KuPS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| KuPS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Kuopion Palloseura | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Keltamusta (yellowblack) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1923 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Magnum Areena, Kuopio |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 2700 + ca. 800 standing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Ari Lahti | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Kai Nyyssönen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Ykkönen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Veikkausliiga, 13th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kuopion Palloseura (or KuPS) is a Finnish football club, based in the 8th most populated city of Finland, Kuopio. In just recently finished season KuPS played in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga. The club manager was Juha Malinen. KuPS plays its home matches at Magnum Areena. Until June 2005, KuPS used to play at an aged track and field stadium in Väinölänniemi, which is said to be one of the most beautiful sporting places in Finland. Väinölänniemi is a cape surrounded by a local lake, Kallavesi.
The supporters' club of KuPS is called Banzai.
Contents |
[edit] Honors
KuPS was founded in 1923 and holds 4th place in the all-time table of the Finnish Premier League (called Veikkausliiga since 1991).
KuPS have played in the top flight for 50 seasons and claimed five league (1956, 1958, 1966, 1974, 1976), two Finnish Cup (1968, 1989) titles and one Finnish League Cup title (2006). In addition to that KuPS have finished in second place eight times (1950, 1954, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1975, 1977, 1979), third in 1953 and claimed numerous junior titles.
[edit] Seasons 2005 and 2006, pre-season 2007
KuPS returned to the top flight for the 2005 season after a year in the First Division (Ykkönen). They finished the 2005 season in 10th place, easily avoiding the relegation play-off (13th place) and direct relegation (14th place).
On 1st of April 2006 KuPS beat reigning Veikkausliiga champions, MyPa 1-0 in the semi-final of the Finnish League Cup and secured a place in the Finnish League Cup Final. On 12th of April 2006 in Finnair Stadium, Helsinki KuPS beat FC KooTeePee 2-1 in the League Cup Final and ended their 17-year run without titles. However, the club ended the 2006 season in last place, and will be again demoted to Ykkönen for the 2007 season. This resulted in manager Juha Malinen being replaced by his former player/assistant manager Kai Nyyssönen. A former international like Nyyssönen, Harri Ylönen returned in December 2006 to KuPS as player/assistant manager. Reinikainen, Venäläinen and M. Turunen also returned to their home club. Hakasalo and Mäkäläinen are new names. In December 2006 KuPS also lost their skilled Sierraleonese Patrick Bantamoi (to FC Inter Turku) and Medo (to HJK). KuPS and Ghanaian midfielder Seth Ablade parted their ways earlier, with Ablade terminating his contract.
Their reserve team, KuPS Akatemia (tr: KuPS Academy) played in the Second Division Group A (Kakkonen lohko A), but the team was terminated in December 2006 to cut costs and as a replacement, an agreement with Kings Kuopio, which plays also in the Second Division was signed.
[edit] Team for season 2007
|
|
[edit] Notable players
Marcus Gayle (1990, 9 goals in 22 league games, was top goalscorer of the season)
Mart Poom (1992, played in 9 league games)
Aulis Rytkönen (KuPS-icon)
[edit] External links
|
The Finnish Veikkausliiga clubs in 2007
|
 |
|
| Veikkausliiga 2006 Champion: Tampere United FC Haka | FC Honka | HJK | IFK Mariehamn | FC Inter | FF Jaro | FC KooTeePee | FC Lahti | |
