Etelä-Espoon Pallo (EsPa)
Encyclopedia
Etelä-Espoon Pallo, or EsPa as the name is commonly abbreviated, is a Finnish football club from the city of Espoo
. The club was founded in 1988 and currently competes in the Kakkonen
, the third tier of the Finnish football league system. EsPa's second adult team compete in the Kutonen
. EsPa play their home matches at Matinkylä.
EsPa has two adult teams and twelve junior teams and in total has around 340 registered players. The club was founded to replace Matinkylän Mahti.
Etelä-Espoon Pallo operates in Matinkylä
and Olari
parts of Espoo. The club organises the annual EsPa Big Apple (Iso Omena) Tournament.
after finishing in second place of the Kolmonen. After finishing second, EsPa were included in the Kakkonen play-offs as the best second placed team of all seven sections of Finland. EsPa were paired with Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa
. The first leg took place in Matinkylä with EsPa winning 3-1. The second leg proved to be a dramatic affair with EsPa controversially being reduced to ten men after five minutes. The match eventually ended 2-1 in PKKU's favour, however EsPa progressed, winning 4-3 on aggregate.
EsPa's second team, in their first season, were crowned champions of the Kutonen section 2 and currently await confirmation of their promotion to the Vitonen.
. In 2009 EsPa finished in 4th position in Section 2 of the Kolmonen.
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....
. The club was founded in 1988 and currently competes in the Kakkonen
Kakkonen
Kakkonen is the third tier of the Finnish football league system.-League structure:Kakkonen is divided to three groups of 14 clubs. A club plays each of the others in the same group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a...
, the third tier of the Finnish football league system. EsPa's second adult team compete in the Kutonen
Kutonen
Kutonen is the seventh tier of the Finnish Soccer League system. The section winners are promoted to the Vitonen and the bottom teams to the Seiska.-Administration:...
. EsPa play their home matches at Matinkylä.
EsPa has two adult teams and twelve junior teams and in total has around 340 registered players. The club was founded to replace Matinkylän Mahti.
Etelä-Espoon Pallo operates in Matinkylä
Matinkylä
Matinkylä or Mattby is one of the major urban areas of Espoo, a city on the southern coast of Finland. Matinkylä is understood as the area between the Helsinki-Hanko highway and the coast of the Gulf of Finland, between the areas of Haukilahti and Iivisniemi.About 30 000 people live in the...
and Olari
Olari, Espoo
Olari or Olars is a district of the city of Espoo, Finland. Olari is located about 15 kilometres west of central Helsinki, north of the Länsiväylä highway and Matinkylä. The district has a population of about 15,000...
parts of Espoo. The club organises the annual EsPa Big Apple (Iso Omena) Tournament.
Season to season
| class="wikitable"> | ||||||
| Season | Level | Division | Section | Administration | Position | Movements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 1 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | 11th | Relegated |
| 2001 | Tier 5 | Nelonen (Fourth Division) | Section 1 | Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa) | 2nd | Promoted |
| 2002 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 1 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) | 10th | |
| 2003 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 1 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) | 11th | Relegated |
| 2004 | Tier 5 | Nelonen (Fourth Division) | Section 1 | Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa) | 7th | |
| 2005 | Tier 5 | Nelonen (Fourth Division) | Section 1 | Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa) | 9th | |
| 2006 | Tier 5 | Nelonen (Fourth Division) | Section 1 | Uusimaa District (SPL Uusimaa) | 3rd | Promoted |
| 2007 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 1 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) | 6th | |
| 2008 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 1 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) | 7th | |
| 2009 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 2 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Helsinki) | 4th | |
| 2010 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 1 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) | 2nd | |
| 2011 | Tier 4 | Kolmonen (Third Division) | Section 1 | Helsinki & Uusimaa (SPL Uusimaa) | 2nd | KAKKOOSEEN! |
- 7 seasons in KolmonenKolmonenKolmonen is the fourth highest football league in Finland. The most famous club competing at this level is Helsingin Palloseura who won the Finnish Championship on 9 occasions, the last time being in 1957. They also won the Finnish Cup in 1962...
- 4 seasons in NelonenNelonen (soccer league)Nelonen is the fifth highest league in the Finnish Soccer League system. The section winners are promoted to the Kolmonen and the bottom teams to the Vitonen.-Administration:...
2011 season
The 2011 season proved to be the best in EsPa Men's Team's history. The first team secured promoted to the KakkonenKakkonen
Kakkonen is the third tier of the Finnish football league system.-League structure:Kakkonen is divided to three groups of 14 clubs. A club plays each of the others in the same group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents. Clubs gain three points for a win, one for a...
after finishing in second place of the Kolmonen. After finishing second, EsPa were included in the Kakkonen play-offs as the best second placed team of all seven sections of Finland. EsPa were paired with Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa
Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa
Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa is a football club serving the sub-region of Keski-Uusimaa in Finland and is centred on the towns of Järvenpää, Kerava and Tuusula. The club was formed in 2005 and the men's first team currently plays in the Kakkonen...
. The first leg took place in Matinkylä with EsPa winning 3-1. The second leg proved to be a dramatic affair with EsPa controversially being reduced to ten men after five minutes. The match eventually ended 2-1 in PKKU's favour, however EsPa progressed, winning 4-3 on aggregate.
EsPa's second team, in their first season, were crowned champions of the Kutonen section 2 and currently await confirmation of their promotion to the Vitonen.
2010 season
EsPa Men's Team finished in second place in Section 1 (Lohko 1) of the Kolmonen administered by the Uusimaa SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football systemFinnish football league system
The Finnish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Finland. The three highest levels are managed by the Finnish FA while the higher leagues are managed by the regional departments of the FA.-The system:...
. In 2009 EsPa finished in 4th position in Section 2 of the Kolmonen.