# Laajasalon Palloseura

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.

## Background

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.
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 1, 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 12. 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

| 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

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

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

## 2010 season

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

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

* Official Website
* Kuninkaat Website
* Laajasalon Palloseura 2 Website
* Finnish Wikipedia
* Suomen Cup
* Laajasalon Palloseura (LPS) Facebook
* Kuninkaat Facebook
* Laajasalon Palloseura Fan Club Ultras Facebook

## Footnotes

* ↑ "Finland – Divisional Movements 1930–2009". RSSSF. 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.