Närpes Kraft Fotbollsförening (abbreviated Kraft) is a football club from Närpes (), Finland. The original club was formed in 1930 and their home ground is at the Mosedal. The men's football first team currently plays in the Kakkonen (Second Division).
Background
IF Kraft or Kraft Närpes is a sports club that was founded in 1930. The club has specialised in a number of sports, including cycling, skiing, athletics, football, and ice hockey. Ice hockey was introduced at Kraft in 1970, and the team currently plays in Division II, Finland's fourth highest league. The cycling section of the club started in 1982.
Kraft is probably best known for its football club with the men's first team having played 7 seasons in the Ykkönen (First Division), the second tier of Finnish football in 1997 and 1999–2004. They also have had four spells covering 26 seasons in the third tier, the Kakkonen (Second Division), in 1976–84, 1986–96, 1998 and 2005–09. The football section broke away from the main club in 1997.
Relegation at the end of the 2009 season to the Kolmonen (Third Division) has sadly brought fourth tier football back to Mosedal. It was 25 years ago in 1985 since Kraft last played at this level.
The highest ever attendance for a Kraft match was in 1974 in when 2,406 people attended the home game with Lappfjärds Bollklubb. The largest attendance for a Kraft match at Mosedal was in 1997 in when 1,468 people attended the home game with FC Haka in the Ykkönen (First Division).
The club is now able to make use of the new Närpiö Idrottshall, "Ball Hall", which was completed in autumn 2008. The hall's size is 97.5 metres by 67 metres and has a height of 16 metres. The venue is able to accommodate an artificial turf pitch 90 metres by 60 metres.
Season to season
SeasonLevelDivisionSectionAdministrationPositionMovements1948Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division) Vaasa District (SPL Vaasa) 1949Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) North Group B Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th 1950Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) North Group B Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th Relegated1951Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division) Vaasa District (SPL Vaasa) 1952Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division) Vaasa District (SPL Vaasa) 1953Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division) Vaasa District (SPL Vaasa) 1954Unknown1955Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division) Vaasa District (SPL Vaasa) 1956Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division) Group 9 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1st Promoted1957Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) North Group I Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)8th 1958Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 4 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th 1959Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 5 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd 1960Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 4 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th 1961Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 6 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th 1962Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 6 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th 1963Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th 1964Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd 1965Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th 1966Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 5 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th 1967Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 9 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th 1968Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 7 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd 1969Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division) Group 7 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th 1970Tier 3III Divisioona (Third Division) Group 7 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th 1971Tier 3III Divisioona (Third Division) Group 6 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th 1972Tier 3III Divisioona (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1973Tier 4III Divisioona (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1974Tier 4III Divisioona (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1975Tier 4III Divisioona (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1st Promoted1976Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1977Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1978Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1979Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2ndPromotion Playoff1980Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1981Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1982Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1983Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1984Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)10thRelegated1985Tier 4III Divisioona (Third Division) Group 8 Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1st Promoted1986Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1987Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1988Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1989Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1990Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1991Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1992Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)8th1993Tier 3II Divisioona (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1994Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1995Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)9th1996Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1stPromoted1997Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division)North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10thRelegation Group North – Relegated1998Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2ndPromoted1999Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division)North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9thRelegation Group North – Play-offs2000Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division)North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9thRelegation Group North – Play-offs2001Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division)North Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 6th2002Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division)Northern Group Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 6th Relegation Group North – Play-offs2003Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 6th2004Tier 2 Ykkönen (First Division) Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 12th Relegated2005Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th2006Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th2007Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)11th2008Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)10th2009Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) Group BFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)13th Relegated2010Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Central Ostrobothnia and Vaasa Vaasa District (SPL Vaasa)1st Promoted2011Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division) Group BFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th 2012Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)WesternFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th 2013Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)WesternFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th 2014Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)WesternFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 3rd 2015Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)WesternFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 6th 2016Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 7th 2017Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 4th 2018Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 11th Relegated2019Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Central Ostrobothnia and Vaasa Vaasa District (SPL Vaasa)2nd 2020Tier 4Kolmonen (Third Division) Central Ostrobothnia and Vaasa Vaasa district (SPL Vaasa)1st Promotion Group 1st - Promoted2021Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 10th 2022Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 5th 2023Tier 3Kakkonen (Second Division)Group CFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto) 9th 2024Tier 4Kakkonen (Second Division) Group C Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th 2025Tier 4Kakkonen (Second Division) Group C Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)
7 seasons in 2nd Tier 55 seasons in 3rd Tier 15 season in 4th Tier
Club structure
Närpes Kraft Fotbollsförening run a large number of teams including 2 men's teams, 1 ladies team, 7 boys teams and 4 girls teams.
2010 season
Kraft Men's Team are competing in the Kolmonen (Third Division) section administered by the Vaasa SPL. This is the fourth highest tier in the Finnish football system. In 2009 Kraft finished in 13th place in Group B of the Kakkonen (Second Division) and were relegated.
Kraft /2 are participating in the Nelonen (Fourth Division) administered by the Vaasa SPL.
Current squad
Footnotes
External links
Finnish Wikipedia