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FC Kuusysi (; Finnish for ''FC sixty-nine'') is a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club in
Lahti Lahti (; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Päijät-Häme. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lahti is approximately , while the Lahti sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is the mo ...
,
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. Its men's team is currently playing in the fourth tier of Finnish football (''
Kolmonen Kolmonen or III divisioona is the fifth level in the Finnish football league system, league system of Finnish football and comprises 108 Finland, Finnish football (soccer), football teams. The III divisioona was introduced in 1973 and in the mi ...
''), and its women's team is playing in
Kakkonen Kakkonen or II divisioona is the fourth level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. Until the end of 2023, ''Kakkonen'' was the third-highest level in Finland, but after the creation of new second-t ...
. The homeground of FC Kuusysi is Lahden kisapuisto.


Synopsis

The club was founded in 1934 with the name Lahden Pallo-Miehet ('Lahti Ball Men'). It used this name until 1963, when the name was changed into Upon Pallo, having by then a connection with UPO, a
white goods A major appliance is a non-portable or semi-portable machine used for routine housekeeping tasks such as cooking, washing laundry, or food preservation. Such appliances are sometimes collectively known as white goods, as the products were tradi ...
company from Lahti. Six years later (1969) the name was again changed, into ''Lahti-69'', which soon was moulded into Kuusysi ('sixty-nine'). When this later was adopted as the official name of the club, it was natural that another nickname soon came to be used, this time Kyykkä. The club has won five men's Finnish championships, four times when the top flight was still called
Mestaruussarja Mestaruussarja (Championship series) was the top division of Finnish football from 1930 to 1989. It was replaced by Veikkausliiga in 1990. In 1930 league format was used for the first time to decide the Finnish champion. Before that (1908-1929) ...
, and once during
Veikkausliiga Veikkausliiga () is a professional association football league in Finland and the highest level of the Finnish football league system. The league comprises the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agenc ...
. It has also twice won the
Finnish Cup The Finnish Cup (; ) is Finland's main national cup competition in football. This yearly competition is open for all member clubs of the FA of Finland and has been played since 1955. The winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League ...
. Their best result in European competitions is the quarterfinals of the
1985–86 European Cup The 1985–86 European Cup was the 31st season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football competition. The European Champion Clubs' Cup was won by Steaua București on penalties in the final against Barcelona. Steaua București became t ...
. After the
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
season, the men's team merged with that of Reipas Lahti, giving rise to the current club
FC Lahti FC Lahti is a Finnish professional football club based in the city of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish second tier Ykkösliiga, after relegating from Veikkausliiga after the 2024 season. The homeground of Lahti is Toolpoint Arena. La ...
. In 9 September, 2024, after signed a merger agreement, whereby the operations of Reipas Lahti and Kuusysi will be transferred to
FC Lahti FC Lahti is a Finnish professional football club based in the city of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish second tier Ykkösliiga, after relegating from Veikkausliiga after the 2024 season. The homeground of Lahti is Toolpoint Arena. La ...
, the club was announced, that it will henceforth be known as FC Lahti/69.


History


Founding of the club

The first club to begin to play football in Lahti was Lahden Ahkera (founded 1907), which started its team in 1908. However, they had little activity during the first years, and the team really picked up only after the independence of Finland in 1917. In 1922, Ahkera played its first official match, in which it lost to the Kouvolan Urheilijat Ball Men, the score being 1–3. In 1931 Ahkera decided to begin a separate section for football, after which football activity in the vicinity began to pick up, when Ahkera played against the other clubs of the town. Three years later the pressure for founding a specialised club for football began to increase, and thus in the spring of 1934 there was a meeting in a café called Häme in Lahti, in which a proper football club was founded. After a meeting that lasted two hours, a new club was founded, with the name Lahden Pallo-Miehet ('Lahti Ball Men'). The newly founded club decided to put special emphasis on football propaganda directed at boys. Lahden Pallo-Miehet played its first official match in July 1934 against Heinolan Isku. It ended in a goalless draw, in front of some 500–600 spectators. In August, the club faced the third team of
Helsingin Palloseura Helsingin Palloseura (HPS) () is a sports club from Helsinki, Finland established in 1917. HPS has been active in several sports including bandy, ice hockey, football, handball and basketball. Historically, HPS men's team is one of the most suc ...
of
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
and lost to them, the score being 10–1. However, in the next match the club met with its first victory. A year after its founding, the club already had 300 members, although this figure also included those who played
bandy Bandy is a winter sport and ball sport played by two team sport, teams wearing Ice skates#Bandy skates, ice skates on a large ice surface (either indoors or outdoors) while using sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal. The playin ...
, which was the winter sport of the club.


