Helsingin Kullervo (abbreviated Kullervo) is a football club from Helsinki, Finland. The club was formed in 1919. It used to participate in number of sports including Bandy, Ice Hockey, Pesäpallo and Athletics but now concentrates only in Football. The club is a member of the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation, abbreviated as TUL. In its early days, Club was a powerhouse in TUL Sports, they won several TUL championships in Football, Pesäpallo, Bandy and Athletics.
History in football Kullervo was founded on February 7, 1919, after members who participated in Finnish Civil War as a red guards were expelled from Hermannin Kiista. Football was added to clubs program in 1919, football at that time had been largely middle and upper class sport, working class kids played often on the street but their teams were short lived and most players found it hard to enter clubs run by higher social classes, although KIF had several working class players. In April 1919, Kullervo kept their first football practice in Haapaniemen kenttä. In 1919, they participated in SPL Helsinki District competitions. They were only TUL club that had a football team and needed games to play. A member of Kullervo had been friends with members of SPL Helsinki district, and they were accepted to participate by special permit. Their first match was supposed to be against third team of HIFK, but their opponents were too scared to play and did not show up, apparently fearing retaliation from Finnish Civil War, Kullervo was declared winners by walkover, They finally got to play against third team of KIF, they also faced second team of HJK and Jewish club Stjärnan. In summer of 1919, they were forbidden to continue playing in SPL competitions by TUL. As a result, TUL Clubs from Helsinki District were obligated to form football teams, and soon Ponnistus, Jyry and Visa also had a number of teams. They quickly became a leading football club winning 6 first national TUL Cup. Finnish sports at the time were divided between Finnish Workers' Sports Federation and Finnish National Sports Association, they did not compete against each other and TUL members weren't allowed to represent Finland in national teams. In 1942 and 1945, they participated in Finnish Championship that was played in cup format. In 1943–44 season, they participated in first tier qualifiers but did not qualify and participated second tier instead. In 1948, TUL and Finnish FA leagues were merged and Kullervo qualified to Mestaruussarja.
Season to Season
SeasonLevelDivisionSectionAdministrationPositionMovements1943-44Tier 2Suomensarja (Second Division)Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th1945-48Tier 1Mestaruussarja (Premier League)TUL (Työväen Urheiluliitto)1948Tier 1Mestaruussarja (Premier League)Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)13thRelegated1949Tier 2Suomensarja (Second Division)East GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1stPromoted1950Tier 1Mestaruussarja (Premier League)Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)10thRelegated1951Tier 2Suomensarja (Second Division)East GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1952Tier 2Suomensarja (Second Division)East GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)8th1953Tier 2Suomensarja (Second Division)East GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1954Tier 2Suomensarja (Second Division)East GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)9th1955Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)South Group IFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1956Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)South Group IFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1957Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)South Group IFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th1958Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1959Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1stPromotion Playoff -1960Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1961Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1962Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1963Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1964Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1965Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1966Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)8thRelegated1967Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1968Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1969Tier 4Aluesarja (Fourth Division)Group 2Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1970Tier 4IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1971Tier 4IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1972Tier 4IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2ndPromotion Playoff1973Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1974Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1975Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 4Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1976Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1977Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1978Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1979Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 4Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2ndPromotion playoff1980Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1981Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)7th1982Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1983Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)6th1984Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)3rd1985Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 3Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)4th1986Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Finnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)10th1987Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)2nd1988-89Unknown1990Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 2Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)4th1991Tier 5IV Divisioona (Fourth Division)Group 1Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)11thRelegated1992-97Unknown1998Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 4Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)1999-2003Unknown2004Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Group 4Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)6th2005Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Group 1Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)5th2006Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Group 1Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)4thPromoted2007Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 2Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)9th2008Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 3Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)7th2009Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 3Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)11th2010Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 3Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)7th2011Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 3Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)13th2012Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 1Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)14th2013Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 4Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)12th2014Tier 7Kutonen (Sixth Division)Group 2Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)16th2015Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Group 1Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)8th2016Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)9th2017Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)4th2018Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)17th2019Tier 8Seiska (Seventh Division)Group 1Helsinki District (SPL Helsinki)7th 2 seasons in Mestaruussarja 6 seasons in Suomensarja 12 seasons in 6 seasons in Aluesarja 17 seasons in Nelonen 9 seasons in Kutonen 8 seasons in Seiska
References
External links Official site Finnish Wikipedia