FC Hämeenlinna

FC Hämeenlinna
Full nameFC Hämeenlinna
Nickname(s)Valkoiset (Whites)
Founded1991
GroundKauriala,
Hämeenlinna
Capacity4000
ChairmanTapio Virtanen
ManagerTomi Uusitorppa
LeagueKutonen
Kaurialan kenttä

FC Hämeenlinna is a Finnish football club, based in Hämeenlinna. The club's manager is Tomi Uusitorppa, and it plays its home matches at Kauriala.

The team was formed in 1991.

Club's history

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Initial years

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FC Hämeenlinna was founded in autumn 1991, when the town's two football teams HPK and Pallo-Kärpät decided to merge. In the spring of 1992, K-Team took the place of HPK in the Kolmonen. The team were coached by Seppo Pyykkö and Teuvo Palkki.

FC Hämeenlinna in the autumn of 1993 gained promotion to the Kakkonen, where their stay was short-lived, as they gained promotion this time to the Ykkönen. The club played at this level until 1998, when they were relegated back to the Kakkonen. The first team won the Ykkönen Cup in the summer of 1996.

In the autumn of 1998, the club launched a project with the objective of achieving to top-level football for Hämeenlinna. Jari-Pekka Keurulainen was hired as coach, and one of his signings was Ismo Lius. The following season Lius took on additional training responsibilities, and he coached the team during the 2000 season. Then Hannu Touru was hired as coach, and season 2001 ended with celebrations, with the team winning the play-off against in Jaro (from Pietarsaari) by 4–2 on aggregate. Hämeenlinna played in the top-tier Veikkausliiga during 2002–2004.

After the 2012 season, they were relegated to third-tier Kakkonen, and two years later to fourth-tier Kolmonen. Due to severe financial problems, the club declined the league spot, were not granted the league license and were forced to be demoted to the seventh-tier Kutonen for the 2015 season.[1]

Current squad

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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 Finland FIN Jukka Järvinen
3 DF Finland FIN Esa Mattila
4 MF Finland FIN Jussi Heikkinen
6 MF Finland FIN Lauri Hakanen
7 FW Finland FIN Jussi Ojala
8 DF Finland FIN Jere Saarinen
9 FW Finland FIN Jere Suomalainen
11 DF Finland FIN Mikko Matinaro
14 FW Finland FIN Aleksi Nieminen
17 MF Finland FIN Harri Suhonen
18 GK Finland FIN Jaakko Puronaho
19 MF Finland FIN Mikko Kalervo
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 MF Finland FIN Omid Musawi
23 MF Finland FIN Joni Lindroos
24 DF Finland FIN Aleksi Topinoja
45 FW Finland FIN Aleksi Latvanen
69 MF Finland FIN Jarkko Saarman
71 DF Finland FIN Miro Purosto
74 DF Finland FIN Kaarle Keskitalo
90 GK Finland FIN Ville Kalervo
TBA MF Nigeria NGA Lyam Friday
TBA MF Cameroon CMR Chijioke Ibekwe
TBA GK Estonia EST Sergei Lepmets

Coaches

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1991–1995 Seppo Pyykkö
1996–1998 Jorma Kangasmäki
1998 Seppo Pyykkö
1999 Jari-Pekka Keurulainen
2000 Ismo Lius
2001–2002 Hannu Touru
2003–2004 Ville Lyytikäinen
2004 Toni Korkeakunnas
2005 Danny Hoekman
2005 Geert Meijer
2006 Jussi Laihanen
2007–2010 Teuvo Palkki
2011–2012 Jussi Lempinen
2013– Tomi Uusitorppa

References

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  1. ^ Linna joka romahti, jalkapallolehti.fi, 3 March 2015
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