First medal achieved with boys' A team

For the 1936 season, the Pallo-Miehet team was given a face lift, in that it now consisted of younger players than before. Soon the previous dismal results gave way to losses in matches in which the team did have a chance, and it also achieved a few wins. For the 1939 season, it was decided to expand the
Suomensarja Suomensarja (sometimes also ''Suomi-sarja'') (‘Finland Series’) was the second highest level of league format association football in Finland from 1936 to 1972. Before the inauguration of the Suomensarja, there had been, in 1930–1935, spec ...
, or second level of football in Finland, and Pallo-Miehet was accepted into this competition. The club participated in the Western section, group 2, of this competition, where it played 12 matches and finished sixth, second from bottom. In the twelve matches, the team managed to win two, both of them against Heinolan Isku from neighbouring
Heinola Heinola () is a town and a municipality of inhabitants () located in the eastern part of the Päijänne Tavastia region, Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to t ...
. After the
Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...
, the number of the teams was reduced, and Pallo-Miehet was left outside of the competition. Although the men's team thereafter did not compete in the top level competitions in the country, the club had success in A boys' (U 19) competition. In the 1948 season, the Finnish championship for this age group was decided in a cup format competition. The team of Pallo-Miehet, called the Maila-Pojat ('bat boys'), won its matches in the early rounds against a team from
Käpylä Käpylä (; ) is a neighbourhood of Helsinki with 7,600 inhabitants. Administratively speaking, Käpylä is a part of the Vanhakaupunki district. It is located between Kumpula, Oulunkylä and Koskela. Käpylä has a terminus for route-1 of ...
, a Helsinki residential neighbourhood, and against Myllykosken Pallo. In the semi-finals, faced
HJK Helsinki Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (), commonly known as HJK Helsinki (), or simply as HJK (), is a Finnish football club based in Helsinki. The club competes in Veikkausliiga, the top division of the Finnish football league system. Founded in 1907, the ...
, a match that they won 1–0 on penalties. The final was played in
Pori Pori (; ; ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Satakunta. It is located on the west coast of the country, on the Gulf of Bothnia. The population of Pori is approximately , while the Pori sub-region, sub-region has a population of a ...
, against the local club
Porin Kärpät Porin Kärpät (Finnish language, Finnish for "Pori Stoat, Ermines") was a multi-sport club based in Pori, Finland. The club was founded in 1932, and disestablished in 1960, but was re-established again in 1990 and disestablished in 2011. Kärp ...
. Maila-Pojat already had a 0–2 lead, but in the end they lost with a scoreline of 4–2. The men's team in the meanwhile had found themselves in a play-off match about relegation from the provincial series to a district series, and it was decided to let the A boys' (U 19) team try their hand, in an attempt to see if they would do better than the men's team. The boys lost by one goal, and thus the Pallo-Miehet men's team was relegated to the a district series. Pallo-Miehet expected that the A boys would eventually propel the club into success in men's competitions, but this did not happen. The A boys' (U 19) team soon disintegrated, and the key players joined Reipas Lahti, now relocated from Viipuri, as that club had been promoted into 1950 Suomensarja. However, this turned out to be only a French visit, and ended in relegation, and at the same time, Maila-Pojat were not able to achieve a promotion to the provincial series. However, in 1955 they at last did succeed in this.


Promotion into Suomensarja

The manager of the
Finland national football team The Finland national football team (, ) represents Finland in men's international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland, the governing body for football in Finland, which was founded in 1907. The team ...
, Kurt Weinreich joined the coaching team of Pallo-Miehet before the 1957 season. Under Weinreich's influence, less emphasis was put on fielding strikers, and the season began with clear victories. During the last round of matches, Pallo-Miehet faced HPK of
Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; ; ; or ''Croneburgum'') is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme. It is located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Vanajavesi, Lake Vanajavesi. The population of Hämeenlinna is appr ...
. HPK only needed a draw in order to gain promotion, whereas only a win would do for Pallo-Miehet. The match ended with 2–1 for the Lahti team, which thus was promoted to 1958 Suomensarja. After the promotion into the
Suomensarja Suomensarja (sometimes also ''Suomi-sarja'') (‘Finland Series’) was the second highest level of league format association football in Finland from 1936 to 1972. Before the inauguration of the Suomensarja, there had been, in 1930–1935, spec ...
, the president of the club announced that the next goal was promotion into the
Mestaruussarja Mestaruussarja (Championship series) was the top division of Finnish football from 1930 to 1989. It was replaced by Veikkausliiga in 1990. In 1930 league format was used for the first time to decide the Finnish champion. Before that (1908-1929) ...
, i.e. 'Championship Series.' However, during the following season, the club fielded mostly minors in the men's team, and did not acquire players from any other sources. At the end of the season, the club was left seventh in the series, and was the last team to avoid relegation. However, during the seasons that followed, the Pallo-Miehet was consistently found to be one of the best teams in the series. After the 1959 season, Pallo-Miehet was transferred to the eastern section of Suomensarja, instead of the western section, where their local rivals Reipas Lahti also played. Both teams were among the best in this competition, and at the end of the season Reipas achieved promotion into the Mestaruussarja. In the
1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
and
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
seasons, Pallo-Miehet came second in the eastern section, but they did not gain promotion into the Mestaruussarja.


