Myllykosken Pallo −47

Myllykosken Pallo −47
Myllykosken Pallo -47 (or MyPa) is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial village of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola. The club temporarily shut down after having ceased operations in 2015 due to financial difficulties, but returned in 2017 earning a place in the fourth tier and won back-to-back promotions to reach the second division in 2019. It then suffered consecutive relegations in 2020 and 2021, ending up in the fourth-tier Kolmonen.
History
MyPa was founded in December 1947 in the village of Myllykoski in the then municipality of Sippola, which in 1975 became part of the town of Anjalankoski and since 2009 is part of Kouvola. Before that there had been some small-scale football culture in Myllykoski, so forming a football club was a natural step. The final move came from the local paper industry, which built a football pitch with spectator stands. MyPa was promoted to the highest tier in 1975, but the season ended in relegation.
Veikkausliiga
MyPa played continuously in the Veikkausliiga from 1992 to 2014. From 1993 to 1996 they were second four times in a row under the control of Harri Kampman. They won a first Finnish Cup in 1992, and a second in 1995. In 1997 Timo Liekoski was named as the manager of the club, but his employment lasted only one season. He was replaced by Juha Malinen. From 1999 to 2001 under the control of Malinen MyPa were third three times in a row, and finished second in 2002. After the 2003 season Malinen was replaced by Ilkka Mäkelä. Though dropping to 8th in the league, in 2004 MyPa won a third Finnish Cup, and the next season won their first Finnish championship. Mäkelä resigned during the 2007 season and the former assistant coach Janne Hyppönen became the new manager. Hyppönen was sacked in September 2008 and assistant Janne Lindberg took over in a caretaker capacity for the rest of the season. MYPA was denied league licence for the 2015 season due to financial troubles, and after having at first accepted a place in the second tier Ykkönen, finally withdrew from all professional football on 13 February 2015.
Return
MYPA made a return in the 2017 season earning a place from Inkeroisten Purha in the fourth tier Kolmonen due to Purha having difficulties gathering a team for the upcoming season.
In the 2017 Kolmonen season MYPA didn't lose a single game and was promoted to third tier Kakkonen. Playing in group A of the second division MYPA continued their positive endeavours and won the group, which granted them a place in the promotion playoffs to Ykkönen. They lost the following playoffs to Tampereen Pallo-Veikot.
Due to PS Kemi relinquishing their place in Ykkönen after getting relegated from Veikkausliiga, MYPA received an invitation to join Ykkönen on their place as first in line for the 2019 season. MYPA accepted the offer and played in Ykkönen for the next two seasons. After struggling on a higher level. MYPA was relegated in the 2020 Ykkönen back to Kakkonen. Losing many key players after getting relegated, MYPA's struggles continued and after the season in Kakkonen was relegated back into Kolmonen. After the season MYPA changed their club name's spelling back into 'MyPa'.
In 2022 on their first season back in Kolmonen, while being heavy favourites for the coming campaign, MyPa was able to stabilize their results and started winning matches more frequently. However due to losing points in key matches through the season, MyPa narrowly missed the promotion playoffs and came second behind Haminan Pallo-Kissat. In 2023 after bringing back many key players from the earlier seasons such as Jari Hassel and Jussi-Pekka Rämä, their results improved and won the league by a large margin. The championship granted them a direct promotion to Kakkonen for the 2024 season with Rämä being the top goalscorer of the league with 31 goals in 17 matches.
International achievements
MyPa has participated in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup and Intertoto Cup. It has faced many clubs like Boavista, PSV Eindhoven, Rapid București, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Dundee United. In 2005 they reached the first round of UEFA Cup but lost the decisive match against Swiss side Grasshoppers 1–4 on aggregate.
UEFA club competition record
Updated 14 February 2015.
Honours
Veikkausliiga
Winners (1): 2005
Runners up (5): 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002
Third place (3): 1999, 2000, 2001
Ykkönen, I divisioona
Winners (2): 1974, 1991
Kakkonen
A-Group, Winners (1): 2018
Kolmonen
South-Eastern Group, Winners (1): 2017, 2023
Finnish Cup
Winners (3): 1992, 1995, 2004
Season to season
Players
Managers
Harri Kampman (1991–96)
Timo Liekoski (1997)
Juha Malinen (1998–2003)
Ilkka Mäkelä (Jan 2004 – Aug 2007)
Janne Hyppönen (Aug 2007 – Sept 2008)
Janne Lindberg (Sept 2008 – Dec 2010)
Toni Korkeakunnas (Jan 2011 – Sept 2013)
Antti Muurinen (Sept 2013 – Feb 2015)
Jukka Karjalainen (Apr 2017 – Nov 2019)
Ilkka Mäkelä (Jan 2020 – Sep 2020)
Marko Honkanen (Sep 2020 – Nov 2021)
Jyrki Saarela (Nov 2021 – Oct 2023)
Mika Pasanen (Oct 2023 –)
References
External links
Official website
Football clubs in Finland
Association football clubs established in 1947
Kouvola
1947 establishments in Finland
Sport in Kymenlaakso