Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat

Full name

Nickname(s)

KTP

Founded

22 September 1927

Ground

Arto Tolsa Areena, Kotka, Finland

Capacity

4,780

Chairman

Jarkko Pippola

Manager

Coach

League

11th (relegated via playoffs)

Website

Club home page

Home colours

Away colours

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (abbreviated as KTP) is a Finnish football club based in Kotka, Finland, and currently competing in Finland's second league, Ykkönen. The club was founded in 1927 and its colours are green and white. Immediately after its formation the club joined the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation, to which it still belongs. KTP play its home matches at Arto Tolsa Areena.

History

KTP had a long football traditions centred on its golden age in the early 1950s when the club won two Finnish championships in 1951 and 1952. They also won the Finnish Cup four times, the most recent occasion being in 1980. The club, playing in the renamed Arto Tolsa Areena, were participating in the Veikkausliiga as recently as 2000, but were relegated to Ykkönen and finally went into bankruptcy. The club re-formed and played in the lower divisions before gaining promotion to the Kakkonen in 2007. They spent two seasons in the Kakkonen but were relegated in 2009. In 2010 the club are playing in the Kolmonen and was promoted to Kakkonen where they played 2011–2013.

KTP team which won the Finnish championship in 1951

Season 2014, KTP finished second in Ykkönen, and promoted to Finnish top league Veikkausliiga in season 2015. However, After a difficult 2015 Veikkausliiga season, club finished 11th in the league, and had to play a promotion play-off against PK-35. After a two disappointing performances, club loss in aggregate 3–2, and relegated back to Ykkönen.

The all time Championship appearances and leading goal scorer of KTP is Arto Tolsa with 126 goals in 201 matches.

Formation of FC KTP

During December 2013 a merger took place, as part of which FC KooTeePee adopted the name of FC Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat. As of the 2014 season the merged club were allowed to retain FC KooTeePee's place in the Ykkönen.

Supporters and rivalries

KTPkannattajat is club's supporters association. KTP's closest rival is MYPA. Distance between cities is little over 30 kilometres.

Stadium

Arto Tolsa-Areena

The home venue of the KTP is Arto-Tolsa Arena. It was opened in 1952 and was known as the Kotkan Urheilukeskus, but in 2000 the full renovation of the stadium, name was changed to the Arto Tolsa Arena. At the beginning of the 2015 season, the pitch was converted to an artificial playing surface.

Honours

Honour	Number	Years
Veikkausliiga
Champions	2	1951, 1952
Third Place	2	1947, 1964
Ykkönen
Runners-up	4	1978, 1995, 1996, 1998
Kakkonen
Champions	2	1977, 1993
Runners-up	1	1975
Third Place	3	1974, 1976, 1991
Kolmonen
Champions	3	2005, 2007, 2010
Third Place	3	2002, 2004, 2006
Finnish Cup
Champions	4	1958, 1961, 1967, 1980
Runners-up	3	1965, 1966, 2000
Finnish League Cup
Runners-up	1	1999

European Campaign

KTP have played in Europe on one occasion in the Cup Winners' Cup in the 1981–82 season, having won the Finnish Cup in 1980.

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Score	Agg.
1981–82	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	First round		SC Bastia	0–0, v 0–5	0–5

Divisional Movements since 1930

Top Level (25 seasons): 1948–58, 1963–69, 1979–83, 1999–2000
Second Level (15 seasons): 1943/44, 1959–62, 1970–72, 1978, 1984, 1994–98
Third Level (16 seasons): 1973–77, 1985–93, 2008–09, 2011–
Fourth Level (7 seasons): 2002–07, 2010
Fifth Level (1 season): 2001