Financial difficulties and evolving into Upon Pallo

Although the club had considerable success in sports, it found itself in great financial difficulties. In the autumn of 1963, the debts of the club had reached 11 000 Finnish Marks. This situation grew worse due to the clubs activities in
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
, which it had begun at the beginning of that decade, and it was suggested that the club abandon this sport. Pallo-Miehet then turned to the white goods company UPO, and after some negotiations, the company decided to overtake the club in October 1963. In the following month the name of the club was changed into Upon Pallo. The support from UPO made it possible for the club to acquire some well-known names in Finnish football. These included e.g. the Finnish internationals Markku Kumpulampi and
Rauno Kestilä Rauno is an Estonian and Finnish masculine given name, and may refer to: * Rauno Aaltonen (born 1938), Finnish former professional rally driver * Rauno Alliku (born 1990), Estonian professional footballer * Rauno Bies (born 1961), Finnish forme ...
. Also some well established players from
Suomensarja Suomensarja (sometimes also ''Suomi-sarja'') (‘Finland Series’) was the second highest level of league format association football in Finland from 1936 to 1972. Before the inauguration of the Suomensarja, there had been, in 1930–1935, spec ...
joined the club. The new club began the 1964 Suomensarja with a 3–0 victory over Pallo-Pojat, and it went on undefeated until the 13th match of the season. This proved to be the only defeat of the season, and the club secured promotion to
1965 Mestaruussarja Statistics of Mestaruussarja in the 1965 season. Overview It was contested by 12 teams, and Haka Valkeakoski won the championship. League standings Results ReferencesFinland - List of final tables (RSSSF) {{1965–66 in European Football (U ...
in September, when it drew against Herttoniemen Urheilijat. Upon Pallo won its section with a 13-point marginal against the second team in the competition, Sudet from
Kouvola Kouvola () is a city in Finland and the administrative capital of Kymenlaakso. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country. The population of Kouvola is approximately . It is the most populous municipality in Finland, and the 17th m ...
. Under the auspices of UPO, the boys' teams attracted many young players, and in consequence some of them made into the national teams of their age groups. The men's team acquired Finnish international goalkeeper
Lars Näsman Lars Näsman (14 July 1943 – 10 October 1995) is considered one of the best Finland, Finnish football goalkeepers of all time, having been capped for 37 full Finland national football team, international matches. He was voted the ''Player of ...
. In the end the club was left to the relegation zone as the last team to be relegated. For the next season, the club acquired numerous Finnish internationals, e.g. Simo Syrjävaara, Reijo Kanerva, Matti Mäkelä and Pertti Mäkipää. Thanks to these new players, the team won 18 matches and was undefeated, and thus secured promotion back into the Mestaruussarja. However, the club was being criticised about this policy of acquiring new players. The basis of this criticism was the fact that the club would have found players from its own ranks, and yet new players were imported who might even play in a position in which there was no need for new players. Some of these players did not play for the team but rather displayed their individual skills. In spite of everything, Upon Pallo ended up fourth in the 1967 Mestaruussarja. Reipas Lahti were crowned champions, and the biggest ever crowd of spectators were seen in the match between Upon Pallo and Reipas. This match, which ended in a defeat for Upon Pallo was attended by 8 144 spectators. The following season Upon Pallo had a number of younger players in its team, and some of the international players were transferred elsewhere. The 1967 season saw varying results, but in the end the team finished sixth in the series. In October the club played its last match with the name Upon Pallo, against
Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat Kotkan Työväen Palloilijat (abbreviated as KTP) is a Finnish association football, football club based in Kotka, and currently competing in Finland's top-tier, the Veikkausliiga. The club was founded in 1927 and its colours are green and whi ...
of
Kotka Kotka (; ) is a town in Finland, located on the southeastern coast of the country at the mouth of the Kymi River. The population of Kotka is approximately , while the Kotka-Hamina sub-region, sub-region has a population of approximately . It is th ...
.


A short merger with Reipas

The expenses of Upon Pallo were constantly on the increase, which is why UPO wanted to disband the club. At the same time, Reipas was also experiencing financial difficulties, and this situation caused the two clubs to consider a merger. The working name for the club was Lahti-68. In the end, the people involved in backing Reipas did not like this, and they persuaded CEO, Councillor of Mining Arvi Tammivuori of Asko-Upo to let the name of the new club to remain Reipas. This is what then happened, and many people in Upon Pallo decided not to join the new club, as they felt that the people in Reipas were in fact just trying to get rid of their local rival. The main coach of the new club was Raimo Valtonen. Five players from Upon Pallo joined the new club, but many of their fellow players refused to follow them. These players continued their careers in a new club, which was founded to continue the activities of Upon Pallo. This new club was founded just a month before the 1969 Mestaruussarja ('Championship Series') began, and it was given the name ''Lahti-69''. In colloquial speech this turned into ''Kuusysi''. This nickname became the official name of the club in 1974. Lahti-69 was given the place of Upon Pallo in top-flight football, and the new club did not have the financial burdens Upon Pallo. Eero Nopsanen became the manager of the new club. Football was now the only sport of this club, as
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
was not adopted. However, from the point of view of performance, the first season did not meet the club's expectations. Lahti-69 was only tenth in the series, and the last club to cling onto its place in the Mestaruussarja. After this season, the merger with Reipas was officially dissolved, and Lahti-69 and Reipas were again separate clubs. The 1971 season was the first one when Kuusysi did better than Reipas. During this season, Kuusysi was not able to field Hannu Hämäläinen ja Urho Partanen, because Reipas demanded a quarantine fee of 20 000 for them, which Kuusysi could not afford to pay. This was first season, when Kuusysi took the lead in the series. However, any hopes of a gold were buried in September, when the club drew with
Kokkolan Palloveikot KPV (or Kokkolan Palloveikot) is a Finnish football club, based in Kokkola. It currently plays ''Ykkönen'', in Finnish third-tier. The club's head coach is Christian Sund, and it plays its home matches at ''Kokkolan keskuskenttä''. History K ...
. At the end of the season Kuusysi failed to focus on its matches properly, when they had lost sight of their goal, and in the end they finished sixth.


