Helsingin Ponnistus

Helsingin Ponnistus (abbreviated Ponnistus) is a football club from Helsinki, Finland. The club was formed in 1887 making it the oldest football club in Finland. The men's first team currently plays in the Kolmonen (Third Division) and their home ground is at the Töölön Pallokenttä.

Helsingin Ponnistus
Full nameHelsingin Ponnistus
Nickname(s)Ponnistus, Ponnarit, Telakka(the dock), Ponteva(vigorous)
Founded1887
GroundTöölön Pallokenttä,
Helsinki,
Finland
Capacity4,000
ChairmanRiitta Hanganpää
CoachTimo Valtonen
Matti Hartikainen
LeagueVitonen
Töölön Pallokenttä

Background

The sports club was founded on 6 September 1887 by Viktor Damm (1864–1944) supported by 5 other young men. In its early days the club specialised in gymnastics and athletics.[1] Nowadays football is the main sport.

The club has also been playing bandy. It was the runner-up for the bandy championship of the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation in 1948.

Ponnistus have had a variable degree of success in the Finnish football league and have participated in all four top tiers of Finnish football since the war years. The club have played in the Mestaruussarja, which was then the top tier of Finnish football on 4 separate occasions in 1948, 1968, 1973 and as recently as 1995 in the Veikkausliiga. Each time their stay was short-lived and they were relegated back to the second tier at the end of the season.[2]

Ponnistus have played 28 seasons covering seven periods in the Ykkönen or Suomensarja (First Division), the second tier of Finnish football in the years 1949–55, 1958–63, 1965–67, 1969–72, 1974–77, 1993–94 and 1996–97. They also have had four spells covering 21 seasons in the third tier, the Kakkonen (Second Division), in 1978–83, 1985–92, 1998–2002 and 2005–06.[3]

In 1995, Ponnistus won the final of Työväen Urheiluliiton Cup (Workers' Sports Federation Cup) for the first time in their history.[4]

The highest ever attendance for a Ponnistus match was in 1968 when 6,281 people attended the home game with Lahden Reipas.[5]

The Ladies Team gained promotion to the Women's Premier Division (Naisten SM-sarja) in 1976 but in 1977 they finished bottom of their group and were relegated.[6] The team currently play in the Nelonen (Fourth Division).

Season to season
Season Level Division Section Administration Position Movements
1988 Tier 3 II Divisioona (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 2nd
1989 Tier 3 II Divisioona (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th
1990 Tier 3 II Divisioona (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 4th
1991 Tier 3 II Divisioona (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 2nd
1992 Tier 3 II Divisioona (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 1st Promoted
1993 Tier 2 I Divisioona (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th Relegation series 1st
1994 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 1st Promoted
1995 Tier 1 Veikkausliiga (Premier League) Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 14th Relegated
1996 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th
1997 Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th Relegation Group South – Relegated
1998 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 8th
1999 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) East Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9th
2000 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) West Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 4th
2001 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 2nd
2002 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 11th Relegated
2003 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) 3rd
2004 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 1st Promotion Playoffs – Promoted
2005 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) South Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th Relegation Playoffs
2006 Tier 3 Kakkonen (Second Division) Group A Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 14th Relegated
2007 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 3 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 6th
2008 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 3rd
2009 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 1 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 4th
2010 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) 11th Relegated
2011 Tier 5 Nelonen (Fourth Division) Section 1 Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki) 1st Promoted
2012 Tier 4 Kolmonen (Third Division) Section 2 Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) 12th Relegated
2013 Tier 5 Nelonen (Fourth Division) Section 2 Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki) 7th
2014 Tier 5 Nelonen (Fourth Division) Section 1 Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki) 5th

2010 season

Ponnistus Men's Team are competing in Section 2 (Lohko 2) of the Kolmonen (Third Division) administered by the Helsinki SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football system. In 2009 Ponnistus finished in 4th place in Section 1 (Lohko 1) of the Kolmonen.

Ponnistus / 2 are competing in Section 2 (Lohko 2) of the Vitonen (Fifth Division) administered by the Helsinki SPL.

References and Sources

Footnotes
  1. "FUTIS-sanomat Numero 1 2004" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  2. "Finland – Divisional Movements 1930–2009". RSSSF Archives. 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  3. "Finland – Divisional Movements 1930–2009". RSSSF Archives. 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  4. Jalkapallokirja 1995. Suomen Palloliitto. 1995. ISSN 0787-7188.
  5. Jalkapallokirja 1996. Suomen Palloliitto. 1996. ISSN 0787-7188.
  6. "Finland – List of Women League First Level Tables". RSSSF Archives. 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
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