Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat

Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat

Full name	Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat
Nickname(s)	KTP
Founded	22 September 1927
Ground	Arto Tolsa Areena, Kotka, Finland
Ground Capacity	4,780
Chairman	Jarkko Pippola
Manager	Ossi Virta
Coach	Steven Polack
League	Ykkönen
2016	9th (relegated)
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

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

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

First Team Managers since 1980

Current squad

As of 1 September 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 5 DF Sebastian Dolivo 7 MF Matias Lindfors 8 MF Ville Oksanen 9 FW Niko Ikävalko 10 FW Jussi Aalto 11 DF Janne Veija 13 DF Giorgi Ositashvili

No. Position Player 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

• KTP Official Website
• Finnish Wikipedia
• Suomen Cup
• KTP Fans Forum

Football in Finland
Football Association of Finland
National teams	Finland (Women's) U-21 (FU-20) U-19 U-18 U-17
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	Åland FF SPL Helsinki SPL Itä-Suomi SPL Kaakkois-Suomi SPL Keski-Pohjanmaa SPL Keski-Suomi SPL Pohjois-Suomi SPL Satakunta SPL Tampere SPL Turku SPL Uusimaa SPL Vaasa
Domestic cups	Finnish Cup Finnish League Cup Finnish Women's Cup
List of clubs Footballer of the Year List of competitions List of venues

References