Season to Season

Season	Level	Division	Section	Administration	Position	Movements
1948	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	9th
1949	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1950	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1951	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Champions
1952	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Champions
1953	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	8th
1954	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1955	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1956	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
1957	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	8th
1958	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	10th	Relegated
1959	Tier 2	Suomisarja (Division Two)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1960	Tier 2	Suomisarja (Division Two)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1961	Tier 2	Suomisarja (Division Two)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1962	Tier 2	Suomisarja (Division Two)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
1963	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1964	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1965	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	8th
1966	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1967	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
1968	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	9th
1969	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	11th	Relegated
1970	Tier 2	Suomisarja (Division Two)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1971	Tier 2	Suomisarja (Division Two)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1972	Tier 2	Suomisarja (Division Two)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	10th	Relegated
1973	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1974	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1975	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1976	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1977	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
1978	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd	Promoted
1979	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	8th
1980	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1981	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1982	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	9th
1983	Tier 1	SM-Sarja (Division One)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	12th	Relegated
1984	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	12th	Relegated
1985	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1986	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1987	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	10th
1988	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	8th
1989	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	4th
1990	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th
1991	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd
1992	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
1993	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	East	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	1st	Promoted
1994	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	10th
1995	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1996	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)	South Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	2nd
1997	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)	South Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd	Promotion Group – 4th
1998	Tier 2	Ykkönen (First Division)	South Group	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	3rd	Promotion Group – 2nd – Promoted
1999	Tier 1	Veikkausliiga (Premier League)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	7th
2000	Tier 1	Veikkausliiga (Premier League)		Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	12th	Relegated
2001	Tier 5	Nelonen (Fourth Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	1st	Promotion Group – 1st – Promoted
2002	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	3rd
2003	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	6th
2004	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	3rd
2005	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	1st	Playoff Group C
2006	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	3rd
2007	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	1st	Promoted
2008	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group A	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	5th
2009	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group A	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	12th	Relegated
2010	Tier 4	Kolmonen (Third Division)		South-East Finland (SPL Kaakkois-Suomi)	1st	Promoted
2011	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Group A	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	11th	Relegation Playoff
2012	Tier 3	Kakkonen (Second Division)	Lohko Itä (Eastern Group)	Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)	6th

25 seasons in Veikkausliiga / SM-Sarja
16 seasons in Ykkönen / Suomisarja
18 seasons in Kakkonen
7 seasons in Kolmonen
1 season in Nelonen

Club Records

Most Championship (SM-sarja) matches: Arto Tolsa, 201 games between 1963–1981
Most goals in Championship (SM-sarja): Arto Tolsa, 126 goals in the years 1963–1981
Most goals in one season in Championship (SM-sarja) league matches: Arto Tolsa, 26 goals in season 1964
Home Match attendance record: 6,325 spectators in a match in 1981 against Kuopion Pallotoverit
Biggest win a Championship (SM-sarja) match: 8–0 home to Valkeakosken Haka in 1952
Biggest defeat in a Championship (SM-sarja) match: 1–8 away to Turun Palloseura in 1969

Attendances since 1994

Season	Average	In all	Division
1994	497	6,455	First Division
1995	795	10,330	First Division
1996	943	13,205	First Division
1997	1,065	14,912	First Division
1998	1,325	18,552	First Division
1999	3,104	43,469	Premier League
2000	1,524	24,387	Premier League
2008	461	5,992	Second Division
2009	414	4,143	Second Division
2014	2,248	31,469	First Division

First Team Managers since 1980

Kalervo Paananen (1980–82)
Stanislav Sobczynski (1983)
Jouko Alila (1984–88)
Czeslaw Boguszewicz (1989–91)
Pekka Ihonen (1992)
Heikki Immonen (1993–94)
Markku Wacklin (1995–96)
Olli-Pekka Smal (1997–98)
Hannu Touru (1999–2000)
Jouko Alila (2000)
Risto Inkeroinen (2001)
Vesa Laurikainen (2003–04)
Jouko Alila (2005–06)
Jouko Alila (2008)
Marko Honkanen (2009)
Tommi Keveri (2010)