Relegation from top flight

During the
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
and
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
seasons the most important players of the club either ended their careers or transferred to other clubs, and Kuusysi was not able to acquire adequate replacements. In the autumn of 1973 the management of the club decided to let almost all of the players go, except for their biggest star, Raimo Saviomaa. It was decided instead to bring promising but inexperienced young players from its own ranks into the men's team. During the whole of the ensuing 1974 season, Kuusysi stayed near the bottom of the table. Before the last matches, they faced the situation, in which their best prospect was a possible replay about staying in the series, guaranteed only by a win in an away game. However, the season ended in a defeat in the hands of
Mikkelin Palloilijat Mikkelin Palloilijat (or MP) is a Finnish professional football club, based in Mikkeli, that competes in the Ykkönen, the third tier in Finnish football league system. The club was founded in 1929 and also included volleyball, bandy and ice h ...
, 1–0, and thus Kuusysi was relegated to 1. Division. The following season in the second tier did not begin well, since the best players had abandoned the club, and only Saviomaa and the younger players were left. The club was not able to acquire new good players, when the numbers of the spectators at the same time dwindled. However, the various boys' teams of the club did well, as two of them won the Finnish championship in 1975. Now, when Reipas was the only top-flight club in Lahti, Kuusysi contemplated even abolishing its men's team in the autumn of 1976. This, however, did not happen. Towards the end of the 1970s, the various boys' teams of the club won several medals in their competitions. The C-boys (U–16) team even won gold in 1979.


Promotion into the Mestaruussarja under Voutilainen

In the autumn of 1979, the club acquired a new manager, Keijo Voutilainen. Prior to this, he had achieved promotion into the Mestaruussarja with Kuopion Pallotoverit of Kuopio. Under Voutilainen, Kuusysi became known for being a young team that passed the ball skilfully and beautifully. However, the results were disappointing at first, and after six matches in the 1980 season, the club was at the bottom of the table. Voutilainen was already wanting to quit, but the management of the club succeeded in persuading him to stay. After the sixth match, the team began to catch up with the leading teams. Voutilainen gave more playing time to the young players, and in addition to them, two players better known from ice hockey, Kari Eloranta and Harri Toivanen played in the team. In the end, the club finished fourth in the series, and were granted a place in the promotion/relegation group, where it was decided which teams would play in the Mestaruussarja the following season. In the promotion/relegation group Kuusysi finished fifth, when only the first four qualified for the 1981 Mestaruussarja. In the 1981 season Kuusysi won the Preliminary Stage of 1. Division and again qualified for the promotion/relegation group, in which the club ended at the very top. The club also reached the final of the
Finnish Cup The Finnish Cup (; ) is Finland's main national cup competition in football. This yearly competition is open for all member clubs of the FA of Finland and has been played since 1955. The winner qualifies for the UEFA Europa Conference League ...
, where it played against
Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (), commonly known as HJK Helsinki (), or simply as HJK (), is a Finnish Association football, football club based in Helsinki. The club competes in Veikkausliiga, the top division of the Finnish football league system. ...
. The match ended in a comprehensive 4–0 victory for HJK.


