Gauja Valmiera
Encyclopedia
Gauja Valmiera was a Latvia
n football
from Valmiera
that played in the top Latvian league from 1979 to 1993.
It was named after the river Gauja
. In the 1990s another Valmiera football club - FK Valmiera
- was renamed to Gauja.
, Aleksandrs Madājevs and Jānis Ozols were the leaders of the Valmiera club. In 1983 Andersons and Ozols joined Daugava Rīga which played in the 1st Soviet league.
After several hard seasons in the top league when sometimes Gauja was near to being relegated in 1985 it won its first medals - it finished 3rd in the league and clubs forward Jānis Bacis was the best goalscorer in the league. In 1986 and 1988 Gauja also reached the Latvian Cup final. But the biggest success in the history of football in Valmiera came in 1990 when Gauja won the Latvian championship. Modris Zujevs was the best goalscorer in the league in 1990. By then the club was coached by Dainis Andersons who was still an active footballer with the club.
In the newly independent Latvia Gauja started to struggle - in 1992 it finished 10th from 12, but in 1993 the club experienced a catastrophe - it
lost 17 from 18 matches in the league (mostly - because of near bankruptcy). From 1994 to 1997 the club played in the second Latvian league, then - became completely defunct.
In 2003 former FK Valmiera
was renamed to Gauja thus giving a club under the formerly popular name another life in Virsliga
(FK Valmiera was not a new name of the previous Gauja, as both clubs played in different Latvian leagues in mid 1990s). But after the season the club withdrew from Virsliga because of financial limitations and also took up its former name FK Valmiera.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
from Valmiera
Valmiera
Valmiera is the largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of 18.1 km². It is the center of the Valmiera District. As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2008 – 27,569....
that played in the top Latvian league from 1979 to 1993.
It was named after the river Gauja
Gauja
The Gauja is one of the longest rivers in Latvia, with a length of and a catchment area of . Its source is in the hills southeast of Cēsis. It first flows east and north and forms the border with Estonia for about . South of Valga and Valka, it turns west towards Valmiera, continuing southwest...
. In the 1990s another Valmiera football club - FK Valmiera
FK Valmiera
Futbola klubs Valmiera is a Latvian football club, playing in the second-highest division of Latvian football. They are from the city of Valmiera.-History:...
- was renamed to Gauja.
History
Under different names the Valmiera club was playing in the 1st Latvian league for several decades but only in the late 1970s it became known outside its region. In 1978 already by the name Gauja it made its debut in the top Latvian league. Former Rīgas audums footballer Evgenijs Katajevs was the clubs coach. Local footballers like Valērijs Kuzņecovs, Dainis AndersonsDainis Andersons
Dainis Andersons was a Latvian football player and manager, one of the most famous footballers from Valmiera.-Biography:Andersons started playing football in with the Valmiera youth team which was coached by Evgenijs Katajevs...
, Aleksandrs Madājevs and Jānis Ozols were the leaders of the Valmiera club. In 1983 Andersons and Ozols joined Daugava Rīga which played in the 1st Soviet league.
After several hard seasons in the top league when sometimes Gauja was near to being relegated in 1985 it won its first medals - it finished 3rd in the league and clubs forward Jānis Bacis was the best goalscorer in the league. In 1986 and 1988 Gauja also reached the Latvian Cup final. But the biggest success in the history of football in Valmiera came in 1990 when Gauja won the Latvian championship. Modris Zujevs was the best goalscorer in the league in 1990. By then the club was coached by Dainis Andersons who was still an active footballer with the club.
In the newly independent Latvia Gauja started to struggle - in 1992 it finished 10th from 12, but in 1993 the club experienced a catastrophe - it
lost 17 from 18 matches in the league (mostly - because of near bankruptcy). From 1994 to 1997 the club played in the second Latvian league, then - became completely defunct.
In 2003 former FK Valmiera
FK Valmiera
Futbola klubs Valmiera is a Latvian football club, playing in the second-highest division of Latvian football. They are from the city of Valmiera.-History:...
was renamed to Gauja thus giving a club under the formerly popular name another life in Virsliga
Virsliga
-Past Virslīga winners:-Top scorers:-Riga football league winners:* 1910 Union Riga* 1911 British FC Riga* 1912 Union Riga* 1913 British FC Riga* 1914 British FC Riga* 1915 British FC Riga-Champions of Latvia before Virslīga:* 1922 Ķeizarmežs...
(FK Valmiera was not a new name of the previous Gauja, as both clubs played in different Latvian leagues in mid 1990s). But after the season the club withdrew from Virsliga because of financial limitations and also took up its former name FK Valmiera.