Joensuun Palloseura (abbreviated JoPS) is a football club from Joensuu, Finland. JoPS is Joensuu's oldest football club, formed in 1929. The club has competed in the second tier of Finnish football over six seasons, the last time being in 1968. JoPS currently plays in the Vioten section, which covers Eastern Finland.
History JoPS has covered sports such as bandy, pesäpallo, football, and tennis. The football club officially began operations in 1930, the same year as the Karelian District Football Association was established. In the 1940s, JoPS was the leading bandy club of North Karelia. The team rose to the Premier Division in 1940 and remained in the highest division until 1949 without winning any medals. In the early 1950s, JoPS lost its status as the top bandy club in Joensuu and began to invest more in football.
JoPS dominated the North Karelian football until the 1970s. The club competed in the second tier of Finnish football in 1938, 1952, 1958–59, 1964 and 1968. It also won the district championships in a number of years in succession in Joensuu in the period 1949–1956. In the early 1970s, JoPS participated in the re-structured league system which introduced the new Third Division. The team were promoted at the end of the 1972 season to the Second Division Division, but 1973 was the only year that they played at this level the team gaining only 4 points. JoPS amalgamated with Karpalo in October 1973, but became operational again in 1976 and played in the 1980s in the Third Division.
After ten years of silence, the club name JoPS appeared again in the new millennium when the club resumed its football activities. JoPS has run a team in the Kolmonen since 2002.
Notable former players
Raimo Kauppinen – former Finnish footballer who began career at Joensuu in 1958–1959 before moving on to HJK (1960–1968 and 1971) and Kiffen 1969–1970. He played in one A-team international game. Seppo Pelkonen – former Finnish footballer who played 16 A-team international matches and 4 B-team international matches. He played for KuPS who won the Finnish championship in 1956.
Season to season
SeasonLevelDivisionSectionAdministrationPositionMovements2002Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 4th2003Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 5th2004Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 9th2005Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 3rd2006Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 7th2007Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 8th2008Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 5th2009Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern and Central Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi) 4th2010Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Eastern and Central Finland (SPL Itä-Suomi)7th
9 seasons in Kolmonen
2010 season
JoPS First Team are competing in the Kolmonen administered by the Itä-Suomi SPL and Keski-Suomi SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football system.
JoPS/2 are participating in Section A (Lohko A) of the Nelonen administered by the Itä-Suomi SPL.
Players in 2011 Goalkeepers: 1 Jussi Nevalainen 69 Markku Ukskoski Defenders: 4 Matti Määttänen 8 Mika Karjalainen Tuomas Kortelainen Erno Pennanen Sami Voutilainen Jussi Reijonen Eemeli Reinikainen Midfield Players: 6 Tomi Ronkainen 7 Jussi Aarnio 9 Pekka Mähönen Jami Päivinen Marko Kylmälä Janne Savolainen Ville Koskela Forwards: 18 Erkka Vesanen 19 Miika Nevalainen Harri Tolvanen
References and sources Official Website Finnish Wikipedia Joensuun Palloseura-JOPS Facebook
Footnotes