Success in the 1980s

Kuusysi started the 1982 Mestaruussarja with high hopes, since it had been able to acquire some high quality players. In the Preliminary Stage, the team stayed close to the leading teams, and in the end finished sixth. In the Championship Stage the other teams were not able to keep up the pace, whereas Kuusysi's results got better and better. Winning the next to last match against
Kokkolan Palloveikot KPV (or Kokkolan Palloveikot) is a Finnish football club, based in Kokkola. It currently plays ''Ykkönen'', in Finnish third-tier. The club's head coach is Christian Sund, and it plays its home matches at ''Kokkolan keskuskenttä''. History K ...
, the club climbed to the top. In the last match Kuusysi played against
Ilves Tampereen Ilves, commonly known as Ilves, (; Finnish language, Finnish for "Eurasian lynx, Lynx") is a Finnish professional ice hockey team based in Tampere. They play in the Liiga at the Nokia Arena (Tampere), Nokia Arena. The colors of Ilves, ...
of
Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...
, and won this match 5–0. Thus the club earned its first Finnish championship. During this decade, financial backing came from businessman Martti Rinta, who in 1982 paid all the debts of the club, which amounted to 600 000 Finnish marks. Thanks to its success in the Finnish cup in the previous season, Kuusysi was granted a place in the
1982–83 European Cup Winners' Cup The 1982–83 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Scottish club Aberdeen in an extra-time victory against Real Madrid. Alex Ferguson's young side defeated the Spanish giants after a notable victory over Bayern Munich in the quarter- ...
, while HJK represented Finland in the
1982–83 European Cup The 1982–83 European Cup was the 28th season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football competition. The tournament was won for the first time by Hamburg, who beat Juventus 1–0 in the final at Athens' Olympic Stadium. It was the firs ...
. In the first round Kuusysi faced
Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...
from
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. The first leg ended in a win for Galatasaray, and in the second leg the result was a draw. Kuusysi lost 2–3 on aggregate. At home in Finland, Kuusysi was fourth in the
1983 Mestaruussarja Statistics of Mestaruussarja in the 1983 season. Overview Preliminary Stage is performed in 12 teams, and higher 8 teams go into Championship Group. Lower 4 teams fought in promotion/relegation group with higher 4 teams of Ykkönen. Ilves Tamper ...
Preliminary Stage, but in the Championship Stage ended up fifth. During that decade Kuusysi participated a number of times in European competitions.
1983–84 European Cup The 1983–84 European Cup was the 29th season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football competition. The tournament was won for a fourth time by Liverpool in a penalty shootout in the final against Roma. The game had finished 1–1. P ...
was the first time in this competition. In the first round Kuusysi faced
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
, losing 0–1 at home and 0–3 away. At home in the 1984 Mestaruussarja the club fared better, finishing third in the Preliminary Stage. The rest of the competition was played in a knock-out fashion, and in the semi-finals Kuusysi faced
FC Haka FC Haka, originally ''Valkeakosken Haka'', commonly known as Haka, is a Finnish professional football club based in the industrial town of Valkeakoski. The club was founded in 1934 and competes in Finland's premier division, the Veikkausliiga. ...
of
Valkeakoski Valkeakoski (; lit. "white rapids") is a town and municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. It is located south of Tampere, north of Hämeenlinna and north of Helsinki in the Pirkanmaa regions of Finland, region. The municipality has ...
. They won 3–2 on aggregate and faced TPS Turku in the finals. When the first leg ended in a 4–0 win and the second leg ended in a draw, it was time for Kuusysi to celebrate their second Finnish championship. In the following season, in the
1984–85 European Cup Winners' Cup The 1984–85 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Everton in the final against Rapid Wien. Everton also won the English Football League that season and would therefore have entered the European Cup the following season. However, ...
, Kuusysi faced
FK Inter Bratislava FK Inter Bratislava () is a football club based in Bratislava, Slovakia, temporarily playing its home matches in Štadion Pasienky. History Inter Bratislava was founded in 1940 by the Apollo refinery (later renamed Slovnaft). Following the end of ...
in the first round. When the first leg ended in a 2–1 win for Bratislava and the second leg in a goalless draw, Kuusysi was eliminated 2–1 on aggregate. At home in the 1985 Mestaruussarja the club did not do as well as the previous season, and it ended up fifth in the Preliminary Stage and thus they were the first teams left outside the play-offs. The greatest success for Kuusysi in Europe took place in the
1985–86 European Cup The 1985–86 European Cup was the 31st season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football competition. The European Champion Clubs' Cup was won by Steaua București on penalties in the final against Barcelona. Steaua București became t ...
. This was the second time in the prime European club competition. In the first round the club faced
FK Sarajevo Fudbalski klub Sarajevo ( sh-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Сарајево; , English language, English: Sarajevo Football Club), is a professional Association football, football Sports club, club based in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosn ...
, winning 2–1 both home and away, and thus 4–2 on aggregate. In the next round they faced
FC Zenit Football Club Zenit (, ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, according to some Russian sources), the club p ...
of
Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
