KOTKA-FINLAND

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat

Full name	Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat
Nickname(s)	KTP
Founded	22 September 1927
Ground	Arto Tolsa Areena, Kotka, Finland
Chairman	Juha Ranta
Manager	Tommi Keveri
Coach	Jukka Piispa Arttur Laine
League	Kolmonen
2009	Kakkonen, 12th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Arto Tolsa Areena

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (abbreviated as KTP) is a sports club located in Kotka, Finland. It has football and basketball sections. 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.

Contents 1 Football 1.1 Honours 1.2 European Campaign 1.3 Divisional Movements since 1930 1.4 Season to Season 1.5 Club Records 1.6 Attendances since 1994 1.7 Notable former players 1.8 KTP's Foreign Players 1.9 First Team Managers since 1980 1.10 2010 season 1.10.1 Players in 2010 2 Basketball 2.1 Honours 3 References and sources

Football

KTP has 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, which is the fourth highest level of Finnish football. FC KooTeePee, which was originally a reserve team for KTP but became an independent club in 2000, is now playing in the Ykkönen.

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

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, 1964, 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
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 25 seasons in Veikkausliiga / SM-Sarja 16 seasons in Ykkönen / Suomisarja 16 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

Notable former players

Arto Tolsa Pertti Vanhanen Mauri Keskitalo Jouko Alila Mika Pulkkinen Jokke Kangaskorpi Miika Juntunen

Martin Reim Toomas Kallaste Augusto Palacios Sukru Uzuner Piracaia Zsolt Petry Oleg Ivanov

[edit] KTP's Foreign Players

Argo Arbeiter (1998-00) Elias Dias de Oliveira (1996) Aleksei Goulo (1997–00) Elkhan Hasanov (1997–00) Urmas Hepner (1992–93) Marcelo Houseman (1982) Oleg Ivanov (2000) Toomas Kallaste (1999–00) Urmas Kirs (1999–00) Sergei Leonov (2000) Meelis Lindmaa (1999)

Augusto Palacios (1982) Zsolt Petry (2000) Piracaia (2000) Lembit Rajala (1999) Martin Reim (1999-00) Mátus Sandor (2000) Stanislaw Sobcynski (1982–84) Sukru Uzuner (1999) Kim Wassell (1988) Rain Vessenberg (1998) Calvin Whitehouse (1988)

[edit] 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 (1999–00) Jouko Alila (2000) Risto Inkeroinen (2001) Vesa Laurikainen (2003–04) Jouko Alila (2005–06) Jouko Alila (2008) Marko Honkanen (2009) Tommi Keveri (2010)

2010 season

KTP are competing in the Kolmonen administered by the Kaakkois-Suomi SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football system.

While the club will not be running a men's second team in 2010, there is a ladies team and a progressive junior section with boys and girls teams.

Players in 2010

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Zurab Talakhadze 2 DF Olli Vainio 3 DF Miikka Länsimies 4 DF Anssi Vanhala 6 MF Jani Lähde 7 FW Joonas Rosenblad 9 MF Antti Väisänen 10 FW Tommi Kuitunen 11 DF Tuomo Paakkari 13 GK Tommi Ropa 14 MF Antti Vesala 15 MF Nikö Bäck 16 DF Toni Klang

No. Position Player 17 FW Pasi Tähkäpää 19 DF Ville Piispa 20 MF Juuso Metsola 21 FW Nico Pietiläinen 22 MF Tomi Grönman 23 MF Antti Hämäläinen 24 FW Mauri Keskitalo 25 FW Henri Seppä 26 FW Lasse Sankala 27 MF Hermanni Peltola 28 MF Arttur Laine FW Niklas Kalatsev

Basketball

KTP also has long-standing basketball traditions. They have won the Finnish championships six times and the Finnish Cup nine times. Nowadays the club mostly concentrates on junior basketball and an independent osakeyhtiö KTP-Basket is playing at the highest level in the Finnish Basketball League.

Honours

• Finnish Championship: 1958, 1967, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994
• Finnish Championship runners-up: 1960, 1961, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990
• Finnish Championship 3rd place: 1957, 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1976, 1982, 1984, 2004
• Finnish Cup 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1993, 2003, 2004