Union Riga was a football club established in Riga in 1907. It was the winner of the Riga football league in 1910. In the period of independence of Latvia between the World wars Union played in the Latvian Higher League for several years. Being essentially a sports club of Baltic Germans, Union was disestablished in 1939 with the repatriation of Baltic Germans.
The Riga cycling club Union was founded in 1893. A football section of the club was opened in 1907 – shortly after British FC Riga, thus Union was the second football club to be formed on the territory of Latvia. In the first years of its existence there was a tense rivalry between Union and BFC – the former being a mostly German side and the latter – a club for which played entirely Britons. In 1910 Union was one of the three sides to play in the newly founded Riga football league – alongside BFC and Ķeizarmežs (a second German side). BFC won the tournament however the British team was later disqualified and Union declared the winner. [1] Union won the first Riga Football Cup that was also played in 1910. Union won the second Riga league title in 1912, it was also twice second in the league – in 1911 and 1915. [2] The most significant prewar-footballers in the Union team were Harold Trevenen Hall and Herberts Baumanis, the former was called "the father of Latvian football", while the latter was later one of the leading football officials in Latvia. Another footballer worth mentioning to play for Union in its early years was Česlavs Stančiks.
Because of World War I and the struggle for independence football ceased to be played regularly in Latvia until 1919–1920. Union was among the sports clubs to be restored in the independent Latvia and it participated in the first restored Riga championship in 1921, however due to an early winter the season was not finished. In the next years competition Union finished fourth in the top tier of the Riga championship (out of 5 teams). Several top players left Union for ASK Riga after the season and the following year Union finished last in the league and was relegated to a lower level.
Union played in the second Riga league division until 1927 when Virsliga was established – a league to hold football clubs from both Riga and other cities of Latvia. Thus the top teams from Class A of Riga league were promoted to Virsliga and Union was among the teams to play in the new Class A. In 1929 Union finished second in Class A (with the same number of points as Riga Wanderer). It gave the club the right to play in play-offs for a spot in the expanded Virsliga. Union won its play-off matches and was to compete in Virsliga for the first time in 1930.
In its first year in the top league Union finished fourth (it was in the second place in the league after the first half of the season) and improved by one position the next year – winning its one and only Latvian league medals. [3] The following years the clubs fortune started to decline and in 1935 it faced relegation from Virsliga after an especially disappointing season. Union played in the Riga first league until 1939 when the club was disbanded when Baltic Germans repatriated to Germany. [4]
There were several players from Union who played for Latvia national football team however out of those several stand out – Jānis Bebris was one of the all-time best Latvian goalkeepers who later played in the French Division 1 after World War II. Bebris played for Union for three years – from 1933 to 1935. Another significant footballer to play for Union was Vladimirs Bērziņš – one of the most capped pre-war Latvian footballers (he played with Union for 2 years – from 1925 to 1926). However the symbol of Union's football club was Ēriks Skadiņš who represented it through all the hardships of the clubs life, giving more than 15 years of his life to the side, [5] representing it from 1922 to 1939.
Latvian Higher League or Virslīga, known for sponsorship reasons as Optibet Virslīga since 2019, is a professional football league and the top tier of association football in Latvia. Organised by the Latvian Football Federation, the Higher League is contested by 10 clubs.
FK Liepājas Metalurgs was a Latvian football club in the city of Liepāja and playing in the Virslīga. They played at the Daugava Stadium. In 2005 Liepājas Metalurgs became the first team other than Skonto Riga to win the Virslīga since the league restarted in 1991. After the 2013 league season the club was dissolved due to the bankruptcy of its sole sponsor metallurgical plant Liepājas Metalurgs. The club was replaced by FK Liepāja, founded in 2014.
The Latvia men's national basketball team represents Latvia in international basketball. They are organized and run by the Latvian Basketball Association. Latvia has reached the European Basketball Championship 15 times, with their ultimate success occurring during the inter-war period, when they became the first team to win the tournament in 1935. Four years later, they had another impressive run to come away with the silver in 1939. Although after 1939, Latvia were forced to suspend their national team operations, due to the Occupation of the Baltic states during World War II. Latvia regained independence in 1991, with their national team taking part in international competition once again a year later.
RAF Jelgava was a Latvian football club based in Jelgava.The foundation of the club is considered in 1988 and for the first two years there were two teams of RAF Jelgava which in 1990 merged into one. One of those played in the lower Soviet leagues, the other – in the Latvian league.
Riga FK was a Latvian football club which was founded December 14, 1923. It was the strongest and most popular Latvian football club in the 1920s and 1930s, it was also the base team for the Latvia national football team in its early years. It disbanded after World War II.
VEF Rīga is a Latvian professional basketball team that is based in Riga, Latvia. VEF Rīga is a ten-time Latvian Basketball League champion.
Viktors Ņesterenko is a Latvian football coach and former player.
FK ASK Riga was a Latvian football club of the Latvian army, founded in 1923. In the 1920s and 1930s it was one of the leading clubs in Latvia. In 1940s it was disbanded, a new football club of the Soviet army was created in Riga under the name FK AVN, later AVN was renamed to ASK. It became defunct in 1970.
Jānis Anatolijs Bebris was a Latvian footballer and ice hockey player. He was the main goalkeeper of Latvia national football team in the closing years of the 1930s, and represented Latvia at the 1936 Winter Olympics. After World War II, Bebris played in West Germany and France.
Ēriks Raisters was a Latvian footballer who played as a forward. He made 27 international appearances for the Latvia national team between 1934 and 1940.
Vladimirs Bērziņš was a Latvian football midfielder and manager, one of the most capped footballers in pre-war Latvia.
Česlavs Stančiks was a Latvian footballer. In 1939 he resettled in Germany as part of resettlement of all Baltic Germans.
Karlis Arvīds Jurgens was a Latvian footballer, ice hockey, basketball and bandy player who play played for Latvia national teams in all four of these sports. He was one of the best all-around Latvian sportsmen.
Harijs Fogelis was a Latvian footballer who played as a forward.
Riga Vanderer was a Latvian football club that was founded in 1927, disbanded in 1940, restored a year later and disbanded again in 1944.
BK Valmiera, named Valmiera Ordo for sponsorship reasons, was a professional basketball club based in Valmiera, Latvia which played in the Latvian Basketball League and Baltic Basketball League. Since 2018 the club is on hiatus. In the 2015-2016 season finals, Valmiera Ordo won its first and only national championship, beating VEF Rīga in a seven-game series. Valmiera is a three-time LBL bronze medal winner, attaining the distinction in 2003, 2005, and 2013, with coach Varis Krūmiņš.
The 1939–40 football season was the 13th season of the Latvian Virsliga. It was also the last season of football in independent Latvia before its annexation by the Soviet Union.
The 2012 Latvian Higher League was the 21st season of top-tier football in Latvia. It began on 24 March 2012 and ended on 10 November 2012. FK Ventspils are the defending champions.
The 2013 Latvian Higher League was the 22nd season of top-tier football in Latvia. FC Daugava were the defending champions. The season started on 29 March 2013.
