In 1930 league format was used for the first time to decide the Finnish champion. Before that (1908-1929) the championship was decided by cup competition. The league was dominated by clubs from Helsinki, Turku and Vyborg. The first champion was HIFK Fotboll from Helsinki. In 1935, the four best clubs were from Helsinki; and in 1934 and 1936 the top three clubs also came from Helsinki. From 1908 to 1940, the championship went outside Helsinki on only six occasions. Kuopio was the first inland city to get into the league when Pallotoverit were promoted in 1938. During World War II years the league was sometimes cut short, abandoned or decided with cup competition instead. In 1940s TUL clubs also participated.
The last Mestaruussarja season was 1989 and FC Kuusysi was crowned as the last champions. The new top level division was at first called SM-liiga and later renamed as Veikkausliiga.
Mestaruussarja consisted of 8 clubs when it was founded. It was later expanded to ten and at the time of dissolution league had 12 clubs. The league's popularity peaked in the 1960s. Ten HJK matches between 1964 and 1969 had more than 10,000 spectators. The highest attendance was 17,293 between HJK and FC Haka in 1965. The highest average attendance was 3,071 in 1967, a figure that is yet to be beaten by the current Veikkausliiga.
FC Haka is a Finnish football club based in the industrial town of Valkeakoski. It competes in Finland's premier division of football, Veikkausliiga. It is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine Finnish championships and 12 Finnish Cup wins.
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi, commonly known as HJK Helsinki, or simply as HJK, is a Finnish football club based in Helsinki. The club competes in Veikkausliiga, the top division of the Finnish football league system. Founded in 1907, the club has spent most of its history in the top tier of Finnish football. The club's home ground is the 10,770-seat Bolt Arena, where they have played their home games since 2000.
Aki Pasinpoika Riihilahti is a retired Finnish footballer. He is known as a hard working, defensive midfielder. He is now working as the CEO of HJK Helsinki. He was voted by leading European clubs to be the vice-chairman of European Club Association (ECA) and has also important positions both at UEFA and FIFA.
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, the highest tier of the Finnish football league structure, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name. Veikkausliiga was founded in 1990; before that the top division was called Mestaruussarja since 1930 which was an amateur or semi-professional league. Between 1908 and 1930 the championship was decided as a knock-out cup competition.
Kuopion Palloseura is a Finnish football club based in Kuopio. KuPS plays in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga.
Toni Koskela is a Finnish football manager and former player. He most recently managed Cypriot First Division club AEL Limassol. After a short professional career, he has managed three Finnish teams, including HJK. He had to retire from his footballing career in 2009, aged 26, due to numerous knee injuries.
Antti Muurinen is a Finnish football coach.
FC Kuusysi is a football club in Lahti, Finland. Its men's team is currently playing in the fourth tier of Finnish football (Kolmonen), and its women's team is playing in Kakkonen. The homeground of FC Kuusysi is Lahden kisapuisto.
Helsingin Palloseura (HPS) (English: Helsinki Ball Game Club) is a sports club from Helsinki, Finland established in 1917. HPS has been active in several sports including bandy, ice hockey, football, handball and basketball.
The 2001 season was the 71st completed season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Veikkausliiga. At the same time it was the 12th season of the Veikkausliiga.
The 2002 season was the 72nd completed season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Veikkausliiga. At the same time it was the 13th season of the Veikkausliiga. This season three teams could promote from the 2nd division and only one would relegate, because the Veikkausliiga would extend its number of participating teams from 12 to 14, starting the 2003 season.
The 2003 season was the 73rd completed season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Veikkausliiga. At the same time it was the 14th season of the Veikkausliiga.
Hangö Idrottsklubb is a sports club from Hanko, Finland. The club was founded in 1903. It is best known for its football team which has played one season in the Finnish premier division Mestaruussarja, in 1962, and a number of seasons in the second tier Ykkönen. Their home ground is located at the Rukki Arena. The club also has activities in handball, athletics, table tennis and powerlifting.
Finnish Cup 2009 was the 55th season of the main annual football (soccer) cup competition in Finland. It is organized as a single-elimination knock–out tournament.
2010 Finnish Cup was the 56th season of the main annual football (soccer) cup competition in Finland. It was organized as a single-elimination knock–out tournament.
Kronohagens Idrottsförening is a sports club from Helsinki, Finland. The club was founded on 27 September 1908, and has been mainly known for the achievements of its association football and handball teams. In the past the club also played at the top level in ice hockey and has won the Kalevan malja in athletics. Other sports that the club participates include shooting, bandy, bowling, and boxing.
Sudet is a sports club from Kouvola, Finland, playing bandy and association football. The club was formed in 1912 and was based firstly in Viipuri (Vyborg), then in Helsinki, before finally moving to Kouvola.
HIFK Fotboll or IFK Helsingfors, was the association football section of HIFK, a sports club based in Helsinki, Finland. The men's football team most recently competed in the second tier of Finnish football, Ykkönen. Their home ground was the Bolt Arena. The team operated from 1897 to 2024 and was dissolved due to bankruptcy.
The Stadin Derby, or The Helsinki Derby, is the name for a Helsinki association football fixture played between HIFK Fotboll and HJK Helsinki. The name of the derby derives from the common slang word nickname for Helsinki (Stadi), widely used by the locals. Both the teams play at the highest level of football in Finland, in Veikkausliiga. Before 2015, the clubs had not faced each other at the highest level since 1972 when HIFK got relegated from the top league, which was then known as Mestaruussarja.
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