. They took an early lead, but were not able to keep the opponents at bay, and lost 2–1. At home, however, they won 3–1, and thus 4–3 on aggregate and made the last eight, i.e. the quarterfinals. In the draw for the last eight, they were sent against Steaua București. This was a disappointment for the team, as Steaua was virtually unknown in Finland, and they could have faced some much more famous teams. The first leg in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
ended in a goalless draw. Steaua was the dominant team, but goalkeeper
Ismo Korhonen Ismo may refer to: * -ism in Spanish, Portuguese, Esperanto and Italian * Ismo, a brand name for isosorbide mononitrate Isosorbide mononitrate, sold under many brand names, is a medication used for heart-related chest pain (angina), heart failu ...
kept the opponents at bay. The club decided to play the second leg at the
Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium (; ), located in the Töölö district about from the centre of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country. The stadium is best known for being the centre of activities in the 1952 Summer ...
, even though there was already snow on the ground. It was played in front of lopulta 32 552 spectators, which was the record amount for any Finnish club. The match went on goalless until the very last minutes, when Steaua's
Victor Pițurcă Victor Pițurcă (; born 8 May 1956) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player. Club career Victor Pițurcă was born on 8 May 1956 in Orodel, Dolj County, Romania, starting to play football in 1964 at the youth center of U ...
managed to score. Kuusysi had to play without Keijo Kousa, who was injured.
Ismo Lius Ismo Lius (born 30 November 1965) is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a forward. During his club career, Lius played for Kuusysi Lahti, Örgryte IS, HJK Helsinki, RoPS and FC Hämeenlinna. Lius led the league in go ...
and
Markus Törnvall Markus Törnvall (born 31 December 1964) is a Finnish former Association football, football player who played as a midfielder. He was capped 23 times for the Finland national football team, Finland national team, scoring one goal in 1986. Törnv ...
did not play either, because the club had been forced to sell them before these matches. Thanks to this success, the club was able to pay 2 million Finnish marks worth of debts, when the total amount had been 2,3 million. At home in Finland, the
1986 Mestaruussarja Statistics of Mestaruussarja in the 1986 season. Overview It was contested by 12 teams, and Kuusysi Lahti won the championship. League standings Results See also *Ykkönen ''(Tier 2)'' References Finland - List of final tables (RSSSF) ...
ended in another championship for Kuusysi. The
1987 Mestaruussarja Statistics of the Mestaruussarja, the premier division of Finnish football, in the 1987 season. Overview 12 teams performed in the league, and HJK Helsinki won the championship. League standings Results See also *Ykkönen ''(Tier 2)'' ...
ended with Kuusysi achieving silver. They were three points behind champions
HJK Helsinki Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi (), commonly known as HJK Helsinki (), or simply as HJK (), is a Finnish football club based in Helsinki. The club competes in Veikkausliiga, the top division of the Finnish football league system. Founded in 1907, the ...
. At the end of the year Voutilainen was sacked, and a new manager,
Antti Muurinen Antti Muurinen (born 4 March 1954) is a Finnish football coach. Muurinen has been the head coach of the Finland national team. He led Finland in qualifying campaigns for the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup, failing to reach th ...
was brought in, although initially the club had approached
Martti Kuusela Martti Kuusela (born 9 October 1945) is a Finnish football manager and former midfielder. Kuusela enjoyed a moderately successful career as a player in Finland. As a coach, he won the Finnish championship in 1981 and 1990 with HJK Helsinki. H ...
. Before he was sacked, Voutilainen had stated that he was disappointed in the team, and after that the club decided that Voutilainen's best years as a manager were already in the past. The club was experiencing pressures in local competition, when Reipas was performing better with a young, promising player named
Jari Litmanen Jari Olavi Litmanen (; born 20 February 1971) is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or a second striker. He was the first-choice captain of the Finland national team between 1996 and 2008 in an inter ...
. In the European season 1987–1988 Kuusysi participated in the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robi ...
. In the first round the club faced
Neuchâtel Xamax Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel. Since the fusion in 2021 of the municipalities of Neuchâtel, Corcelles-Cormondrèche, Peseux, and Valangin, the city has ap ...
and lost 2–6 on aggregate. At home in the
1987 Mestaruussarja Statistics of the Mestaruussarja, the premier division of Finnish football, in the 1987 season. Overview 12 teams performed in the league, and HJK Helsinki won the championship. League standings Results See also *Ykkönen ''(Tier 2)'' ...
Kuusysi was again second in the Preliminary Stage, and again behind HJK. In the Championship Stage the club remained in the same position and thus were awarded silver at the end of the season. In the 1987 Finnish Cup, however, the club was victorious, and thus they represented Finland in the
1988–89 European Cup Winners' Cup The 1988–89 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won for the third time by Barcelona in the final against Italian entrants Sampdoria. The two sides would meet again in the 1992 European Cup Final, which Barcelona also won. Wimbledon did ...
. The results were disappointing, as the club lost in the first round to
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
. For the 1989 Mestaruussarja season Muurinen was able to put together the team he wanted. The club had a winning streak of 16 games, and they secured the championship in their last game, against TPS Turku before 7 000 spectators.


