. A club plays each of the others in the same group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a...
(Second Division), the third tier of Finnish football
Finnish football league system
The Finnish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Finland. The three highest levels are managed by the Finnish FA while the higher leagues are managed by the regional departments of the FA.-The system:...
in 1989, 2002–03 and 2005-08.
FC PoPa Oy have taken over the responsibility for the sport and financial operation of the principal team since 2007. In season 2007 PoPa played in the Kakkonen (Second Division) in the Western Group, reaching second place just one point short from of promotion to the Ykkönen
Ykkönen
Ykkönen is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system , although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland.-Competition:...
(First Division). In 2008 the team went one better winning the Western Group of Second Division in a crushing manner and were promoted to the Ykkönen for 2009.
The club maintained their rapid progress in 2009 by finishing 4th in the Ykkönen and are well on target of bringing Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
football back to Pori. The key people behind the initiative are Antti Sumiala (sport and managing director), Rami Nieminen (manager / marketing executive), Pertti Lundell (coach) and Risto Puustinen (coach).
From the beginning, the focal point of new Executive Board has been raising the football in Pori and Satakunta back to the top level in Finland. The strategy of FC PoPa is to play attacking and entertaining football, to develop young, talented players for the use of FC PoPa and to sell the most talented players to the foreign professional clubs.
Divisional Movements since 1930
Second Level (12 seasons): 1937-39, 1945–51, 2009–present dayThird Level (7 seasons): 1989, 2002–03, 2005-08
Season to season
| class="wikitable"> | ||||||
| Season | Level | Division | Section | Administration | Position | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Satakunta District (SPL Satakunta) | 3rd | ||
| 2001 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Satakunta District (SPL Satakunta) | 1st | Promoted | |
| 2002 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen (Second Division) | West Group | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 5th | |
| 2003 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen (Second Division) | West Group | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 12th | Relegated |
| 2004 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Satakunta District (SPL Satakunta) | 1st | Promoted | |
| 2005 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen (Second Division) | West Group | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd | |
| 2006 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen (Second Division) | Group B | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd | |
| 2007 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen (Second Division) | Group B | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 2nd | |
| 2008 | Tier 3 | Kakkonen (Second Division) | Group B | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 1st | Promoted |
| 2009 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen (First Division) | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 4th | ||
| 2010 | Tier 2 | Ykkönen (First Division) | Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) | 3rd |
- 2 seasons in YkkönenYkkönenYkkönen is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system , although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland.-Competition:...
- 6 seasons in KakkonenKakkonenKakkonen is the third tier of the Finnish football league system.-League structure:Kakkonen is divided to three groups of 14 clubs. A club plays each of the others in the same group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a...
- 1 season in KolmonenKolmonenKolmonen is the fourth highest football league in Finland. The most famous club competing at this level is Helsingin Palloseura who won the Finnish Championship on 9 occasions, the last time being in 1957. They also won the Finnish Cup in 1962...
Club Structure
PoPa currently has 1 men's team. There is also a futsalFutsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team that plays in the Second Division. The club runs one junior football team.
2010 season
PoPa are competing in the YkkönenYkkönen
Ykkönen is the second highest level of the Finnish football league system , although it is the highest league managed by the Football Association of Finland.-Competition:...
(First Division) administered by the Football Association of Finland
Football Association of Finland
The Football Association of Finland is the governing body of football in Finland. It was founded in 1907, and was also the governing body of bandy in Finland until the bandy association, Suomen Jääpalloliitto, was founded in 1972....
(Suomen Palloliitto). This is the second tier of the Finnish football system
Finnish football league system
The Finnish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Finland. The three highest levels are managed by the Finnish FA while the higher leagues are managed by the regional departments of the FA.-The system:...
. In 2009 the team finished fourth position in the Ykkönen.
Current squad for 2011
Notable former players
Lasse Karjalainen Rami Nieminen Mimi SaricMimi Saric
Mislav "Mimi" Saric is an Australian football player who currently plays for South Australian Super League team Adelaide Raiders...
Antti Sumiala Nuri Mustafi Michael Akuffu
Michael Akuffu
Michael Akuffu Mensah is a Ghanaian footballer, who currently plays for Asante Kotoko.- Career :Akuffu began his career by Feyenoord Academy. He is a defending midfielder / right back defender who has enjoyed regular berth with the ASEC Mimosas. After 1 year turned back to Feyenoord Academy, in...
Luiz Henrique Koprowski
Luiz Henrique Koprowski
Luiz Henrique Koprowski is a Brazilian footballer, defensive midfielder. He currently plays for Figueirense Futebol Clube.He started his career playing at Figueirense Futebol Clube's youth division.-External links:* *...
Miguel Reno