Current squad

As of 21 April 2016.^[1]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Jere Pyhäranta
2	DF	Topi Pasi
3	DF	Juuso Salonen
4	MF	Shane McFaul
5	DF	Sebastian Dolivo
7	MF	Matias Lindfors
8	MF	Ville Oksanen
9	FW	Niko Ikävalko
10	FW	Jussi Aalto
11	DF	Janne Veija

No.	Position	Player
13	DF	Giorgi Ositashvili
14	FW	Oskari Kekkonen
15	FW	Kaarel Usta
16	DF	Teemu Honkaniemi
18	FW	Aleksi Tarvonen
19	MF	Isaac Kannah
20	MF	Valeri Minkenen
22	FW	Markus Jääskeläinen
31	GK	Sauli Kilpeläinen
32	GK	Tatu Niskanen

References and sources

Veikkausliiga · 2016

FC Inter FC Lahti HIFK HJK IFK Mariehamn Ilves KuPS PK-35 Vantaa PS Kemi RoPS SJK VPS

Top division football seasons in Finland

Mestaruussarja	1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

Veikkausliiga	1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Football in Finland

Football in Finland

Football Association of Finland

National teams

League system

Men:	Veikkausliiga (tier 1) Ykkönen (tier 2) Kakkonen (tier 3) Kolmonen (tier 4) Nelonen (tier 5) Vitonen (tier 6) Kutonen (tier 7) Seiska (tier 8)

Women:	Naisten Liiga (tier 1) Naisten Ykkönen (tier 2) Naisten Kakkonen (tier 3) Naisten Kolmonen (tier 4) Naisten Nelonen (tier 5)

District Associations

Domestic cups

Finnish Champions in Football

1908: Unitas
1909: Polytechnics Sports Club
1910: ÅIFK
1911: HJK
1912: HJK
1913: Kiffen
1914
1915: Kiffen
1916: Kiffen
1917: HJK
1918: HJK
1919: HJK
1920: ÅIFK
1921: HPS
1922: HPS
1923: HJK
1924: ÅIFK
1925: HJK
1926: HPS
1927: HPS
1928: TPS
1929: HPS
1930: HIFK
1931: HIFK
1932: HPS
1933: HIFK
1934: HPS
1935: HPS
1936: HJK
1937: HIFK
1938: HJK
1939: TPS
1940: Sudet
1941: TPS
1942: HT
1943
1944: VIFK
1945: VPS
1946: VIFK
1947: HIFK
1948: VPS
1949: TPS
1950: Ilves-Kissat
1951: KTP
1952: KTP
1953: VIFK
1954: Pyrkivä
1955: Kiffen
1956: KuPS
1957: HPS
1958: KuPS
1959: HIFK
1960: Haka
1961: HIFK
1962: Haka
1963: Reipas Lahti
1964: HJK
1965: Haka
1966: KuPS
1967: Reipas Lahti
1968: TPS
1969: KPV
1970: Reipas Lahti
1971: TPS
1972: TPS
1973: HJK
1974: KuPS
1975: TPS
1976: KuPS
1977: Haka
1978: HJK
1979: OPS
1980: OPS
1981: HJK
1982: Kuusysi
1983: Ilves
1984: Kuusysi
1985: HJK
1986: Kuusysi
1987: HJK
1988: HJK
1989: Kuusysi
1990: HJK
1991: Kuusysi
1992: HJK
1993: Jazz
1994: TPV
1995: Haka
1996: Jazz
1997: HJK
1998: Haka
1999: Haka
2000: Haka
2001: Tampere United
2002: HJK
2003: HJK
2004: Haka
2005: MYPA
2006: Tampere United
2007: Tampere United
2008: FC Inter
2009: HJK
2010: HJK
2011: HJK
2012: HJK
2013: HJK
2014: HJK
2015: SJK

References

↑ "Pasasta Kotkaa". Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (in Finnish). Retrieved 21 April 2016.

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