Financial difficulties in the 1990s and the founding of FC Lahti

In 1990 the Mestaruussarja was discontinued and in its stead the current top-flight competition,
Veikkausliiga Veikkausliiga () is a professional association football league in Finland and the highest level of the Finnish football league system. The league comprises the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agenc ...
, was founded. During
the first season ''The First Season'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 1989. The film stars Kate Trotter as Alex Cauldwell, a woman in British Columbia who, following the death of her fisherman husband Frank (Dwight Koss), tries to support herself and her dau ...
Kuusysi won the preliminary stage and in the play-offs they advanced into the finals, where they met HJK, but lost both legs. During the following season Kuusysi won the championship, with a one-point gap separating them and the second place team
Mikkelin Palloilijat Mikkelin Palloilijat (or MP) is a Finnish professional football club, based in Mikkeli, that competes in the Ykkönen, the third tier in Finnish football league system. The club was founded in 1929 and also included volleyball, bandy and ice h ...
. The championship was secured in the last game, in which Kuusysi beat HJK. In the
1991–92 UEFA Cup The 1991–92 UEFA Cup was the 21st season of Europe's then-tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA. The final was played over two legs at Stadio Delle Alpi, Turin, Italy, and at Olympisch Stadion, Amsterdam, Netherlands. The compe ...
Kuusysi faced in the first round
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
, which had just been freed from a long European ban. The first leg ended in a 6–1 defeat at
Anfield Anfield is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Anfield (suburb), Anfield, Liverpool, England, which has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since its formation in 1892. The stadium has a seating capacity of 61,276, making it the ...
, but Kuusysi won at home 1–0. For the 1992 season Kuusysi acquired the league topscorer of the previous season, Kimmo Tarkkio. He played as a striker together with
Mike Belfield Michael Robert Belfield (born 10 June 1961) in Wandsworth, London, England, is an English retired professional footballer and a football manager who is currently working as a youth coach in Finnish club RiPS. He played as a winger for Wimbledo ...
. HJK ended up as the champions, and Kuusysi won silver. This proved to be the last medal for the club. In December 1992, businessman Martti Rinta, who had financed the club, died. According to his own estimates Rinta had spent several million Finnish Marks on the club. Before he died, Rinta had e.g. paid the remaining 600 000 Mark debt. After Rinta's death the budget of the club had to be rewritten. During the
1993 season The General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its calendar advanced 24 hours to th ...
Kuusysi had plenty of ups and downs, but with a spurt at the end, the club managed to achieve a fourth position. However, for the club this was the first season without a medal for seven years. The 1993–1994 was the last time that Kuusysi participated in European competitions, this time in the
UEFA Cup The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
. In the first round they beat KSV Waregem from Belgium with an aggregate score of 6–1. In the second round they faced
Brøndby IF Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening (, usually abbreviated to Brøndby IF (), is a Danish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Brøndbyvester. Brøndby IF denotes the professional football section of Brøndbyernes ...
from
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, and lost with an aggregate score of 2–7. After this season, manager Antti Muurinen, Muurinen left the club, even though he had a year left of his contract. Jorma Kallio (footaball manager), Jorma Kallio took his place. This move was dictated by financial reasons, and at the same time many of the players either ended their careers or transferred to other clubs. These players were replaced by young players from the club's own ranks. The most important of these young hopefuls were Marko Tuomela and Antti Pohja. Tuomela had already played in the men's team before. For the 1994 Veikkausliiga, 1994 season Kuusysi acquired its first Brazilian players. The team lacked a clear direction, and e.g. for goalkeeping the club tried three different players, of whom Mikko Kavén finally turned out to be the best choice. At the end of the season, the club was ninth in the league. The 1995 Veikkausliiga, following season was the last one for the club in top-flight football. The foreign players were often injured, and when the club found itself lower and lower in the league table, they decided to acquire more new players. These acquisitions were done despite the grim financial situation, and altogether 33 players represented the club during this season. Relegation was a fact after a 1–0 defeat at the hands of Rovaniemen Palloseura in October. During the 1996 Ykkönen, 1996 season the club played in Ykkönen, in its northern section. The club aimed to return to top flight, but in the end they found themselves in the third place in their section. The debts of the club now had risen to one million Finnish Marks, and also local rivals Reipas, likewise now relegated to Ykkönen, was in financial difficulties, and they had no way of achieving promotion back to top flight. There had already earlier in the decade been suggestions about a merger of these two clubs. Now this proposition was reconsidered.
FC Lahti FC Lahti is a Finnish professional football club based in the city of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish second tier Ykkösliiga, after relegating from Veikkausliiga after the 2024 season. The homeground of Lahti is Toolpoint Arena. La ...
was suggestion for a new name, and at the same time it was considered that Kuusysi and Reipas would concentrate in youth work, and it was also suggested that FC Lahti would pay the debts of these two clubs according to a certain timetable. Kuusysi was the first to accept these suggestions, but it took longer for Reipas to be persuaded. Finally in November 1996, FC Lahti was officially founded. The new club was given Kuusysi's place in Ykkönen, and FC Pallo-Lahti took the place of Reipas in
Kakkonen Kakkonen or II divisioona is the fourth level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. Until the end of 2023, ''Kakkonen'' was the third-highest level in Finland, but after the creation of new second-t ...
.


Return to men's competitions

The Lahti club FC City Stars became part of the Kuusysi organisation in the autumn of 2006 (see #Other teams, Other teams) and it played in
Kakkonen Kakkonen or II divisioona is the fourth level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. Until the end of 2023, ''Kakkonen'' was the third-highest level in Finland, but after the creation of new second-t ...
during the seasons 2007–2008 and in 2010. In the 2011 season Kuusysi returned to men's competitions with its own name and colours, taking the place of the City Stars in Kakkonen.


The club


Colours and logos

When Lahden Pallo-Miehet was founded, the official colours were black shorts and an orange jersey, with a black horizontal stripe. When the club's name was changed to Upon Pallo, the colours also were changed. The new colours were blue and white. In the 1990s the club also used yellow jerseys and blue shorts. During the last season in top flight, the team had black shorts. The current logo was designed for the 1971 season by Tuulo Lehtinen.


