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
2014	Ykkönen
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.

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 and was promoted to Kakkonen where they played 2011-2013. During December 2013 a merger took place with breakaway club FC KooTeePee, as part of which FC KooTeePee changed their name to FC Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat. Therefore as of the 2014 season KTP will play in the Ykkönen which is the second highest level of Finnish football. FC KooTeePee was originally a reserve team for KTP but became an independent club in 2000. Arto Tolsa Areenas' east side is called O.K Stand. O.K means Ossi Kumpu,who was fanatic,and legendary KTP supporter.

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

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

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 4 DF Mikko Ryhänen 6 DF Erkka Länsimies 7 MF Josh Mulvany 11 MF Kevin Sawchak 13 DF Giorgi Ositashvili 14 MF Olli Kaakinen 16 FW Samuli Kaivonurmi 17 MF Marko Tyyskä 25 DF Henri Järviniemi

No. Position Player 30 GK Ville Särkkä 32 GK Kert Kütt TBA FW Niko Ikävalko TBA MF Ville Oksanen TBA DF Topi Pasi TBA DF Aaro Säämänen TBA MF Aleksi Tarvonen TBA DF Tuomo Turunen

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 (limited compay) 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

References and sources

• KooTeePee Official Website - still in use
• Official Website for FC KTP
• Finnish Wikipedia
• Suomen Cup
• KTP Fans Forum