Laajasalon Palloseura (abbreviated LPS) is a football club from Laajasalo, Helsinki in Finland. The club was formed in 1978 and their home ground is at the Laajasalon urheilupuisto. The men's first team currently plays in the Kolmonen (Third Division). The Chairman of LPS is Timo Viheriäranta.

Laajasalon Palloseura
Full nameLaajasalon Palloseura
Nickname(s)LPS
Founded1978; 46 years ago (1978)
StadiumReilusti parempi Saari areena
ChairmanTimo Viheriäranta
Head CoachMichael O'Neill
CoachMichael O'Neill
LeagueKolmonen
20235th – Kolmonen (Group B)
WebsiteClub website

Background edit

The club held their inaugural meeting on 11 September 1978 and 14 people attended who were interested in football. For the early part of their history LPS spent many seasons in the lower divisions of the Finnish football league. In 2003 LPS won their Kolmonen section and subsequently played 10 consecutive seasons in the Kakkonen (Second Division), the third tier of Finnish football from 2004 before being relegated in 2013. The most successful season was in 2007 when LPS finished fourth in their section.[1]

The club finished 5th, 4th and 5th in the first three years back in Kolmonen. 2017 was looking to be another frustratingly inconsistent year after picking up 7 points from the first 4 games only to go on an incredible run of 16 consecutive wins, which saw them go into the penultimate round of the season on October 1st, 4 points ahead of league rivals and second place NJS, who were the last team to stop them winning in a 0-0 draw on May 12th. A shock 4-0 defeat against TuPS still had them 1 point ahead, with the final match a home tie against Reipas who ended up finishing a distant 3rd, 19 points behind LPS.

LPS trailed 2-0 at half-time but managed to recover to 2-2 in the 84th minute, only to have a man sent off a minute later and unable to find the third goal to win the game and win the league. LPS were promoted to the Kakkonen in 2nd place but would return to the Kolmonen immediately, finishing bottom of the league. Upon return to the Kolmonen, the highest league finishes were third in 2019 and 2022, but both some way off the league winners, 15 and 10 points away respectively.

Season to season edit

Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
1980 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 7th
1981 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 12th Relegated
1982 Tier 6 V Divisioona (Fifth Division) Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki) 4th
1983 Tier 6 V Divisioona (Fifth Division) Group 2 Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki) Promoted
1984 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 4th
1985 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 6th
1986 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 2nd
1987 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 9th
1988
1989
1990 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 9th
1991 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 7th
1992 Tier 5 IV Divisioona (Fourth Division) Group 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 8th
1993 Tier 5 Nelonen (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 4th
1994 Tier 5 Nelonen (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 7th
1995 Tier 5 Nelonen (Fourth Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) 12th Relegated
1996 Tier 6 Vitonen (Fifth Division) Upper Group Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki) 5th
1997
1998 Tier 5 Nelonen (Fourth Division) Group 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa(SPL Helsinki) Promoted
1999 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 8th
2000 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 7th
2001 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki)
2002 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) 2nd
2003 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) 1st Promoted
2004 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th
2005 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 6th
2006 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 8th
2007 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 4th
2008 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9th
2009 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th
2010 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th
2011 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th
2012 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Eastern Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 8th
2013 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Froup Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th Relegated
2014 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 5th
2015 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 4th
2016 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 5th
2017 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 2nd Promoted
2018 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 12th Relegated
2019 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group 2 Helsinki(SPL Helsinki) 3rd
2020 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group A Helsinki(SPL Helsinki) 8th/18
2021 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group B Helsinki(SPL Helsinki) 6th/12
2022 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group C Helsinki(SPL Helsinki) 3rd/12
2023 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Group B Helsinki(SPL Helsinki) 5th/12

Club Structure edit

LPS currently has 3 men's teams for competitive soccer and 2 men's teams for hobbysoccer. For women LPS has one competitive soccer team and one team for hobbysoccer. In addition there is a junior section with 8 boys teams and 3 girls teams providing football for approximately 300 youngsters. The club runs a partseason soccer school at summer and a school for juniors to improve their soccerskills.

The most successful junior team is the B93 -team that plays at the second highest level in Finland, in 1st Division (B-poikien ykkönen) starting autumn 2010.

Kuninkaat edit

The second ranked men's team is Kuninkaat who currently play under the flag of LPS. The team have excelled at futsal.

2010 season edit

LPS Men's Team are competing in Group A (Lohko A) of the Kakkonen administered by the Football Association of Finland (Suomen Palloliitto) . This is the third highest tier in the Finnish football system. In 2009 Laajasalon Palloseura finished in tenth position in their Kakkonen section.

LPS / Kuninkaat are participating in Section 2 (Lohko 2) of the Nelonen (Fourth Division) administered by the Helsinki SPL.

LPS / 2 are participating in Section 4 (Lohko 4) of the Kutonen (Sixth Division) administered by the Helsinki SPL. In 2009 LPS/2 were relegated from their Vitonen (Fifth Division) section.

Current Squad for the 2012 season edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   FIN Niko Ruuth
2 DF   RWA Said Ndikumana
3 DF   FIN Juha Leukkunen
4 FW   COD Erick Dibwe Mupemedi
5 MF   FIN Teemu Kankkonen
6 DF   FIN Patrik Borg
7 FW   FIN Niko Haiko
8 FW   FIN Jamy-Tommy Viljamaa
9 MF   FIN Georgios Mainas
10 FW   FIN Tero Viheriäranta
11 FW   FIN Jonathan Hyvärinen
12 MF   FIN Topias Hänninen
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW   TUN Mike Tajini
15 MF   FIN Jukka Markkanen
16 DF   FIN Nico Siekkinen
18 DF   FRA Didier Emmanuel
19 FW   FIN Niko Saukkonen
20 MF   FIN Juhani Koivuranta
21 FW   FIN Kim Tallberg
22 MF   FIN Jani Nuutinen
23 FW   FIN Jonathan Korhonen
24 DF   FIN Joni Ruuth
DF   MYA Kyaw San Chit
32 GK   FIN Jussi Hämäläinen

References and sources edit

Footnotes edit

  1. ^ "Finland – Divisional Movements 1930–2009". RSSSF. 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.