Stadium

The club began to play in 1934 at the Lahti Radiomäki ('Lahti Radio Hill'), where there was the Radiomäki Sports Ground. From there the club moved to Lahden kisapuisto. For a short while, the club also played at the Lahti Stadium, but it soon returned to Kisapuisto. When the club played in the
1985–86 European Cup The 1985–86 European Cup was the 31st season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football competition. The European Champion Clubs' Cup was won by Steaua București on penalties in the final against Barcelona. Steaua București became t ...
against FCSB, FC Steaua Bucharest, they did so at the
Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium (; ), located in the Töölö district about from the centre of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country. The stadium is best known for being the centre of activities in the 1952 Summer ...
. During the second last season in 1996 Ykkönen, Ykkönen, the club played at the Lahden kisapuisto stadium. The capacity of the Kisapuisto is currently 3 500 spectators. In 1981, the city boasted with the first full size football hall, the Lahti suurhalli, which made it possible for footballers to practise during the winter.


Other teams

Kuusysi became well known for its good work with youth teams. During 1975–1982 the club's youth teams won 16 medals in the series they played. In addition to this, young footballers from Kuusysi played in the boys' and girls' national teams. When the men's team was discontinued, all resources were concentrated in the youth teams. In 2001 Kuusysi was awarded the "Young Finland Seal" for its youth work. In 1977 a sister club, Palloseiskat ('Little Sevens') was founded, so that those youngsters, who did not make the first team, could have a chance to play. At the same time, the youth work was assigned to a section of its own, which made it easier to run the club and to its economic side. The women's team was started in the autumn of 1971. Three years later the financial situation of the club got worse, and the women's team was transferred to Lahden Sampo. In the 1980s and 1990s the Kuusysi Women's Team played on five occasions in top-flight women's football in Finland, but each time they were relegated back to Women's Ykkönen. The latest promotion to the Naisten Liiga, Women's League took place in 2007. However this stint in top flight in 2008 again ended in relegation.


FC City Stars

In 2001 FC Lahti had discontinued its second team, FC Pallo-Lahti. Both Kuusysi and Reipas wanted to have a team that would play in
Kakkonen Kakkonen or II divisioona is the fourth level in the league system of Finnish football and comprises 36 Finnish football teams. Until the end of 2023, ''Kakkonen'' was the third-highest level in Finland, but after the creation of new second-t ...
, so that those young players who were too old for the youth teams would have a team in which to play. However, during that year FC Lahti showed a loss, and they could not finance the operation of this kind of a team. Therefore, in the autumn of 2006, Kuusysi incorporated another Lahti team the City Stars (FC Kuusysi), FC City Stars into its functions. FC Lahti and FC City Stars made a farm team contract, and thus FC City Stars acquired a number of players with experience from top-flight Finnish football. The contract at first was to last until 2008, but the clubs decided to extend it further. City Stars was discontinued in 2010, when Kuusysi took its place in men's competitions.


Rivalries

In the eyes of its supporters, the main rival for Kuusysi was the other big club from Lahti, Reipas. The Lahti derbies were always great events. In the 1980s, however, Kuusysi was so much better, and therefore the players did not get too excited about these matches. For them it was more important to play when they faced HJK Helsinki.


Finnish internationals

The following list consists of players who have played for Kuusysi boys' or men's teams and have later played in the Finland national football team, Finnish national team.


Men's team in the 2016 season

* * * * * * * Dual Registration with
FC Lahti FC Lahti is a Finnish professional football club based in the city of Lahti. It currently plays in the Finnish second tier Ykkösliiga, after relegating from Veikkausliiga after the 2024 season. The homeground of Lahti is Toolpoint Arena. La ...


Managers

Source: Between 1934 and 1952, Kuusysi had several Player-coach#Player-manager, player-managers. Among them were e.g. Erik Tuuha, Juuso Lampila, Veikko Raviniemi and Erkki Kaarivuo. When the club played under the name of Upon Pallo, the directors of the club had the say in who would play for the club, and the managers just had to accept this situation. The most accomplished manager of the club has been Keijo Voutilainen, under whose guidance the club won three Finnish championships.


Statistics


Players

''* Only
Mestaruussarja Mestaruussarja (Championship series) was the top division of Finnish football from 1930 to 1989. It was replaced by Veikkausliiga in 1990. In 1930 league format was used for the first time to decide the Finnish champion. Before that (1908-1929) ...
and
Veikkausliiga Veikkausliiga () is a professional association football league in Finland and the highest level of the Finnish football league system. The league comprises the top 12 clubs of the country. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agenc ...
matches included.''


Honours

*Finnish championship (5) **1982 Mestaruussarja, 1982, 1984 Mestaruussarja, 1984, 1986 Mestaruussarja, 1986, 1989 Mestaruussarja, 1989, 1991 Veikkausliiga, 1991 * Finnish championship runners-up (silver) (4) **1987 Mestaruussarja, 1987, 1988 Mestaruussarja, 1988, 1990 Veikkausliiga, 1990, 1992 Veikkausliiga, 1992 *Finnish Cup (2) **1983 Finnish Cup, 1983, 1987 Finnish Cup, 1987


Kuusysi in European competitions

''*Q = Preliminary round; 1R = First round; 2R = Second round; QF = Quarter-finals; a.e.t. = extra time, After extra time''


Upon Pallo and Kuusysi record on tier 1 and tier 2 in Finland

Sources:


References

* * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kuusysi Fc Football clubs in Finland Association football clubs established in 1934 Sport in Lahti 1934 establishments in Finland